George Washington Lee (1775-1850) was a ship master and merchant ship owner whose great grandfather, Thomas Lee, was one of the first settlers of Lyme, Connecticut. He owned and paid taxes on land in Lyme, and rented in Norwich, Connecticut. But in 1823 he bought and settled his growing family in the Joshua Huntington house in Norwich. He attained the position of master of a sailing vessel as early as 1802. Between 1802 and 1808 Lee commanded the brigs CAROLINE, BULIA, and SUSSEX, primarily on voyages between New York and the West Indes. All vessels appear to have been owned by the Lyme, Connecticut, brothers, Nathaniel L. and George G. Griswold, merchant ship owners in New York (known as the "No Loss and Great Gain Griswolds"). In 1810 Lee took the ship WALTER to Hamburg, Germany, but whether he returned in her or not has not been established. Between 1811 and 1821 he appears to have lived in semi-retirement from the sea in Norwich.

In 1820/21 Lee seems to have become interested in the Marseilles firm of Fitch Brothers & Co. which was managed by his brother-in- law, Asa Fitch, Jr. In February, 1822, he returned to sea as supercargo in the ship BELLE bound from New York to Nice, France, with a cargo of cotton. The following May he sailed in the same capacity in the ship UNION from New York for Marseilles, France, with a cargo of rice, coffee, cotton, and logwood. He returned in the brig HERO, also as supercargo, which sailed in September 1823 from Marseilles for Havana, Cuba, or New Orleans, Louisiana, with a general cargo. In June 1824 Lee sailed as master of the brig JEROME from New York to Marseilles. The following September he took the JEROME to Havana with a general cargo consisting primarily of hats and wine. He next appears back in Marseilles where he remained during June, July and August 1825. During August he-sailed to Vera Cruz, Mexico, with a general cargo. Upon arriving in Vera Cruz the JEROME was surveyed and found to be damaged extensively, and it was estimated that repairs would cost over $4,000. The vessel apparently was disposed of as Lee arrived in Norwich in April 1826.

Lee's next command was the ship SIX BROTHERS in which he remained from 1827 through 1830. In May 1827 he sailed the SIX BROTHERS from New York to Naples, Italy. During August and September he was in Marseilles from which port he sailed from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in September. The months of February and March 1828 were spent in Rio de Janiero preparing for the return passage to Marseilles. Between June 1828 and May 1829 Lee's activities are unclear, although he appears to have taken the SIX BROTHERS from Marseilles to New York and returned her to Marseilles, but perhaps not directly. Existence of an account with a firm in Marseilles during May and June 1829 seems to indicate that he was in Marseilles at that time. However, there also exists a freight list, dated 18 June 1829, for sugar carried from Pernambuco, Brazil, to Marseilles in the SIX BROTHERS. Thus he might have sailed from Marseilles to New York to Pernambuco to Marseilles rather than from Marseilles to New York to Marseilles. Before the end of 1829 Lee seems to have again taken the SIX BROTHERS on a round trip between Marseilles and New York. He spent December 1829 and January 1830 in Marseilles preparing for a passage to Vera Cruz. He returned the vessel to Marseilles by August and remained there until October 1830, at which time he sailed for St. Thomas with a general cargo. After two months in St. Thomas, he sailed for New York during December 1830. This was Lee's last trip in the SIX BROTHERS.

On 22 May 1831, Lee pruchased part or all of the brig PLATO in New York, and sailed almost immediately for Havana. After a stay of about two months, he took the PLATO to Marseilles with a cargo of sugar. August and September 1831 were spent in Marseilles preparing for a passage to New York with a cargo of wine and sulphur. During December 1831 he sailed from New York to St. Thomas, and in March 1832 he returned to New York with a cargo of coffee. He carried a cargo of logwood and cotton from New York to Marseilles during May 1832. After spending two months in Marseilles, he went to New Orleans with a general cargo, but it appears that the PLATO was lost before, or at least severely damaged and disposed of, immediately after arriving at New Orleans. Shortly after the PLATO was expected at New Orleans, Lee's son, William D. Lee, wrote him from New York that he was collecting considerable amounts of insurance on the vessel.

During October, Lee commanded the brig LEXINGTON for one trip carrying general cargo; however the ports of departure and arrival were not stated.

After 1833, Lee seems to have retired from the sea permanently, although he appears to have retained an interest in several vessels and to have invested in several business ventures.

George W. Lee was married three times. A daughter, Lois Fitch Lee, was born in Brooklyn, NY in August 1803 to Lee and his wife, Lois [Fitch?]. A son, George W. Lee, Jr. was born in New York, NY on September 29, 1807 to Lee and his second wife Hetty ?. In October 1812 Lee married Mrs. Susan (Fitch) Randall at Bozrah, Connecticut. She was a sister of Asa Fitch, Jr. A son, Asa Fitch Lee, was born in Norwich on October 19, 1813. Two other sons, William D. Lee and Robert M. Lee, and a daughter, Susannah Lee, were born later.