Richmond City-Petersburg County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Biographies.....Bragg, Hancock Lee February 23, 1874 - 
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Alice Warner Brosey http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00015.html#0003503 August 23, 2010, 12:58 pm

Source: Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography
Author: Lyon Gardiner Tyler

Hancock Lee Bragg, a prominent businessman of New York City, was born at
Petersburg, Virginia, February 23, 1874. His father was William Albert Bragg,
who was born at Petersburg Virginia, in 1844, and his mother was Elizabeth
Madison (Lee) Bragg, daughter of John Hancock and Fanny Madison (Willis) Lee, of
Orange county, Virginia. William Albert Bragg was a tobacconist at Richmond,
Virginia, a great part of his life and served as a lieutenant in a Virginia
regiment of the Confederate army during the civil war. On his mother's side Mr.
Bragg is a scion of the distinguished Lee family of Virginia, and is connected
with other families whose names occur frequently in the history of that state. 

On the maternal side Mr. Bragg is descended from Richard Lee, usually described
as "the Colonel," the American founder of the Lee family, who settled in
Virginia in the early part of the seventeenth century, and died there probably
early in 1664, certainly before April 20 1664. He made several voyages to
England, bringing back settlers whom he settled on land improved at his own
expense, finally making his home in Northumberland county, Virginia. He married
one Anna, who after his death married (second) Edmund Lister. Among the children
of Richard and Anna Lee was Hancock, ancestor of what has been called the
"Ditchley" branch of the family to which Mr. Bragg through his mother belongs.

Hancock Lee, son of Richard and Anna Lee, was born in 1653, probably at Dividing
Creeks, in Northumberland county, and died May 25, 1709, being buried at
"Ditchley," where his tombstone can still be seen with its inscription perfectly
legible. This burying ground was used by this branch of the family for several
generations, probably until the estate was sold in 1789 to Colonel James Ball
Jr., whose descendants own it to-day. Hancock Lee is supposed to have settled in
Northampton at the time of his first marriage in 1675, and to have returned to
Northumberland county about 1686. The record of the public positions held by
him, perhaps only partial, seems to agree with this supposition. He was justice
for Northampton county in 1677, and held a similar position in Northumberland in
1687 and 1699, and was also a burgess for Northumberland county in 1688. A list
of civil offices, dated June 3, 1699, names him as the "Naval Officer and
Collector of Virginia Dutys in Northumberland County;" another list of the date
of 1702 mentions him as a justice, showing him to have been in commission at the
time of his death. The Northern Neck land records show that Hancock Lee patented
land in Richmond county, on both sides of Rappahannock Horsepen Run and
adjoining his own land, on the north side of Occoquan, in Stafford county, at
the heads of the branches of Chapowamsie, in Stafford, and adjoining the land of
Captain Thomas Harrison. 

 It has usually been stated that Hancock Lee built the old Ditchley mansion
about 1687, but there is no evidence to substatiate this traditions. It is not
even positively known whether the immigrant lived at "Ditchley" or "Cobb's
Hall." Hancock Lee's will was made December 31, 1706, and was probated at
Northumberland Court House, July 20, 1709. Of Hancock Lee, Bishop Meade wrote:
"That He was a patron of the Church is shown by the fact that he presented a
communion cup to the parish in 1729. In honor either of himself or father, or
the whole family, the parish was called Lee parish, as may be seen by the
inscription on the cup. It was often called Wycomico. After the downfall of the
parish Mr. Joseph Ball placed this and other pieces into my hands for
preservation, in the hope that the day might come when the old Lee and more
modern Wycomico parish might call for it again." The cup is now in use in the
old Wycomico church. He married (first) in 1675. Mary, the only daughter of
Colonel William Kendall; and (second) Sarah , daughter of Colonel Isaac
Allerton, of Westmoreland. Children: William, born prior to 1682, died young and
without issue before 1706; Anna, prior to January 5, 1682, and was living as
late as October 1754 married (first) William Armistead, and (second) William
Eustace; Richard born August 18, 1691; (by the second marriage): Isaac, 1707,
died in England in 1727; John, born probably in 1709, died August 11 1789;
Hancock, mentioned below; Elizabeth, born 1711, married Zachary Taylor.

