[Vinson.FTW]
They moved to NC shortly after marriage. In 1762, James bought 160 acres in St. Thomas Parish, Orange Co., NC. In 1777, his land in Orange Co., NC became a part of the new Caswell Co., NC. In 1778, he bought 600 acres on both sides of East Fork, Kilgore's Brnch, North Hyco Creek, Caswell Co., NC. Jessee Family Newletter, Vol. 3, No. 2, May 1994. He was known as James Lea of Kilgore's Branch, to distinguish him from other James Leas.
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The following Power of Attorney from James Lea is copied form the Caswell Co. Deed Book B:36:
STATE of NORTH CAROLINA:
Know all men by these presents that I, James Lea (the son and heir of William Lea, dec.) of the County of Caswell, have constituted made, and appointed my true and trusty friend Thomas Phillips of the County and State aforesaid, my true and lawful attorney for me (and in) my name and stead to ask, demand, sue for in law, so as to obtain a good and lawful right and title to a certain tract of parcel of land lying in King and Queen Co. in the Commonwealth of Virginia, containing 25 acres on the waters of Matipone (Mattaponi), lying near Maddison Mill which said land fell to me by the line of heirship, and upon receipt of recovery of such land as aforesaid, I do impower him to contract, make sale of dispose of the said land, and sign, seal and execute lawfully to any person whatsoever a good and authentic deed of conveyance in fee simple and also all and everything needful and necessary whatever to be done touching the above premises (sic), I do include and perform as full, largely and amply to all intents and purposes as myself right or could do it I was personally present.
In witness whereof I have hereto set my hand and seal, this the 16th day of March Anno Dom. 1784, in the Year of American Independence (the Eighth).
Signed, sealed and delivered
In the presence of /s/ JAMES LEA
Herndon Haralson, Jurat
William Lea
March 1784
The above letter of attorney was duly proved in open court by both Herndon Haralson, one of the witnesses thereto, and ordered to be recorded.
The land referred to as part of a tract of 100 acres on the north side of the River in St. Stephens Parish, King and Queen Co., VA., granted to William Lea 16 December 1714 (Virginia Land Grants, Volume 10:214).
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On 6 August 1745 there were recorded two deeds of interest to this study. James Lea, John Graves and Joseph Brock were witnesses to the first of these. It was for John Pain and Frances, his wife, to John Talburt for 100 acres. The other was of adjacent property transferred by John Talburt and Margaret his wife to Jeremiah Stevens, 36 acres on Cattail swamp on the Mattapony River, joining the lands of Joseph Brock and near the Samms plantation. Five years later James Lea was a witness to the deed of sale of most of this land to James Samms by James Stevens and his wife Alice. The other witness was James Chapman. On 5 March 1753 James Lea and Ann his wife sold 200 acres in Spotsylvania to James Chapman.
James Lea and Edward Herndon were members of the Vestry of St. Georges Parish, the former until he left for North Carolina about 1755, the latter until approximately the same date. James Lea was a witness in 1754 to the deed of trust conveying the land on which a new church was to be built. Edward Herndon was foreman of the November 1741 Grand Jury, one of whose members was James Lea.
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James Lea was born in 1718 in King and Queen Co., VA.; removed to Spotsylvania as a young man, lived there until about 1754, and after that date the first in Orange Co., NC until Caswell Co. as erected in 1771. and from then until his death he lived in Caswell Co.
He founded Leasburg, now in Caswell Co.. There he and his brothers founded the Episcopal Church.
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A. E. Casey's Amite Co., MS, Vol III, p. 564, which lists Lucinda, Adelphia and Isabella (she's on page 562) as daughters of James Lea and Anne Herndon, as well as the other children.
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His will dated March 28, 1771, and was probated during March Ct. in Caswell Co. in 1792. In it, he names his 'well loved sons William Lea & John Lea & Major Lea, my executors'; ..."Item, I give & bequeath to my true & well loved Wife Ann Lea all my whole estate during her life or widowhood & after her death I give and bequeath to my son Major Lea the land and Plantation where on I now Live & two Cows and one yearling & one gilding and one Mare and his Choise of all the Negroes that is or may be at his mother's death & one feather bed & furniture and further more the said Major Lea is to have his eqile [equal] part with the rest of my Children exclusive of what is above mentioned & the whole of the remaining part of my Estate to be equilly divided among
all my Children. [Signed] James Lea. Wit: Thos Campbell and Henry Lea
There is an accounting filed for settlement of the estate. The accounting was filed in April Ct. term, 1796 and lists the following as recipients of the estate: Luke Lea, Joseph Henderson, Will Lea, Joseph Peterson, Isabella Graves, Paul Haralson, John Lea, and Major Lea. [Isabella Lea Graves husband must have been died at the time of the settlement, otherwise her share would have been paid to him.]
