Anne Constable

Ancestors of Anne Constable              
by Jacqueli Finley

In 2005 when I published "FOR THE FIRST TIME" the ancestry for Anne Constable, wife of Col Richard Lee, I had  originally published this page on the leesofvirginia.com website (which is now leesofvirginia.org website) at that time Anne's lineage was - and still is - a mystery to Lee researchers as even today very little has been written or revealed about her life story. 

I began publishing my research on websites like Lees of Virginia first in 2005 almost immediately I had experienced pushback on my findings from members of the Lee Society and others with hostile encounters that continue over the web in personal attacks towards me with the  constant criticism ever since. I have yet to hear any positivity towards what has been contributed. That is just the nature of the beast and powers that be, I suppose. Regardless of opinions and politics these life stories of Lee family members and ancestors need to be told and shown respect, in my humble opinion, so with all due respect, continue I will.

Below is one of these encounters in regard to my research on Anne Constable documented to give some enlightenment:

https://www.geni.com/discussions/71063  

That Geni.com discussion is just one of many examples of the nonsense I have had to deal with in regards to my Lee research. Today I will try to expand Anne's story as I have researching both her and Richard Lee's life for decades now for preservation and the book I am writing about their life together. 

Amusingly I have found that some individuals since 2005 have tried to claimed credit of my research on Anne Constable's lineage even though there is a documentation trail to my publishings. Example - Wikitree Copyright Infringment and act of Plagiarism:

On the profile page for Anne Constable SEE:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Constable-37

On the section Sources

There is listed as a Fact: http://familysearch.org/v1/LifeSketch 

Which is taken directly from my own writings on my website page for Anne Constable … https://leesofvirginia.org/Anne_Constable.html

"Anne Owen Constable was a daughter of Londoner Francis Constable who had connections with Sir John Thorougood, one of King Charles I’s personal attendants. Anne and Richard met on the voyage from England to America. Her parents sent Anne away to escape a certain death from the plague if she stayed. Anne lost both her parents shortly after her departure. Anne was sent as a ward of the King to the America's. The marriage of Richard and Anne took place in Jamestown, 2 years after Richard began courting Anne. After their marriage, Richard sent for the only two remaining siblings of nine Constable children that had been taken by the plague. and it is because of Anne's connections, it is believed that Richard Lee climbed the political ladder rapidly. Anne is buried next to Richard and her death date is proven, even though she did remarry after Richard's death, which was prudent of most widows of that time. She married Edmund Lister. When Richard died, Anne was given a life-right to their home on Dividing Creek, where she is said to be buried. Anne remarried, to a"

It just drops off sentence like that and the familysearch.org link is no good – so someone took my words from what I have written which is part of my book on Anne and Richard … then to cover their 'buns' they add directly below the insert:

"Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 02 November 2017, 07:14), entry for Anne Owen Constable(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:MZT5-Z2R); contributed by various users.

[1] LeesofVirginia.org

[2] Ahnentafel Book by Jacqueli Finley

There is no legal right for them to do such a thing as creating a fake link to my own words that are copyrighted, this is known as infringement Wikitree.

Anne Constable was a mystery to most, even the Lee Society who claims even one of their own genealogists discovered her father was Francis Constable. Even as I was researching for her father’s documents it was a difficult task to do as I came upon many errors as in example Frances Constable’s death he was recorded as a female not a male (Mrs not Mr) and his name was spelled incorrectly on the Parish record. Francis Constable had died when the Black Plague was running rampant as this time period was a most difficult time for all of London citizens and most of Europe. Mistakes were made in what normally were impeccable record keeping in the UK because of the enormity of deaths that had to be recorded. 

Prof. Jim Lawler, my mentor, had taught me to publish my research online when possible as he always emphasized the author's research data and paper trail would remain almost indefinitely, and very difficult to erase a cache, giving my research longevity and an instant copyright in some respect, regardless of bad behavior my research footprint exists even with the criticism and push back.

