User:MinorProphet/Draft subpages/Matthew Lee (physician)

Matthew Lee


Matthew Lee DATES? d. 1755

Matthew Lee studied at Westminster School while Robert Freind was headmaster. He matriculated in 1713 and studied medicine at Christ Church, holding one of the Christ Church Studentships given to the Faculties of Law and Medicine, and graduated BA in 1717. Lee was from Northamptonshire, and may also have studied with James Keill. Keill left him his microscope and his medical library when he died in 1719. Lee graduated MA 1720, and BM in 1722. He delivered the Bodleian oration in Convocation House in 1723, and received his DM in 1726. He showed "marked affection for the House", and the Chapter leased the lucrative tithes of the Rectory of St Andrew's Church, Chippenham to him. Lee practised as a physician in Oxford.

Dr Lee married a young lady from London and moved there in 1730. He became a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Harveian orator, and became physician to Frederick, Prince of Wales.

In 1750 he laid the foundations for a Readership in Anatomy in Christ Church, although it would be fifteen years before the building was built and a further two years before the first Reader was appointed. Lee died in 1755 and left the majority of his estate (over £20,000) in trust to Christ Church. In his will he provided the funds for the building of a new Anatomy School for dissections, the delivery of lectures, and for a museum.

"A certain sum was left to his wife who died in 1759. There were to be seven benefactions, including (5) £100 yearly "for the maintenance of a Lecturer of Anatomy", to be appointed under very stringent conditions. The Reader was to be a Westminster Student of Christ Church and an M.A., studying Physic in the University of Oxford ; he was to be a layman, and if he took Orders was ipso facto disqualified ; he was "to take, teach and instruct no Gentleman Pupil or Pupils in any Art or Science except Anatomy, Physick or Botany", and was to go through two "regular and compleat courses of Anatomy each year, in each of which he shall dissect at least one adult human body and distinctly explain and regularly demonstrate all the bones, viscera, blood vessels, muscles, nerves and all other parts of the human body with their respective uses." Four students and two commoners selected by the Dean might attend his lectures free, the others were to be charged a fee."

"(6) Dr. Lee provided that £40 per annum should be paid towards the expenses of making proper anatomical preparations, and procuring at least two adult human bodies. There was a penalty for failure in performance of this duty."

"(7) £30 yearly was to go to instruction of four Westminster Students in Mathematics and experimental Philosophy (ie Physics) in all its branches. Their course was to last three years. Thus £140 per annum was to go to Anatomy and the main object was the advancement of Westminster Students. The Court of Chancery sanctioned the arrangements in 1765."

Dean Gregory (dean since 1756) was instrumental in setting up the Lee Trust to administer Lee's benefaction, and during his tenure the new Anatomy School was built. Gregory died in 1767, and it was under Dean Markham (Headmaster of Westminster School 1753–1765 and Dean of Christ Church 1767–1776) that John Parsons was appointed the first Lee's Reader in Anatomy.

Freind (died 1728) was also from Northampton, and his brother Robert Freind was headmaster of Westminster School while Matthew Lee attended there.