I grew up in Alveley, Shropshire, England. When my sister married an American gentleman, I wondered about the oft-mentioned connections between our village and the USA. The connection is through the Lee dynasty who owned nearby Coton Hall, and includes Declaration of Independence signatories Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee, plus the Confederate leader General Lee.
Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee's Great Grandfather, Richard Henry Lee I, came from Alveley.
Richard Henry Lee (1732-1794, Virginia)
and
Francis Lightfoot Lee (1734-1797, Virginia)
brothers who signed the American Declaration of Independence
sons of Thomas Lee (c1690-1750, Virginia)
Governor of Virginia
son of Richard Henry Lee II (1647-1715, Virginia)
son of Colonel Richard Henry Lee I (1618-1664, Shropshire/Virginia)
member of the King's Council
son of Sir Richard Lee (1564-1621, Shropshire)
owner of Coton Hall, Alveley, who got married in St Mary's Church, Alveley.
General Lee's Great Great Great Grandfather, Richard Henry Lee I, came from Alveley.
General Robert E. Lee (1807-1870, Virginia)
Confederate leader in the American Civil War
son of Major General Henry "Lighthorse Harry" Lee III (1756-1818, Virginia)
American Revolutionary War hero
son of Henry Lee II (1730-1787, Virginia)
son of Captain Henry Lee I (1671-1747, Virginia)
married Mary Bland, distant cousin of President Thomas Jefferson
son of Richard Henry Lee II (1647-1715, Virginia)
son of Colonel Richard Henry Lee I (1618-1664, Shropshire/Virginia)
member of the King's Council
son of Sir Richard Lee (1564-1621, Shropshire)
owner of Coton Hall, Alveley, who got married in St Mary's Church, Alveley.
Google Satellite Map of Coton Hall
Lee family ownership of Coton Hall, Alveley goes back to around 1300AD. Coton Hall was rebuilt around 1800 but ruins of the original chapel remain. The Lee family sold Coton Hall in 1821 after the death of the last Lee to live there, Harry Lancelot Lee.
The roof of the chapel collapsed in 1878 and all Lee family monuments were moved to St Mary's Church, Alveley, where many remain visible to the public. Coton Hall is not open to the public but it is visible from minor roads, and there are public footpaths running through the estate.
• BBC feature on Coton Hall and the Lee connection
• Coton Hall Ancestral Home with photos of the hall and the chapel
• Photos of St Mary's Church, Alveley
• Alveley Family History Shropshire, a Facebook page for other local family histories
Public Domain - Andrew Oakley - 2010-10-07
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