Alfred Lee

Alfred Lee (September 9, 1807 – April 12, 1887) was an American Episcopal bishop. He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, graduated from Harvard in 1827, and after three years practicing law in New London, Connecticut, he studied for the ministry, graduating from the General Theological Seminary, New York, in 1837. He was rector of Calvary Church, in Rockdale, Pa., from 1838 to 1841, when he was chosen as the first Bishop of Delaware. In 1842 he also became rector of St. Andrew's, Wilmington. He was a member of the American Committee for the Revision of the New Testament (1881). In 1884 he succeeded Bishop Smith as presiding bishop of the Episcopal church. Early life Alfred Lee's father was a midshipman in the British Navy who served with honor and distinction until he left the service when he decided to come to America. Little is known about Lee's mother. On September 9, 1807, Alfred Lee was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His family was upper–middle class and lived in one of the most prestigious houses in Cambridge. His house is the subject of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "The Open Window". Lee graduated from Harvard University law in 1827, and started his career as an apprentice of law. However, this profession soon lost its appeal to him, and he began looking for a more fulfilling one. Start of his religious career Lee moved to New York City and enrolled in General Theological Seminary. After graduating, Lee was elected deacon of Trinity Church in Norwich Connecticut on June 12, 1838. From there, he moved around a lot. His first services as rector were given on September 12 at Calvary church in Rockdale, Pennsylvania, where he lived for three years. During this time he established himself as a notable figure in the local and global Ecclesiastical communities. Election as bishop In 1841, the General Episcopal Convention was held in Georgetown, Delaware. During the convention it was resolved to separate the diocese Delaware from that of Pennsylvania. No longer would Delaware's clerical needs be overshadowed by those of the much larger state of Pennsylvania. Lee was very well respected in his community because of his demeanor, candor, and resolve; he unanimously won the vote of both the Clerical and Lay Deputies, and was consecrated as the first Bishop of Delaware and the 38th Bishop of America on October 12, 1841, at the age of thirty-four.