Francis Lee (physician) facts for kids

Francis Lee (born March 12, 1661, died August 23, 1719) was an English writer and doctor. He is best known for being part of a group called the Philadelphians.

Early Life and Education

Francis Lee was born in Cobham, Surrey, England, on March 12, 1661. He was the fourth son of Edward and Frances Lee.

He started school at Merchant Taylors' School when he was 14. Later, in 1679, he became a student at St John's College, Oxford. He earned his first degree (B.A.) in 1688 and his master's degree (M.A.) in 1687. In 1682, he was chosen for a special position called a fellowship at St. John's.

In 1691, Francis Lee worked as a chaplain for John Stawell, 2nd Baron Stawell. He also taught Lord Stawell's son and later taught Sir William Dawes.

During a big political change in England called the Glorious Revolution, Lee chose not to swear loyalty to the new rulers. Because of this, he couldn't get a higher degree in 1692.

Lee left England in 1691 and went to study medicine. He joined the university of Leyden in the Netherlands in 1692. After his studies, he worked as a doctor in Venice, Italy. While traveling, he met other thinkers like Johann Georg Gichtel and Pierre Poiret.

Joining the Philadelphian Society

In 1694, while traveling home through Holland, Francis Lee discovered the writings of Jane Leade. He was very impressed by her ideas. When he returned to London, he found her and became a dedicated follower.

Lee helped Jane Leade by organizing her writings and publishing them. He also wrote introductions for her books. To support her even more, around 1696, he married her daughter, Barbara Walton. They later lived together in Jane Leade's house.

In 1697, Lee was a main founder of the Philadelphian Society in London. This group focused on spiritual and mystical ideas. He helped edit and write for the society's magazine, Theosophical Transactions. The society's meetings became very popular and grew quickly.

Not everyone agreed with the Philadelphian Society. A writer named Henry Dodwell the elder criticized Lee and the group. This led to a public debate that lasted until 1701. Other criticisms also came from Edward Stephens. These disagreements might have caused the Philadelphian Society to break up in 1703.

Later Life and Contributions

After the Philadelphian Society ended, Francis Lee turned his attention to other projects. He is believed to have suggested the idea of starting charity schools. These schools, based on a German model, would help educate poor children. He shared this idea with important people like Henry Hoare and Robert Nelson.

On June 25, 1708, Lee became a licensed doctor with the College of Physicians in London.

Francis Lee passed away on August 23, 1719, from a fever. He died in Gravelines, a town in Flanders, while visiting France. During this trip, he also met a famous French mystic named Jeanne Guyon.

After his death, his brother William managed his estate. Francis Lee left behind his wife, Barbara, and their only daughter, Deborah Jemima. Deborah later married James de la Fontaine.

Published Works

Francis Lee was known for being very learned, and some even called him "Rabbi Lee." He usually published his works without putting his name on them. Here are some of his writings:

• Horologium Christianum (1689)
• The Labouring Person's Remembrancer (1690), which was about physical work.
• He wrote the introduction for A Letter to some Divines (1695).
• The History of Montanism (1709), which was part of another book. Some people thought this book showed he had changed his mind about Jane Leade's teachings.
• The Christian's Exercise (1715), a book by Thomas à Kempis that Lee helped publish.
• Considerations concerning Oaths (1716).
• Memoirs of the Life of Mr. John Kettlewell (1718), a biography he put together.
• The Unity of the Church and Expediency of Forms of Prayer (1719).
• An Epistolary Discourse, concerning the Books of Ezra (1722), published after his death.

Lee also helped edit the second volume of John Ernest Grabe's Septuagint (1719), which is an ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. He wrote the introduction for part of this work. He also added notes to the Book of Genesis in Samuel Parker's Bibliotheca Biblica (1720).

It is also believed that Lee helped Robert Nelson with his book Festivals and Fasts. After Nelson died, his papers went to Lee, but Lee passed away before he could write Nelson's life story.

Some of Lee's works were collected and published together in 1752 under the title Απολειπόμενα, or Dissertations, Theological, Mathematical, and Physical.