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

Il6 DESCENDANTS OF PETER MONTAGUE.
"COLL. REGI. OXON."
" D. D. Johanis Lee natus in Capohowasick
'" Wickacomoco in Virginia America, Filius
"Primogenitus Richardi Lee Chiliarchae
" Oriundi de Morton Regis in Agro Salopiensi."
" 1658"
The Merton-Regis on the tombstone in Va. is here called Morton-
Regis. Both were correct at the time. The mode of spelling was a
matter of no significance provided the initial letter of the word
remained unchanged. One way was as correct as another. Camden
in his preface, 1623, says about spelling, that "in the memory of one
man one place has been spelled five different ways." The N. E.
Hist, and Gen. Reg. says, " Morton-Regis is a locality which cannot
be identified now if correctly spelled, but if, as seems most probable,
it is an error for Noi'ton Regis, all becomes clear at once, that being a
common form for writing JVordley Regis, one of the seats of the Lees in
Co. Salop." Nordley Regis was located on the border line between
Salop and Stafford. It is sometimes put down on the maps with the
affix " Regis " and sometimes without such affix, and sometimes is
printed "Norley." "It came into the Langley Lee family by mar-
riage of Robert Lee to Margaret Astley in 1385 " [Dr. E. J. Lee,
Phila., Pa.], but the ancient Lee seat was at Lea-Hall, north of
Shrewsbury. "Lea-Hall was the cradle of the Salop Lees." [J. Henry
Lea, Cedarhurst, Mass.]
Edmondson's Heraldry gives the arms of Lee, of Cotton and
Langley in Shropshire, as " Gules, a fess compony, or and azure,
between eight billets, argent." Crest, "on a staff raguly, a squirell
cracking a nut, from dexter end of staff an oak branch fructed, all
proper." Hist, of John Lee of Farmington, Conn., by Sarah Nash
Lee, Norwich, Conn., 1878, says "Richard Lee was third son of
Launcelot Lee of Cotton in Shropshire. Came to Va. 1 640-1 as
secretary of the Colonial Governor Lord Fairfax, finally settled at
York on James river, 1647. He was °f the family of Lee of Cotton,
near Bridgenorth the seat of Launcelot Lee, and he became the
ancestor of the Lees of Va." This pedigree has since been disputed.
Since the above was written the following has been received from
Rev. J. Mackay, Vicar of Leaton, Salop, Eng., whose vicarage is
within three miles of Lea Hall.
" The present owner of Lee Hall is
Sir Raymond Tyrwhitt whose grandfather bought the estate from