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1749 - 1750: Moved to North Carolina
29 March 1771: Completed his Last Will and Testament in Orange Co., NC
1776 - 1780: Served in the American Revolution
16 March 1784: Power of Attorney to sell lands in King and Queen Co., VA
Died on 2 June 1788 in Caswell Co., NC
Will was probated in March 1792 in Caswell Co., NC
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In his book, Report of Research of the Lea Family, In Virginia & North Carolina Before 1800, Ben L. Rose wrote:
"1. James Lea of Country Line Creek. This was the first James Lea to settle in this section of North Carolina. We can identify him when, on Mar 3rd, 1752, he entered a claim for 520 acres of land "on both sides of Country Line Creek" (The grant was not issued until Nov 12, 1758, which was not unusual). In Sep. 1752 the court of Orange Co NC bound Edw. Ball, an orphan of 16 years, to James Lea, indicating that he (James Lea) was a respected citizen of the community by then. In 1754 Robert Harper assigned to him right and title in 600 more acres "on both sides of Country Line Creek". In 1755 he is the only James Lea to appear on the Tax List of Orange Co. When John Graves was granted 396 acres in 1762, the tract he received was described as "on Country Line Creek adjacent to the lines of James Lea and Dobbins". This James Lea's will was proved in Caswell Co court in Mar 1792. In his will, which was written in 1771, he mentioned his wife, Anne, and his sons: William, John and Major. He left to his son, Major, "the land and plantation whereon I now live". The will was proved in court on a deposition by Capt. William Lea in which he declared that he saw the testator sign the will and that the will had been in his possession since then. In Apr 1796 the court admitted to record an accounting of James Lea's estate, in which his heirs are shown as: Luke Lea, Joseph Henderson, Will Lea, Joseph Paterson, Isabella Graves, John Lea, Major Lea and Paul Haralson. We learn from other sources that Joseph Henderson had married James Lea's daughter Delphia, that Joseph Paterson had married daughter Lucinda, that Isabella Graves was his daughter who married John Graves, and Paul Haralson had married his daughter Nancy. (Ref: Graves, Twelve Generations, by Louise Graves, Addendum No. 1, page 6).
On page 125 of his book, Mr. Rose also notes: "I conclude that James Lea of Country Line Creek was the same person as James Lea, planter, of King & Queen Co and Spotsylvania Co VA. The Revolutionary War pension claim of Major Lea, son of James Lea of Country Line Creek (in which Major Lea declared that he was born in Spotsylvania Co VA in 1742), places James Lea of Country Line Creek in Spotsylvania Co VA in 1742. He was the first James Lea to leave Spotsylvania Co and the first to settle in Orange Co NC. There was another James Lea in Spotsylvania Co VA when James Lea of Country Line Creek left there around 1751 or 1752.
"Because of the frequently recorded relationships between James Lea of Country Line and the Graves family in Virginia and in North Carolina, it is my guess that he was related to, perhaps a brother of, William Lea of Orange Co., VA, whom the records show also to have had many connections with the Graves family of Virginia. (Orange Co VA adjoins Spotsylvania Co VA).
"In my opinion, James Lea of Country Line Creek was not brother to Capt William Lea of South Hico. The fact that James Lea left his will in the keeping of Capt William Lea proves that there was a trusting relationship between the two, but does not prove that there was a blood relationship between them. Capt. William Lea left his own will in the keeping of Lloyd Vanhook who was no kin to him."
[NOTE: INTERESTING DOCUMENT WHICH MAY GIVE CLUES TO PARENTAGE OF JAMES LEA. --There is an entry dated Mar. 16, 1784, recorded in Book B, p. 36, Caswell Co., NC records of a letter of attorney of James Lea (who describes himself as the son and heir of William Lea, dec'd) of Caswell Co. to Thomas Phelps of said county to "ask, demand, sue for as to obtain lawful title to tract of land in King & Queen Co., Va., 35 acres on waters of Matiponi River near Maddison's Mill, said land falls to me by Heirship." The letter is witnessed by H. Haralson and William Lea.]
