Friends of Hastings Cemetery

AL A24 - Anne Lee

This is the record of the stone ordered for Anne. > It stood on this plot. In the background are two gravestones of the same design, those of her sister and brother in Law, Elizabeth and Rev. Thomas Vores.

In Loving Memory of
Anne,

widow of Samuel Lee D.D.

Late Regius Professor of Hebrew in

the University of Cambridge.

Born December 3rd, 1798

Entered into rest December 18th 1873

"Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy

laden and I will give you rest."

In 1792 Reverend Stiverd Jenkins of Locking, (a few miles east southeast of Weston-Super-Mare) married Miss Portal of the noted paper-making dynasty from Freefolk in northern Hampshire.  [Other sources say Stiverd was a clerk of Wolverton.]  They had four daughters and a son.  Anne was the fourth daughter and was christened in Wolverton.

"The Reverend Stiverd Jenkins, lived at the old manor house at Locking. His family had for some years been acquainted with that of Dr Lee, Banwell and Locking being about two miles apart."

Anne became the third wife of a remarkable man, Dr. Samuel Lee D.D.  He had daughters by his second wife, and 1840, when his daughters were either married, or about to be so, he married  Anne Jenkins.  She was seventeen years younger than Samuel.

Norfolk Chronicle - Saturday 03 October 1840
The Rev. Samuel Lee, D.D. Prebendary of Bristol, Rector of Barley, Herts, and Regius Professor of Hebrew in tbe University of Cambridge, to Anne, fourth daughter the Rev. Stiverd Jenkins, of Locking, Somersetshire.

The congratulations received by Anne Jenkins when it was made known to her family that she had become engaged to the learned Professor, Dr Samuel Lee, were enthusiastic.  Her uncle, Mr W. Portal of Laverstoke, wrote :--'The alliance of a gentleman of his distinguished talents, acquirements and professional eminence, would be an honour to any family. I beg you to accept my sincere congratulations.' And her brother-in-law, the Reverend Thomas Vores, married to her sister, Elizabeth [Vores, Rev. Thomas & Elisabeth Plomley - for 33 years incumbent at St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings, thus expressed himself:--'Dr Lee is confessedly the first Orientalist in England, probably in |68 Europe.  He has unwearyingly devoted his wondrous attainments to the defence of the great and blessed truths of God's pure Word, and God has called you, dear sister, to the honourable office of being a helpmeet to such a man.'

They had a daughter, who was born in Barley North Hertforshire, in 1841.  Years later she wrote a brief memoir of her father, who taught himself biblical languages and became a professor at Cambridge, first of Arabic and then of Hebrew language. [See link above]

From Samuel to his Anne -  It is anything but an easy thing "to get a good curate. And, perhaps, it is too much for the same incumbent to expect to have a good wife and a good curate.  Blessings rarely come unchecked by some evil.  In the former case, God be praised, I am greatly blessed.

In the 1851 census they are living at The Rectoryin Barley, with their daughter Anne and 5 servants including a nursemaid and a governess.  Samuel died on the 16th December 1852, and was buried in a vault in Barley Church.

It isn’t known what happened to Anne after Samuel’s death but she may have moved here to be near her sister.  There is a record - LEE, Mrs & Miss. Whitefriars House, West Hill, 1867