New Book Chronicles the Remarkable Legacy of the Lee Family of Manchester, Massachusetts

Genealogist Marston Watson traces five generations of one of colonial New England’s most influential families

Acclaimed genealogist and historian Marston Watson shines new light on one of New England’s most distinguished colonial families in his latest work, Lee Family of Manchester, Massachusetts: Henry Lee Through Five Generations. Drawing upon extensive genealogical and historical research, Watson documents the origins, growth, and lasting influence of the Lee family, whose contributions helped shape the communities of Manchester, Marblehead, and the surrounding Essex County region.

The book begins with the family’s American progenitor, Henry Lea (Lee), who was born in Prescot, Lancashire, England, in 1618 to Richard and Jane Lea. Henry was serving as Constable of Manchester by 1654 and was living in Boston by 1656. His descendants established themselves as prominent merchants, civic leaders, builders, and patriots whose influence extended throughout colonial Massachusetts.

Among the family’s most notable achievements was the work of Samuel Lee, who built more than one hundred homes in Manchester and Marblehead, including the celebrated Jeremiah Lee Mansion, one of New England’s finest examples of Georgian architecture and featured on the book’s cover. Numerous members of the Lee family also played important roles during the American Revolution.

Watson’s personal connection to the subject adds another dimension to the volume. He is a direct descendant of the marriage of Lucy Lee and Colonel Marston Watson, who were married in Manchester in 1779. As their third great-grandson, Watson combines family heritage with meticulous scholarship to produce the most comprehensive study of the Manchester Lee family to date.

Beyond documenting the Lee lineage, the book explores connections with many of Essex County’s most prominent colonial families, including the Rowe, Allen, Parsons (Persons), Hilton, Hooper, Morgan, Durkee, Armstrong, Bray, Babcock, Carter, Day, Dodge, and Trask families. These interwoven genealogies provide readers with a broader understanding of the settlement and development of Manchester, Gloucester, Beverly, Marblehead, and neighboring communities.

Extensively documented, Lee Family of Manchester, Massachusetts: Henry Lee Through Five Generations features a substantial bibliography and a comprehensive name index containing thousands of references to Lee descendants and allied families. The work is expected to become an indispensable resource for genealogists, historians, and anyone interested in colonial New England.

About the Author

Marston Watson is the author of the four-volume series Royal Families: Americans of Royal and Noble Ancestry, which traces the royal descents of prominent colonial American families, including those of Governor Thomas Dudley, Reverend Francis Marbury and his daughters Anne (Marbury) Hutchinson and Katherine (Marbury) Scott, Samuel Appleton and Judith Everard, and Pelham-Avery-West Thomas West, 2nd Baron De La Warr, exploring the possible American descendants of King Henry VIII.