Louise Graves, in a pamphlet entitled "Addendum No. 1 to GRAVES: Twelve Generations - 1608-1977" states on page 5 thereof:
"Now we come to the all important documentation that James Lea of Country Line Creek [d. in Caswell Co., NC in 1792] and William Lea of South Hico [d. in Person Co., NC in 1804] were brothers:
1. Will of James Lea:
The original will of James Lea, dated March 18, 1771, is in the Department of Archives and History, Raleigh, NC, filed "Caswell Co. Estate Papers, 1776-1864, Vol 1, page 59, Folio 1. JAMES LEA." In this will he names his wife Ann Lea. Sons William Lea, John Lea and Major Lea are appointed executors.
2. Execution of will of James Lea proved by testimony of William Lea:
Testimony of Wm. Lea, March 23, 1792, is that he wrote the will of James Lea, that he witnessed the signatures of Thos. Camp and Henry Lea; and that he had kept the aforesaid will or testament in his possession until the death of the testator and that no alterations had been made.
[Original in same file as mentioned above: "Caswell Co. Estate Papers, 1776-1864, Vol. I, page 59, Folio 1, James Lea".
3. Bible of Alexander Rose, son-in-law of Capt. William Lea, given by Dr. Rose to the NC State Archives:
A page of this Bible has the penned statement:
"James Lea brother of Captn. William departed this life at his son W at Caswell Court House, the..." (blurred)
This information also appears on page 166 of Dr. Ben L. Rose's book, ALEXANDER ROSE OF PERSON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA.
The foregoing three items provide conclusive proof that Captain William Lea and James Lea of Caswell Court House (later named Yanceyville), Caswell Co., NC, were brothers.
Page 7 of Louise Graves's Addendum No. 1: " On motion of John Key that he might be guardian to James Lea, Orphan of John Lea Deced, is granted, the said Key having Entered into Bond with Zachary Taylor his Security & acknowledged the same in Court as the Law Directs." [Spot. Co., VA Order Book 2, p.89, Oct. 7,1731].
Page 7 of Louise Graves's Addendum no. 1: "The proof that James Lea and William Lea, the subjects of this article, were the orphan sons of John Lea and Ann Lea, both deceased by 1731, lies in the transfer of 100 acres in Spotsylvania Co., Virginia from Thomas Crethers to William Lea, a minor on October 5, 1731, and the subsequent sale of this property by William Lea and wife, Frances, September 1752 to Thomas White.
A situation had developed in the lives of this family, which is revealed by the following:
"On petition of Richard Shackleford & Catherine his wife extx. of George Priddy Late of King &Queen Co.,Deced, &c to have Thomas Creathers attached to give an account and security for the Estate of John Lea Late of King and Queen Co., Deced: he having intermarried with Ann Lea Relict of the said John & removed the said Lea's Deced Estate out of the County of King & Queen into this, and is going out of the Country &c the said Creathers appearing and having proved that he has paid & Satisfied two of the said Lea's Deced Orphans & that he was ready to give Security for the payments of the Third. It is therefore Ordered that the said petiton be Dismist with Costs, and that the said Creathers pay the said Shackleford &c the same, and it is Likewise Considered that the Said Creathers (charge) the said Costs against the said Orphans Estate. November The Second 1731." [Spots. Co., VA Order Book 2, p. 91.]
His will dated March 28, 1771, and was probated during March Ct. in Caswell Co. in 1792. In it, he names his 'well loved sons William Lea & John Lea & Major Lea, my executors'; ..."Item, I give & bequeath to my true & well loved Wife Ann Lea all my whole estate during her life or widowhood & after her death I give and bequeath to my son Major Lea the land and Plantation where on I now Live & two Cows and one yearling & one gilding and one Mare and his Choise of all the Negroes that is or may be at his mother's death & one feather bed & furniture and further more the said Major Lea is to have his eqile [equal] part with the rest of my Children exclusive of what is above mentioned & the whole of the remaining part of my Estate to be equilly divided among
all my Children. [Signed] James Lea. Wit: Thos Campbell and Henry Lea.'
There is an accounting filed for settlement of the estate. The accounting was filed in April Ct. term, 1796 and lists the following as recipients of the estate: Luke Lea, Joseph Henderson, Will Lea, Joseph Peterson, Isabella Graves, Paul Haralson, John Lea, and Major Lea. [Isabella Lea Graves husband must have been died at the time of the settlement, otherwise her share would have been paid to him.]
Reference:
The McLaurin - McMahon Family Research Page
http://www.my-ged.com/mclaurin/
James Lea 
- b.1530 in Nordley Regis, Colton, Shropshire,England d.14 May 1605 in Will Proven, Shropshire, , England
- b.1533 in Of Colton, Shropshire, England d.04 Dec 1609 in Alveley Parish, Shropshire, England