Ralph Lee married Elizabeth Doyle Reed

Ralph Lee married Elizabeth Reed on the 26th of February 1811 in Randolph County, Illinois. Their marriage license is available from Randolph County, Illinois. *1


In some instances of Family Search, Ralph's wife has incorrectly been identified as Sarah Elizabeth. This information probably came from Nauvoo Temple Index records. *2

This card states that John D. Lee is Sarah Doyle's son.

This card states that John D. Lee is Elizabeth Lee's grandson.

The temple records show that John D. Lee was baptized for his "mother," Sarah Doyle. In addition they show that he was baptized for his "grandmother," Elizabeth Lee. The information regarding relationships was entered incorrectly. This was not unusual for this period of time and under the circumstances, understandable.

John D. Lee's soon to be published1840 journal gave the information as it should have been recorded. On page 112, John D. Lee listed his deceased relatives for whom he was baptized. "Firstly my mother Elizabeth Lee. Grandfather John Doye (sic) Grandmother Doye (sic) Aunt Sarah Doyle, and Father, R Lee."*3 The information on Ralph was missing in the Nauvoo Records Index.

From this journal account it is evident that Sarah Doyle was John D. Lee's aunt, not his mother. His mother's name is Elizabeth.

*1 Randolph County Illinois Recorder. Marriage Record of Ralph Lee and Eliza Reed.

*2 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint. Nauvoo Temple. Baptisms for the Dead 1840-1845. Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1958, 1967, 1972. FHL US/CAN film 0,820,153. Index to proxies 1840-1845 FHL US/CAN film 485753 item 2.

*3 Lee, John Doyle. 1840 Diary. Unpublished. Copy in possession of Carmen Smith, PO Box 339, Central, AZ 85531.

John Doyle married Chloe Smith

This is the last part of the presentation Renee Durfee gave at the John D. Lee family reunion in September 2007.

John Doyle was married to "Miss Smith" a descendant of Henry Smith, because Elizabeth Lee, Charlotte Conner, then later, Eliza Nichols and John D. Lee received property as heirs of Henry Smith.*1

Elizabeth's land being put in trust for Eliza Reed and John Lee.

Second page shows she received the land as an heir of Henry Smith.

John Doyle gave us the best clues as to his wife's identity. In the early 1800's the government decided to give land to people who had come to Illinois before 1783, were heads of families, and had made improvements to the land. John Doyle had come to Illinois prior to 1783 and was still living in the area and was able to give depositions about the residents who were making claims for land.

When he was asked if he knew a William Smith he stated that William Smith was a relation of his, that William had come to Illinois various times, had raised a crop on his father's land at the little village (St. Phillipe), and that William was still a young and single man when John Doyle had seen him at his father's in Kentucky in 1790.

Original deposition found in Illinois Archives in Springfield, Illinois. These were loose papers that were bound into a book. This had John Doyle's original signature.

Transcription of deposition done by Raymond Hammes.*2

A Smith man had to be found that was related to John Doyle or his wife, owned land near The Little Village, had a son named William, and lived in Kentucky. It seemed logical that the Smith man would be Henry Smith, but Henry did not own land near The Little Village and no Henry in Kentucky had a son named William. But there was a James Smith who owned many acres of land near The Little Village and lived in Mercer County, Kentucky.*3

Transcription of Cahokia Land record done by Raymond Hammes

Mercer County was derived from Lincoln County, Kentucky in 1785 and in 1796 a part of it became Garrard County, Kentucky. Most of the records for James Smith are found in Garrard County. According to James' will in 1798, he had a son named William. *4

Last page of James Smith's will

Two historians in Garrard County, Kentucky have written extensively about James Smith. Fred Simpson, a descendant of James mentions that William was James' son and that James made at least two trips to Illinois. He also stated that James had a brother, Henry who was killed by Indians in 1789. *5


Forest Calico in his "History of Garrard County and its Churches," stated that James Smith, a Baptist minister, had been kidnapped by the Indians in Illinois and ransomed by William Smith. James had a brother named Henry who was killed by Indians on a trading expedition.*6

