James Prince Lee

Template:Short description Template:Hatnote Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox Christian leader James Prince Lee (28 July 1804 – 24 December 1869) was an English clergyman and schoolmaster who became head master of King Edward's School, Birmingham, and was later the first Bishop of Manchester.

Early life

Born in London, Lee was educated at St Paul's School, London, and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he displayed exceptional ability as a classical scholar, graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in 1828; this was promoted by seniority to master of arts in 1831 and in 1861 he was awarded the degree of doctor of divinity.<ref name=VennLY824JP>Template:Acad</ref><ref name=EB1911JPLee>Template:Harvnb</ref> He married Susannah, elder daughter of George Penrice, of Elmbridge, Worcestershire, on 25 December 1830, and they had two daughters.<ref name=VennLY824JP/>

Teaching career

After his ordination into the Church of England priesthood in 1830, Lee served as an assistant schoolmaster at Rugby School under Thomas Arnold, who thought highly of him.<ref name=VennLY824JP/><ref name=EB1911JPLee/> In 1837, he became rector of Ayot St Peter, Hertfordshire, and in 1838 headmaster of King Edward's School, Birmingham, where he had among his pupils Edward Burne-Jones, Richard Watson Dixon, Edward White Benson, Joseph Barber Lightfoot, and Brooke Foss Westcott. There is also a house of the school named after him. In 1847 he was appointed as an honorary canon of Worcester Cathedral.<ref name=VennLY824JP/><ref name=EB1911JPLee/>

Episcopal career

On 23 October 1847, Lee was nominated as the first bishop of the newly constituted Anglican Diocese of Manchester by Queen Victoria, on the advice of the prime minister of the day, Lord John Russell.<ref name=EB1911JPLee/>Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn His election took place on 17 November 1847,Template:Sfn followed by consecration on 23 January 1848, and enthronement at Manchester Cathedral on 11 February 1848.Template:Sfn He was elected to membership of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society on 17 April 1849.<ref>{ https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/74442#page/35/mode/1up </ref>

Lee's schoolmasterly manner was an irritation to his clergy.<ref name=EB1911JPLee/> However, he carried out great work in church extension.<ref name=EB1911JPLee/> During his twenty-one years' tenure of the see, he consecrated 130 churches. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1849.<ref>DServe Archive Persons ShowTemplate:Dead link</ref> He took a foremost part in founding the Manchester free library in 1852, and bequeathed his own valuable collection of books to Owens College.<ref name=VennLY824JP/><ref name=EB1911JPLee/>

He died at his home, Mauldeth Hall,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Stockport, in 1869, and was buried in Heaton Mersey churchyard. His memorial sermon was preached by the Rev. Edward Benson (afterwards archbishop of Canterbury) and was published with biographical details by J. F. Wickenden and others.

Bibliography

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Attribution

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Further reading

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• Owens College (1870) A Catalogue of the MSS. and Printed Books, bequeathed to Owens College, Manchester by the late Right Rev. James Prince Lee. (Manchester, [1870]).

External links

• Bibliographic directory from Project Canterbury