I started a novel about Anne's and Richard Lee of Virginia's life story over a decade ago,as I had publicly announced in 2005, albeit I have been slowed down in my writing efforts for publication due to my disabilities, why sometimes I faulter and have mis-steps in my postings, so bear with me with patience please, I am only human and make typos while posting all too often for my liking to be honest. I am working hard on my book endeavor in the necessary effort of getting all the facts straight, and ducks in a row, as there are important aspects of Richard Lee and Anne Constable’s ancestry and background that shaped their lives before and after they came to the American colonies. Every detailed made them who they were as I see it.

In spite of hostility towards my research findings, I have always shared and continue to share my genealogy research freely to help others with their family research, as some of you know that I always try to answer your inquiries and send you the information that I may have for your research. And yet as the books are published or online websites updated, some never give me proper credit for sharing with them what I have done in giving them what information I have gleamed through my own research, GEDCOM or sources, as well as the information that has been giving to assist me along the way from the research that came from others like Prof. Lawler. I am only asking that the right thing is done as to give credit to the researcher(s) who originate the research for the ancestor(s) as I try to do for those who have come before me, that is the right thing to do. That is how preservation of history and genealogy should be. Always pay kindness and generosity forward please. It is always my hope that what I do now while I am here helps those that come after me when I am gone. 

Now - Back to Anne and the task at hand …

Why has there been, and still is, so much mystery behind Anne Constable? 

There seems to be a shroud of mystery remaining over many Lee ancestors even though most members of the Lee's were a family of prominence and wealth, yet for the ones the societies wish to recognize, they seem to be well documented, and Lee family members they seem to disapprove of are as if they were ghosts or non-existence, as their descendants are often told they do not belong to the family. I have a few theories about why this occurs and have come up with some solid answers to why all the mysteries, lies, misinformation and push back towards some lines decsending from Richard Lee and Anne Constable. Those the details I will post about another time as for now it is about Anne.

This woman, Anne Constable, was the wife of the man who started the lineage of the Virginia Lee Family. This woman was the mother who gave birth to famous Americans for generations to come, designers and signers of the United States Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and so much more who did more good than bad in history. Yet she is insignificant in the reporting of the Lees of Virginia family history as it currently recorded. It's as if she was unimportant in her role which is is far from the truth about Anne.

She was a great woman, who with her husband, lived a life of such significance that still resounds throughout history today.

Richard Lee and Anne Constable were a true love story. Together they were like the Phoenix rising above the ashes of despair, loss and hardship. They overcame together then built a legendary dynasty with determination, faith, humanity, and good will towards all. 

Richard and Anne were ever mindful of the future in all of their actions as their ancestors had taught them.

Examples of the lack of recognition for Anne Constable can be seen online today at the LFDA (Lee Family Digital Archives) which shows incorrectly what the expert historians, who govern over the history of Richard Lee and the Lee Family, have to say about the wife of Richard Lee:

https://leefamilyarchive.org/press-room/lee-family-member-faqs

Who was RL’s wife?

Richard Lee married Anne Constable (b. 1622), a native of London whom he met in England and who may have come to Virginia when he did. Little is known about Anne, and some have even questioned whether her surname was even Constable. However, if so, Anne was a daughter of Londoner Francis Constable who had connections with Sir John Thorowgood, one of King Charles I’s personal attendants. It is unclear whether Richard and Anne married in London or at Jamestown. When Richard died Anne was given a life-right to their home on Dividing Creek, where she is said to be buried. Anne remarried, to a Edmund Lister, and disappeared from the records. 

https://leefamilyarchive.org/reference/essays/montague/notes.html/index.html

37. Hitherto it has been supposed that Anne Lee's maiden name was Hancock, chiefly because of the unusual name of her seventh son, Hancock Lee. The only other basis for this supposition was the will of one John Best, who left bequests to several Hancocks and to a Colonel Richard Lee who may have been the Emigrant. Lee Magazine, I, 10. It is possible, of course, that Anne Constable's mother was a Hancock.