Henry Smith wrote a will which was probated in September 1789 in Lincoln County, Kentucky. In the will he named his living children. They were: Henry and Liberty Smith, daughters - Chloe Dial (Doyle) and Elizabeth Smith, Letty Duff/McelDuff and Sarah St. Ton/Santon (St. Ange) and a step-son Henry Garrett Smith, son of his second wife, Margaret. *7

In the division of Henry Smith's estate, part of the property and/or money was given to the following people: Chloe Dial's (Doyle) legacy was paid to her husband, John Dial (Doyle), John McelDuff (Duff) received his wife's legacy and Sarah Santons (St. Ange)received her own legacy. *8


Although James and William Smith lived in Kentucky and had property and traveled back and forth from Kentucky to Illinois, did the Henry Smith who had his will probated in Lincoln County, Kentucky have connections to Illinois? John Doyle's depositions again strengthened his relationship to Henry Smith and Chloe.

In November 1812, John Doyle gave one of his longest depositions stating the relationship between John Duff and Jean Baptiste St. Ange. He stated Duff and his Negro built a cabin on some land, but that he might have built it for St. Ange, because St. Ange was his brother-in-law. St. Ange was a married man, living on the east side of the Kaskaskia River in Smith's fort or station.*9


John Duff and J.B. St. Ange were brothers-in-law. They were married to Henry's daughters, Letty and Sarah. John Doyle was married to their sister, Chloe, explaining why he knew so much about their affairs. All three of them resided in Randolph County, Illinois.

John Doyle further strengthened his ties to Henry and Chloe Smith in a deposition given in 1809 explaining when he first came to Illinois, when he left Illinois, where he was for part of the time he was gone, and when he returned. He stated that he came to Illinois on the 17th day of September, 1781 and that he never left [Illinois] until the fall of 1789 and was absent about six years. He was at The Red Banks (on the Ohio River in what is now Henderson County, Kentucky) in May 1794. He was well acquainted with the people of Illinois previous to 1789 and after his return in 1796. [The never was not in Raymond Hammes' transcription creating some confusion.]

Original copy of deposition given by John Doyle regarding William Kelly. Found in the Illinois Archives in Springfield.

Transcription of John Doyle's deposition by Raymond Hammes. A key word was missed which makes the information confusing. *10

It is not coincidental that John Doyle left Illinois in the fall of 1789 and Henry Smith's estate was divided in September 1789. John Doyle received his wife's legacy at that time. We also know that he saw William Smith in Mercer County, Kentucky in 1790 as stated in a previous deposition.

Charlotte and Elizabeth were heirs of Henry Smith through their mother, Chloe Smith. Henry's will only listed property in Lincoln County, Kentucky. That property was given to his sons Henry and Liberty and his wife, Margaret. Henry's will stated that "all of the residue of my estate that is then left and not in this will given away be equally divided between my two sons Henry Smith* and my two daughters, Chloe Dial and Elizabeth Smith."*11


Since Henry's land in Illinois was not mentioned in the will, that is the land that Chloe inherited and passed on to her daughters, Elizabeth and Charlotte, after her death.

John Doyle was married to Chloe Smith, daughter of Henry Smith and cousin of William Smith.


*1 Randolph County (Illinois) Recorder. Randolph County Illinois Land Records Book M. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1975: 392-399. FHL US/CAN Film 956816

*2 Hammes, Raymond Henry. Declarations and depositions regarding land, taken at Cahokia and Kaskaskia, 1807-1812. FHL US/CAN Film
1543598 Item 17, p. 129.

*3 Hammes, Raymond H. (Henry). Collection of Illinois Records, Volume VII, Cahokia Record Book A, land records, 1790-1797, Salt Lake City : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1988. Item 3:36 FHL US/CAN Film 1543598

*4 Probate records, 1797-1923, Vols. A-D 1787-1820. Kentucky. County Court (Garrard County). Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1959, 1988. FHL US/CAN Film 183232 Vol. A pg.14.

