History and genealogy of Peter Montague, of Nansemond and ...

112 DESCENDANTS OF PETER MONTAGUE.
descendant of Sir Walter of Co. Chester, was of the privy council of
Henry VII. and VIII. and a Knight of the Garter. He also served
Edward VI., Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, and was very
eminent for his abilities, both as a statesman and a soldier. The
ancient arms of these Lees were "Argent, a fess, between three
crescents, sable." Their motto was "Fide et Constantia " [by fidelity
and constancy]. Col. Richard Lee, whom Bishop Meade mentions
as the first Lee settler in Va., had a mansion called " Cobbs," situated
v
in the parish of great Wycomico,
in Co. Northumberland in Va.
Near to Cobbs and in sight of the Chesapeake bay, Hancock Lee,
one of the sons of Col. Richard, had an estate named " Ditchley"
This name would seem at first sight to connect Col. Richard Lee
with the Earl of Litchfield family in England, but the coat of arms of
Col. Richard Lee, if there was no other reason, would forever bar the
way to any such connection. But there is another reason. There
was no Earl of Litchfield in England until 1674, at which date Col.
Richard Lee had been dead ten years. Sir Edward Henry Lee was
the first Earl, and was so created by King Charles II. in 1674. He
married Charlotte Fitzroy, illegitimate dau. of Charles II. by the
notorious Barbara Villiers. Charlotte was the second dau. of Barbara
Villiers and was born Sept. 5, 1664. Col. Richard Lee's will was
proved in court Jan., 1665, he therefore died just about the date that
Charlotte was born and she could not have been his mother. He
had been dead many years when she married the Earl of Litchfield.
The tombstone of Richard, son of Col. Richard Lee, who d. in West"
moreland, Va., 17 14, aged 68, states that he was of the ancient family
of Lees of Merton Regis in Shropshire. It seems best to believe
that this tombstone was correct until the contrary is proved. Merton
is from the Saxon word mere, meaning large standing water. Merton
Regis means the Kings-mere or mere-royal. Regis was a common
affix sometimes used, sometimes omitted. Probably it originated
from the fact that titles to land were, from various causes, so often
in the Crown. Merton was variously spelled Merriton, Meriton,
Meertown, Meritane, Meretuna, Moreton, Morton, Marton, and
Martin, and there are few counties in England which had not a
locality spelled one way or the other. The Saxon mor means a pool
or lake, about the same meaning as mere. The Merton-Regis alluded
to on the tombstone has not been located ; without a doubt, the place
existed in early times, and fully identified the family from which Col.