That is what the Stratford Hall Library still quotes to this very day on the Lee Family Archives about the Matron of the Lees of Virginia lines.

I will try my best to set the records right and give Anne Constable the respect and recognition she deserves with the acknowledgement her the rightful ancestry she descended from.

First off, the records show Anne and Richard met on the voyage from England to America, she is buried next to Richard now and her death date is proven, even though she did remarry after Richard's death to a Edmund Lister, which was prudent of most widows of that time. 

Her parentage has been proven by documentation and DNA. The facts show that her parents sent Anne away to escape a certain death from the plague if she stayed. Anne lost both her parents shortly after her departure, then later, Richard sent for the only two other remaining siblings of 9 Constable children that had been taken by the plague, after he married Anne. The fact that Anne was sent as a ward of the King to the America's with such prominence shows her family was of uncommon origins, and that marriage of Richard and Anne did most certainly take place in Jamestown, 2 years after Richard began courting Anne, and it is because of Anne's connections, it is believed that Richard Lee climbed the political ladder so rapidly. 

I believe they were an awesome team, one to be reckoned with. 

Anne was of Royal and Noble descent, as well as Richard her husband, and those of us who descend from them have the DNA connections to these same ancestors as well proving that the lineage I have documented for Anne Constable is factual.

First off, the records show Anne and Richard met on the voyage from England to America, she is buried next to Richard now at the gravesite at Dividing Creek and her death date is proven, even though she did remarry after Richard death, which was prudent of most widows of that time.  Her parentage has been proven and the fact that her parents sent Anne away to escape a certain death from the plague if she stayed, for Anne lost both her parents shortly after her departure, then later, Richard sent for the only two other remaining siblings of 9 Constable children that had been taken by the plague, after he married Anne.  The fact that Anne was sent as a ward of the King to the America's with such prominence shows her family was of uncommon origins, and that marriage of Richard and Anne did most certainly take place in Jamestown, 2 years after Richard began courting Anne, and it is because of Anne's connections, it is believed that Richard Lee climbed the political ladder so rapidly.

Secondly, Richard and Anne’s burial place is marked with an enclosure and memorial:

Anne Constable Lee - Find a Grave Memorial 

The Lees of Virginia: Seven Generations of an American Family, by Paul C. Nagel, says that . . . "The date of her death is unknown, although legend has it she was buried beside Richard near the house at Dividing Creek." . . . leesofvirginia.org says that . . . "she is buried next to Richard now and her death date (06 October 1706) is proven".

Inscription:

Within this enclosure was buried Richard Lee of an ancient family of Nordley Regis in Shropshire, who emigrated from London to Virginia in 1639. He was successively clerk of the quarter court at Jamestown, Attorney General of Virginia, Secretary of State, and a member of the council. Having long traded with the nearby Wicomico Indians, in 1656 he established his home on Dividing Creek, at a point 400 feet to the Northeast of this stone. He died there in 1664 and was buried here in his garden.

Buried within this enclosure are Richard Lee, his wife Anne Constable, their son, Charles Lee (1656-1701), and his wife Elizabeth Medstand, Charles and Elizabeth’s son, Charles Lee of Cobbs Hall (1684-1734); and his son, Charles Lee (1722-1747), and his wives, Mary Lee of Ditchley and Leeanna Jones Lee of Hickory Neck.

In 1761 this Leeanna Lee ordered the erection of the original enclosing wall. Later members of the Cobbs Hall family, Lees and Harveys, were buried nearby outside the wall.

Inscription by The Society of the Lees of Virginia dated 1958 (Note that the Society of the Lees of Virginia were the ones who dedicated this site and memorial, yet little is said about this burial site as it is treated as a mystery).