My earliest known Lees ancestors were Oliver Lees (c.1778-1847) who married Elizabeth Laughlin (c.1792-1832) and emigrated from Northern Ireland to Dalkeith near Edinburgh sometime in the 1820s. Oliver Lees had children by at least two different women in Scotland. I have searched many Dalkeith and Edinburgh church registers trying to find this generation of the family, but have been unsuccessful in finding them. In the 1834 census of Dalkeith, they are one of the few families where the “place of worship” was left blank, so it may be that they did not actively adhere to any church. As many of the children died young however, the family can be traced through the parish burial records.

Numerous DNA matches to Lees descendants from the parish of Tamlaght O’Crilly in Co. Londonderry as well as two documentary sources make me deduce that Oliver‘s family originally came from there. I have thoroughly researched these related families. Based on other Lees DNA matches from the parish of Killagan, Co. Antrim, it seems apparent that Oliver had children in Ireland before moving to Scotland, possibly from a previous marriage.

Oliver Lees died at the Grassmarket, Edinburgh in March 1847 and was buried at Old Greyfriars on 15 Mar 1847. His age at death was recorded as 70 years old, which would mean he was born about 1777. Oliver is recorded as having various different occupations:
– Hawker of pottery (1832 burial record of wife Elizabeth)
– Hawker (1834 Dalkeith census)
– Lodging House Keeper (1835 & 1837 burials of daughters Barbara & Rebecca)
– Hand Loom Weaver Damask (1841 census)
– Yarn Bleacher (1857 death record of presumed daughter Mary Ann)
– Labourer (1867 death record of daughter Elizabeth)

Elizabeth Laughlin died in Dalkeith in Feb 1832 and her burial record reads “New ground, 22 [February 1832], Bettie Locharen, Wife of Olaver Lees, Ha[w]ker of Pottrie, Dalkeith fro[m] Hospital, [died of] Cholera, 40 [years old]”. She and Oliver Lees had two known children:
– Elizabeth Lees, born abt. 1821 Dalkeith, Midlothian OR Co. Tyrone, Ireland, married John McKenzie on 1 Nov 1841 at St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral, Edinburgh. The couple had 10 known children. According Scottish census records, she was born in Dalkeith, however the 1855 birth of her daughter gives Elizabeth‘s place of birth as Co. Tyrone, Ireland. She died 11 Jan 1867 Canongate, Edinburgh.
– Oliver Lees (jnr.), born abt. 1828 Dalkeith, married Isabella Waldie abt. 1848 and had 3 known children. Their sons Thomas Lees and Oliver Lees (jnr. jnr.) were baptized at St Columba’s Episcopal Church on 13 Nov 1853. He died on 12 Oct 1854 from a fall aboard the steamship Britannica before it set sail to Newcastle. According to a contemporary newspaper article, he was a passenger who fell down the hatch due to a group of drunken Irishmen. Oliver (jnr.) survived the initial fall but later succumbed to his wounds. Oliver‘s occupation is variously recorded as a; Mason’s Labourer (1851 census), Wood Sawyer (son Oliver’s marriage), Ship Builder (son Thomas’ marriage).

Oliver Lees (snr.) appears to have remarried within a year, as a Mrs Lees is listed in the 1834 Dalkeith census and a child, Thomas Lees, was born abt. 1833 . The name of this wife is not certain, but is believed to have been Ann, maiden name unknown, as an Ann Lees was listed after Oliver in the 1841 census. Of course, this may have been a 3rd, yet unknown spouse. For the purposes of this narrative however, I will assume that Mrs Lees and Ann Lees were the same person. No record of her has been found after the census taken 6 June 1841. Ann had a number of children, almost all of which died young:
– Thomas Lees was born about 1833 in Dalkeith. He first worked as a Draper’s Assistant and then as a Cattle Drover. He tragically died on 19 Jan 1853 when he was run over by a locomotive at Haymarket Station in Edinburgh. He was buried in St Cuthbert’s Churchyard.
– Barbara Lees was born about Jan 1835 and died 23 Sep 1835 in Dalkeith of cholera.
– Rebecca Lees was born about 1836 an died 29 Nov 1837 in Dalkeith of the measles.
– Margaret Lees was born about 1839 in Edinburgh. She is possibly the girl by that name who was buried on 29 Mar 1847 at Old Greyfriars.
– unknown Lees a female child was stillborn at the Grassmarket on 23 Oct 1841 and was buried at Old Greyfriars, Edinburgh.
– unknown Lees was born on 12 May 1843 at the Grassmarket and buried on 22 May 1843 at St Cuthbert’s.
– David Lees was born about Jul 1845 and buried on 6 Sep 1845 at Old Greyfriars.
– Olivia Lees was born on 3 Feb and died on 4 Feb 1847 at the Grassmarket in Edinburgh.

The family kept a lodging house in Dalkeith and later in Edinburgh. Several contemporary sources describe the tenements where our Lees ancestors lived as dirty, overcrowded slums. These areas were very densely populated at the time, by poor families who could scarcely afford other accommodation, mostly of Irish origin. This offers some explanation behind the shocking number of children in the family who died young.

The family are listed as follows in a local 1834 census of the parish of Dalkeith, Midlothian:
1834 Address: Amos Close, Dalkeith (901st Residence)
Oliver Lees, Hawker
Mrs Lees, Lodging House Keeper
Betty Lees, 13
Oliver Lees, 6, Benbo School
Thomas Lees, 6mo
–
William McMillian, Lodger/Beggar
Mrs McMillian, Lodger/Beggar
Marrion McMillian, 20, Lodger/Beggar

And here they are on the census taken 6 June 1841:
1841 Address: Temple Close, New Greyfriars, Edinburgh Parish, Edinburgh
Oliver Lees, 60, Hand Loom Weaver Damask, born Ireland
Ann Lees, 25, born England
Oliver Lees, 12, born Inside Census County
Thomas Lees, 8, born Inside Census County
Margaret Lees, 2, born Inside Census County
–
Bridaget Boyle, 40, Lodger , b. Ireland
James Boyle, 4, born Outside Census County
Marian McMelan, 25, Lodger, born Outside Census County
Jane Arthurs, 50, Lodger, b. Ireland

On 23 October 1845, Oliver Lees of the Grassmarket was admitted as a communicant of New Greyfriars Church (source: kirk session minutes). A number of other persons were admitted at the same time, next to whom are notes as to their former parish or church. It is therefore to be deduced that Oliver was not a member of any church beforehand. It is not known whether the record refers to the Oliver snr. c1778-1847 or to his son c1828-1854.