Hancock (2) Lee, son of Hancock (1) and Sarah (Allerton) Lee, was born in 1709,
and died near Warrenton, in Fauquier county, sometime prior to August, 1789. He
lived during the later years of his life at Warrenton, in Fauquier county, but
when he settled there is not known. In 1729 a Hancock Lee patented three hundred
and ninety-three acres in King William county, and sold four hundred in 1751 for
one hundred and fifteen pounds sterling. One of the name was justice for King
George county, in 1745. He married in 1733, Mary, daughter of Colonel Henry
Willis, of Fredericksburg. Children: Willis, who went to Kentucky in 1774;
Hancock (3) mentioned below; John; Henry; Richard, died unmarried; Sarah
Alexander who married Colonel John Gillison; Mary Willis, died March 1798, who
married Captain Ambrose Madison.

Hancock (3) Lee, son of Hancock (2) and Mary (Willis) Lee, was born in 1736, and
died in 1815. He was to all appearances a civil engineer by profession. He
accompanied his elder brother, Willis Lee, and his cousin, Hancock Taylor, to
Kentucky in 1771. By the latter's will he inherited lands in that state. He was
also employed bt the Ohio Company to survey their lands. George mason, of
Gunston, wrote: "Captain Hancock Lee and one Mr. Lee are returned from surveying
the Ohio Company's two hundred thousand acres of land, and are now here making
out their returns and settling their accounts, in assisting which I am closely
engaged, as I wish to hav everything clear and as regular as possible." Captain
Hancock Lee married Winifred, daughter of John Beale, of Westmoreland. Children:
Arthur; Pamela; Mary Frances; Anne; Willis, mentioned below; Hancock; Thomas;
Emeline, who married a Mr. Richards, and died without issue; Elizabeth, who
married Captain Sangster of Fauquier county and also died without leaving any
issue. 

Willis Lee, son of Hancock (3) and Winifred (Beale) Lee, married Mary Richards.
Their children were: John Hancock, mentioned below; Mary Willis, who married
Thomas Scott Ashton, who was born in 1803 and died in 1873, the sixth and
youngest son of Major Lawrence Ashton and Elizabeth (Scott) Ashton, his wife,
residing in Fauquier county.

John Hancock Lee, son of Willis and Mary (Richards) Lee, was born in 1805, and
died in October, 1873, being buried at Montpelier, in Orange county. Though born
in Fauquier county, Mr. Lee spent the greater part of his life in Orange county,
which county he represented for many years in the Virginia assembly. He was
educated at Princeton, and later studied law at the University of Virginia.
Being in attendance at the latter institution when Lafayette made his visit
there he was chosen to welcome the distinguished Frenchman on the part of the
students. He married (first) Mary, daughter of Dr. John and Nellie Conway
(Madison) Willis; (second) Fannie, daughter of Lewis and Lucy (Madison) Willis;
and (third) Mary, daughter of Sydney Jones, of Petersburg. Children: 1 Letitia,
married Dr. Robert Madison and had Letitia and Mary, who died young. 2. Nellie
Conway, born in 1826, and died in 1875. 3. Lewis Herman, born March 7, 1849,
died July 30, 1878; married, October 12, 1876, Georgia Garland, daughter of the
Rev. J. S. Hansborough, and had one daughter, Mary Madison, born March, 1878. 4.
Elizabeth, or Lizzie Madison, married William Albert Bragg, of Richmond;
children: Hancock Lee, mentioned below; Elise Calvin; Fannie Madison.

Hancock Lee Bragg, son of William Albert and Elizabeth Madison (Lee) Bragg, was
educated in public and private schools of Richmond, Virginia, where he prepared
for college. When he was old enough he entered Richmond College, and remained in
that institution for a period of two years. At the end of that time he entered
into business life and became connected with the Richmond Tobacco Company,
subsequently leaving that firm to join the firm of Kinney Brothers Tobacco
COmpany of Richmond. He left that company to go into the tobacco leaf business
with his father, having by that time also travelled as representative of T. C.
Williams & Company, manufacturing tobacconists. Afterwards he was general
bookkeeper for the Merchants' National Bank, Richmond, Virginia, filling that
post for a period of four years. He then became connected with the Sterling
Varnish Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, becoming also one of its board of
directors, an office filled by him during a space of seven years, at the end of
which time, in 1905, he came to New York City. There he formed a connection with
the firm of Emil Cralman Company, dealers in varnishes and japan, being now
manager of the insulating department. Mr. Bragg is a member of the Southern
Society of New York, the Virginians of New York City, the Railroad Club, and the
Phi Delta Theta. In politics he is a Democrat, and it religion belongs to the
Protestant Episcopal church. Mr. Bragg's sister, Elise Calvin, married Granville
Gray Valentine, of Richmand, and they have one daughter, Elizabeth Lee. His
second sister, Fannie Madison, married George Small, of York, Pennsylvania,
their children being: Elizabeth Lee, Katherine, and Anna. Mr. Hancock Lee Bragg
is himself unmarried.

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