Samuel Lee (minister) facts for kids

Samuel Lee (1625–1691) was an English scholar and religious leader. He was a Puritan, which means he followed a strict form of Protestant Christianity. Later in his life, he moved to New England in America.

Early Life

Samuel Lee was born in London in 1625. His father, also named Samuel Lee, sold small items like buttons and ribbons. Young Samuel went to St. Paul's School, London, a well-known school in London, where he was taught by Alexander Gill.

Becoming a Scholar and Minister

In 1647, Samuel Lee began studying at Magdalen Hall, Oxford University. He quickly earned his Master of Arts degree in 1648. He became a fellow (a kind of teacher and researcher) at Wadham College, Oxford in 1648 and stayed there for many years.

From about 1650, Samuel Lee started preaching in and around Oxford. Even though he wasn't officially ordained by a bishop, he was a popular speaker. In 1655, Oliver Cromwell, who was the leader of England at the time, made Lee the minister of St. Botolph's Church in London. He worked there until 1659.

Life After the Restoration

After the English Restoration in 1660, when the king returned to power, Samuel Lee joined a different religious group led by John Owen. Even though his old tutor, John Wilkins, tried to convince him to follow the official church, Lee chose to stay with his beliefs.

He continued to preach in London and sometimes lived on his estate near Bicester. In 1677, he became a joint pastor (a leader) of a church in Holborn. Later, he moved to Newington Green and led an independent church there until 1686.

Moving to New England

In 1686, Samuel Lee moved to New England (which is now part of the United States). He became the minister of a new church in Bristol, Rhode Island in 1687.

After the Glorious Revolution in England, he decided to return home. He sailed from Boston in October 1691. However, his ship was captured by a French privateer (a kind of pirate ship) and taken to St. Malo in France. His wife and daughter were separated from him and sent back to England without him knowing. Samuel Lee sadly died of a fever in St. Malo around Christmas 1691 and was buried outside the town.

Samuel Lee's Writings

Samuel Lee was known as a very smart scholar. He once studied astrology (the belief that stars influence human events) but later destroyed all his books and notes on the topic.

He helped update and continue a historical book called Theatrum Historicum. He also wrote his own books, including:

• Orbis Miraculum, or the Temple of Solomon (1659), which was about Solomon's Temple.
• What means may be used towards the Conversion of our Carnal Relations? (1661), which was about helping family members become more religious.
• Contemplations on Mortality (1669), which was about thinking about death.
• The Triumph of Mercy (1677).
• Israel Redux (1677), which included an essay about the Ten Tribes.
• The Joy of Faith (1687).

After he passed away, a sermon he gave called The Great Day of Judgment was published in 1692. He also helped publish a collection of sermons by John Rowe.

His Family

In his will, Samuel Lee left his property to his wife, Martha. He left his books and writings to his four daughters: Rebecca, Anna, Lydia, and Elizabeth. His daughter Lydia married a merchant named John George in Boston. After John George died, Lydia married Cotton Mather, a very famous minister in New England, in 1716. She passed away in 1734.