John Lee

John Morley Lee (12 October 1825 – 20 January 1903) was an English clergyman and cricketer who played in first-class cricket matches for Cambridge University, Surrey, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and various other amateur teams in the late 1840s. He was born at Chelsea, London and died at Botley, Hampshire.

Family and background Lee was privately educated at Oundle and then at St John's College, Cambridge. He was the son of a London-based builder, Henry Lee, described as coming from Chiswell Street in Finsbury but later settling in Balham; John Lee's younger half-brother, Frederick, 15 years younger, was also a first-class cricketer, playing for Cambridge University, Surrey and other amateur sides.

Cricket career As a cricketer, Lee appeared in a couple of matches for Cambridge University in the 1845 season as a tail-end right-handed batsman, but made little impression; he did not take any wickets with his right-arm medium-fast bowling, and scorecards being incomplete for these games it is not clear whether he bowled or not. He took 10 wickets in the return match in London, though this was a 12-a-side first-class game. He was then picked for the 1846 University match against Oxford University which was played in Oxford. Later in the 1846 season, Lee played a couple of first-class matches for the Gentlemen of England side. He played in the University Match for a second time and later in the season played for Surrey, the Gentlemen in the annual Gentlemen v players match at Lord's, and MCC. There was a similar pattern to Lee's cricket in 1848, his last season at Cambridge and his third appearance in the University match; He appeared for Surrey and for "Gentlemen of England" after the university cricket season ended.

Lee played very little cricket in 1849 but returned, without distinction, in 1850 in eight first-class games, including an appearance for England, and another in the Gentlemen v Players series. He did not play first-class cricket after 1850.

Career after cricket After graduation from Cambridge University in 1848, Lee was ordained first as a deacon and then as a Church of England priest.

Family In 1855, Lee married Emily Mary Gingell of Wood House, East Ham; they had two daughters.