Frank (as he insisted everyone call him) was the younger brother of Richard Henry Lee. While Richard has been offered a more glorious rendering by history, Frank's contribution cannot be discounted.
Frank was the only one of the Lee brother not sent away to England for schooling. Instead, he was tutored at home. But this did not seem to have been a great harm to him, as his zeal for science and literature followed him into adult life. Frank inherited a fortune vast enough that he never had to work a day in his life anyway. And he acted it out – preferring reading and lavishly entertaining friends to all else.
He was named commander of the local militia, and then a representative in the Virginia House of Burgesses. In 1758 he and his brother, Philip, founded the town of Leesburg, Virginia. (What else would they call it?)
In 1769 Frank (in his mid-thirties) married 16 year-old Rebecca Tayloe. They moved into a farm (plantation) near Richmond – her dowry. Frank must have enjoyed his earlier stint in the House of Burgesses, because he got himself elected again, now from Richmond county. But when reading the letters he sent home to Rebecca, he soon thought better of it and wished to retire as he missed her and thought of little else than returning to her side.
Frank, and his brother Richard began hanging around with two other representatives: Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry. It would have been interesting to watch debates between the four friends, as Richard and Patrick would probably be making soapbox speeches while Frank and Thomas would silently nod and smile.
In fact, Frank's back room soothing was often required to smooth out the feathers ruffled by Richard's inflammatory rhetoric during House sessions. It was probably this alone that prompted the Virginia Assembly to name both Lee brothers to the Continental Congress. One to make flamboyant proclamations, the other to quietly convince other delegates to go along.
They were the only brothers to sign the Declaration.
Frank returned to Virginia – not to Rebecca, but to state government. His sense of duty overtaking his private desires. But he did finally retire from government in 1785 – following another call to duty; his brother, William, was going blind and could no longer care for his two daughters. Frank and Rebecca, who had no children, raised these as their own.
Finally, Frank and Rebecca had the life they had hungered for all those years. He became a gentleman farmer, read books, and enjoyed simple country life.
Twelve years later, Frank and Rebecca passed away – within 10 days of each other. They still wanted to be together.