Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Lee, John Edward
LEE, JOHN EDWARD (1808–1887), antiquarian and geologist, was born at Hull 21 Dec. 1808. He early made the acquaintance of John Phillips the geologist, who was then living at York, and his attention was thus directed to geology. Weak health compelled him to travel for some years, and he visited Russia and Scandinavia. On his return he settled at Caerleon Priory, Monmouthshire, where he devoted some years to the study of the Roman remains, the subject of his chief work, 'Isca Silurum; or an Illustrated Catalogue of the Museum of Antiquities at Caerleon,' 1862, 4to. Lee afterwards moved to Torquay, and undertook the translation of various foreign works bearing, on prehistoric archæology. In 1859 he was elected a fellow of the Geological Society, and he formed a very fine collection of fossils, which in 1885 he presented to the British Museum. Lee died at Torquay 18 Aug.
Besides 'Isca Silurum' and various papers in the 'Geological Magazine,' 'Magazine of Natural History,' &c., Lee's chief works are:
- 'Delineations of Roman Antiquities found at Caerleon.' 1845, 4to.
- 'Description of a Roman Building … discovered at Caerleon,' 1850, 8vo.
- 'Selections from an Antiquarian Sketch-book' (with fifteen lithographic plates), 1859, 4to.
- 'Roman Imperial Photographs … forty enlarged Photographs of Roman Coins.' 1874, fol.
- 'Roman Imperial Profiles … more than 160 lithographic Profiles, by C. E. Croft, 1874, 8vo.
- 'Notebook of an Amateur Geologist.' 1881, 8vo.
He also published translations of F. Keller's 'Lake-dwellings of Switzerland.' 1866, 8vo, 2nd edit. 1878; Conrad Merk's 'Excavations at the Kesserloch,' 1876, 8vo, and of F. Roemer's 'Bone-caves of Ojcow in Poland.' 1884, 4to.
[Proc. of Geol. Soc. 1887-8, p. 42; Brit. Mus. Cat. of Printed Books.]