Individual Details

John Lea was a captain in the Militia of King & Queen Co in 1703.
John Lee was on the 1704 Quit Rent Rolls of Virginia in King William Co. with only 20 acres.

King & Queen Co formed from New Kent - 1691.
King William formed from K & Q - 1702
Spotsylvania Co formed from Essex, King William, K & Q - 1721

Virginia land grants re John Leigh [There were also grants to a John Lee of Nansemond Co [A second John Lee was listed in the 1704 Quit Rent rolls in Nansemond Co with 100 acres] and a John Lee of James City Co - I did not include those here as I believe they are different men. John Lee of James City Co did have land in Spotsylvania Co ca 1728.]
2 Nov 1705 John Leigh, 484 acres King & Queen Co in St Stephen's Parish, begin Starke's Landing down the Apostequick Swp to land called Abrahall's on the Mattapony River. Granted Mr. John Starke, 30 Oct 1686, deserted. Import of 20 persons. PB 9, p.707 [Abrahall's grant on the Mattapony is also mentioned, along with John Pigg, in one of the grants escheated under William Leigh when he was Deputy Escheater, 1682]
24 Mar 1725 [perhaps the son of the same name, as may be the case in the following records] Capt John Leigh, Gentleman, of K & Q Co, granted 400 acres of New Land, Hanover Co, beg mouth of Medlock's br, down Taylor's Cr by a small Island. PB 12, p.345 [Hanover formed 1720 out of New Kent Co]
2 Sep 1728 John Lee of New Kent Co, granted 150 acres of lapsed land in King William Co in St. John's Parish on brs of Beaverdam Cr adj Cornelius Keith Capt. James Terry, Thomas Thomason, John Holladay & Mattew Creed's line. Granted Thomas Ware 9 Jul 1724 who conveyed to Michael Naillin, both of whom failed to seat. PB 13, p.437 [William Leigh had also taken up land of a Thomas Ware. Lapsed land was often granted as the original description.]
11 Apr 1732 Thomas Christmas was granted 731 acres in Hanover adj Major John Leigh, Richard Wetherford, Wm Noble, John Stanley, George Pemberton & Henry Graves. Part of 400 acres had been granted John Matlock. PB 14, p.384.
11 Apr 1732 William Birch granted 167 acres, King & Queen in St. Stephen's Parish adj his own land, Major John Leigh, Mr. Chickley Corbin Thacker, John Birch & Plunket. E side of roleing road. PB 14, p.426

After his death, John Lea's widow married Thomas Carruthers. Legal contention between Carruthers and the orphans of John and Ann Lea identified the following:
William Lea - said to have died in 1770 in Amelia Co. Married Frances Major? [It's my belief this is the Capt Wm Lea who moved to S. Hico Creek in Person Co and lived until about 1804]
Eizabeth Lea - married (1) Swan Jones and (2) Zachary Taylor, grandfather of the President of the same name.
John Lea - married Ann Carter. George & Elizabeth Carter gave a deed of gift of 185 acres to John Lea their son-in-law and Ann his wife their daughter on 4 Feb 1745. John Lea of Orange Co NC and Ann his wife later sold this land to Thomas Neal of Sportsylvania Co. In 1770 a John Lea was Sheriff of Orange Co NC.
Catherine Lea - married (1) George Priddy and (2) Richard Shackelford
James Lea - married Ann Herndon and moved to Orange Co, North Carolina.
[So far the entries I've seen cited prove only that William and James were sons of John Lea, dec'd and that there was a third heir, possibly Catherine Priddy Shackelford whose husband brought the suit - I have seen no proof of John Lea who married Ann Carter, nor the daughter Elizabeth, grandmother of President Zachary Taylor]

Spotsylvania Co Order Book 2, p.89 7 Oct 1731. On motion of John Key that he might be guardian to James Lea, orphan of John Lea, dec'd, is granted. Key having entered into Bond with Zachary Taylor. Zachary Taylor was guardian of William Lea.


Spotsylvania Co Order Book 2, p.91 2 Nov 1731 Richard Shackleford & Catherine his wife, extrx of George Priddy late of King & Queen Co, dec'd, to have Thomas "Creathers" give an account of the Estate of John Lea, late of King & Queen Co Dec'd, he having intermarried with Ann Lea, relict of said John and removed Lea's Estate out of the county of King & Queen into this, and is going out of the Country. Creathers proved that he has paid and satisfied two of the said Lea's Orphans and ready to give Security for the payments of the third.


William Lea and his sister Betty were over the age of 14 at the death of their father and they chose their stepfather Thomas Carruthers as Guardian. Within a year, William chose instead Zachary Taylor.

There is a transfer of 100 acres in Spotsylvania Co VA to William Lea from his stepfather, Thomas "Crethers", on 5 Oct 1731. Signed by Thomas Crethers and Zachary Taylor, guardian to William Lea. DB B, p.227. William Lea and wife Frances, sold this property to Thomas White, 1 Sept 1752 - the properties said to have identical descriptions.

Death	Bef 1731	King and Queen County, Virginia
Marriage		Ann ?Taylor

Spouse	Ann ?Taylor ( - )
Child	Living
Child	John Lea [Richland] ( - 1781)
Child	Elizabeth Lea ( - )
Child	Capt William Lea (1715 - 1804)
Child	James Lea (Kilgore's Branch) (1720 - )

Father	William Leigh/Lea ( - 1704)
Sibling	William Lea ( - )