*5 Simpson, Fred Logan. Back of the Cane: Early Virginia Surveys in today’s Garrard County, Kentucky – 1775-1789. Lancaster, Kentucky : F.L. Simpson, c1992:286 FHL US/CAN 976.9525 R28s

*6 Calico, Forest. History of Garrard County Kentucky And Its Churches. Micro reproduction of original published: New York: Hobson Book Press, 1947: 186. FHL US/CAN Film 467397 Item 4

*7 Kentucky County Court (Lincoln County). Probate records, 1781-1865 Vols. A-B 1781-1808. Will book A: 178-181. FHL US/CAN Film 192227

*8 Kentucky County Court (Lincoln County). Probate records, 1781-1865 Vols. A-B 1781-1808. Will book B: 33-36. FHL US/CAN Film 192227

*9 Hammes, Raymond H. Collection of Illinois Records, Volume XVII, Declaration and Depositions Regarding Lands Taken at Cahokia and Kaskaskia. Salt Lake City: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1988. XVII:58. FHL US/CAN Film 1543598 ]

*10 Hammes, Raymond H. Collection of Illinois Records, Volume XVII, Declaration and Depositions Regarding Lands Taken at Cahokia and Kaskaskia. Salt Lake City: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1988. Item 17:128-129 FHL US/CAN Film 1543598

* I don't know if the copier missed Liberty's name, or if it was to be divided between Henry Smith and Henry Garrett Smith. Henry Garrett received the property his father had left him.

*11 Kentucky County Court (Lincoln County). Probate records, 1781-1865 Vols. A-B 1781-1808. Will book A: 178-181. FHL US/CAN Film 192227

John Doyle of Illinois not married to Evaline

This is the beginning of the presentation given by Renee Durfee at the John D. Lee reunion in September 2007.

Looking at Ancestral File and Family Search, many entries show John Doyle married to Evaline. There was a John Doyle who married an Evaline and lived in Tennessee. Both John D. Lee's ancestor and the John Doyle of Tennessee were Revolutionary War veterans. Initially there was some confusion, but as more records have become available, it was discovered that the John Doyle of Illinois was not the John Doyle who married Evaline.

Records of John Doyle of Illinois and the other John Doyles who participated in the Revolution have been combined, creating multiple errors in genealogical information. There were at least three other John Doyles who took part in the war, a major from Pennsylvania who returned to Pennsylvania, John Dyal/Doyle who also served with George Rogers Clark and moved to Kentucky, and the John Doyle from Maryland who moved to Tennessee and married Evaline.

In order to separate the John Doyles it is necessary to identify what is known about the John Doyle who was John D. Lee's grandfather. A succinct compilation of the information available for John Doyle is given by the Illinois State Genealogical Society stating that John Doyle was buried in Randolph County, Illinois. He settled near Kaskaskia, and taught in one of the earliest schools in Randolph County. He was a scholar. He was listed in the 1810 Census of Kaskaskia. He served as a soldier with Col. George Rogers Clark.*1

It is general knowledge that he had at least two daughters, Elizabeth Doyle Reed Lee and Charlotte Doyle Conner. According to probate records in Randolph County, Illinois, John Doyle died in Randolph County in October 1819.*2

Deposition regarding John Doyle's death signed by James Conner, Charlotte Doyle Conner's husband.

John Doyle was educated and could sign his name. This signature is taken from court records in Randolph County.






The John Doyle who married Evaline was found in Revolutionary War Pension Applications.
A summary of the information is included in this letter to May Doyle Saunders.


According to the information in the folder, John Doyle, who married Evaline, died at the age of 70 on June 3, 1837 in Knox County, Tennessee. His Revolutionary service was with Col. Smallwood's Maryland regiment. The only child listed was a son named William.

"Signatures" from John Doyle of Tennessee's Revolutionary War Pension application

The John Doyle married to Evaline made marks for his signature instead of signing his name.*3

Because of the difference in death dates, residence, Revolutionary War service, children and signatures, John Doyle of Illinois was not the John Doyle of Tennesee who was married to Evaline.

*1 Devanny, Mrs. John S. and Illinois State Genealogical Society. Soldiers of the American Revolution Buried in Illinois. Springfield, Illinois: The Society, 1976. 64. FHL US/CAN Book 977.3 M2s
*2 Probate Records, Randolph County, Box 28.
*3 Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Applications. Letter sent to Mrs. May Doyle Saunders in Chattanooga, Tennessee on February 17, 1937. FHL US/CAN Film 970848