Elizabeth Sibbett ^{1 2 3}

  General Notes:

(Source: Ann Clark, E-mail 22 Mar 2008)
How would you like a photo? This is a photo of a portrait by Mary Swift, a Quaker portrait painter in Philadelphia. I don't know the whereabouts of the portrait now. Our Elizabeth Sibbett-Lee was married about 1839 to William L. Lee, who was descended from the Lee family of Virginia. (I have yet to prove this so don't get excited). They lived in Philadelphia all their lives. She was supposed to be a Quaker. He was a dentist, and joined the Pennsylvania 7th Cavalry as a musician during the Civil War. Two of their sons joined as well as musicians. We are descended from their oldest son, William Wallace Lee who ran a printing business in Philadelphia. He became very sick during the war and was ill the rest of his life. His first wife was Mary Jane Lang Lee. Jane Lee died in her mid 30's and had one surviving child, Ida May Lee. Ida May was an Episcopalian and was the organist of a church in West Philadelphia. Ida May married Joseph Mathers, owner of a coal distribution business in Philadelphia, who was quite wealthy. They were divorced and he eventually had five wives, according to family tradition. Joseph and Ida May had one child, my grandmother, Kathryn Mathers. During the WWI, to help the war effort, Ida May let her furnished house to the civilian director of the Philadelphia Ship Yard. At the end of the war, this Canadian took all her furniture with him. She was never able to recover it. She was a diabetic and eventually moved in with Kathryn and her husband, Warren Oberholtzer. They all moved to Norristown where my grandfather was the financial analyst for the Allen Wood Steel Company in Conshohocken. Kathryn received her master's degree from Columbia Teachers College and ran a school in her home. My mother was their only surviving child, her oldest brother died of the flu in 1917 and her younger brother died with Patton in France in WW2. My mother, Jane Oberholtzer Sanborn, was a psychologist with her doctoral degree from UCLA. She had a private practice and taught psychology at University of Southern Maine. She married James Wilson Sanborn, whom she met in Washington during WW2. After graduating from Wilson College, she joined the Navy Waves. She was a decoder during the war. They had four children. My brother Lee Oberholtzer Sanborn is the oldest. I'm next (Kathryn Ann Sanborn). Then comes James Albert Sanborn and Mary Elizabeth Sanborn, the youngest.

I will put this in a better order with the dates I have and send it in a few days. Nice to hear from you. Take care and have a Happy Easter, Ann Clark
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The 1850 census which shows Elizabeth still using her maiden name and living with her mother in Cumberland county seems to contradict the marriage info to William Lee in 1839.
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  Noted events in her life were:

• She appeared on the 1850 US Census in Monroe Township, Cumberland County, PA on 16 September 1850. ³

1850 US Census
Page 244B, Dwelling 241, Family 242
Monroe Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Elizabeth Sibbet...28..PA
(Living with widowed mother.)

NOTE - If her birth date was 20 Aug 1820, then her age should have been 29 instead of 28.
.

Elizabeth married William L. Lee about 1839. (William L. Lee was born about 1815 and died on an unknown date.)

  Marriage Notes:

(Source: Ann Clark)
Our Elizabeth Sibbett Lee was married about 1839 to William L. Lee, who was descended from the Lee family of Virginia. They lived in Philadelphia all their lives. She was supposed to be a Quaker. He was a dentist, and joined the Pennsylvania 7th Cavalry as a musician during the Civil War. Two of their sons joined as well as musicians.
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At least one researcher doubts that the Elizabeth that married William L. Lee was the daughter of John Sibbett and Annie Lightfoot. It this is true, then all of the descendants of William L. Lee do not belong in this database. That researcher claims that William L. Lee's wife was the daughter of David Sibbett and Elizabeth Swift.

In addition the following 1850 census record seems to show William and wife living near Philadelphia as contrasted to the one other 1850 census record which seems to show Elizabeth still unmarried and living with her widowed mother in Cumberland county.

1850 US Census
Page 48, Dwelling 307, Family 373
Kensington, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
William L. Lee...32..PA
Eliza Lee...31..PA
Walice Lee...9..PA
Thomas Lee...7..NJ
Emma Lee...2..PA
Ann M. Lee...2m..PA
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