James Cameron Lees KCVO (1835–1913) was a

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...

minister and

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th.

Life

Lees was born in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

on 24 July 1834 the son of James Lees a Perth gun-maker who had relocated to London and his wife Mary Isabella Cameron. His father was then manager of the Royal Caledonian Asylum there, but later relocated to Stornoway as a minister.Fasti Ecclesiastae Scoticana by Hew Scott He was educated in London them studied divinity at first

Glasgow University , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

then

Aberdeen University , mottoeng = The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom , established = , type = Public research universityAncient university , endowment = £58.4 million (2021) , budget ...

. Joining his family in Stornoway he was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of the Isle of Lewis as a minister in the

in November 1855. In November 1856 he was ordained as minister of Carnach in Rossshire. In 1859 he was translated to "second charge" of

Paisley Abbey Paisley Abbey is a parish church of the Church of Scotland on the east bank of the White Cart Water in the centre of the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, about west of Glasgow, in Scotland. Its origins date from the 12th century, based on a for ...

and was promoted to "first charge" in 1865 and in 1877 he replaced David Arnot as minister of

St Giles' Cathedral St Giles' Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Naomh Giles), or the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in the Old Town of Edinburgh. The current building was begun in the 14th century and extended until the early 1 ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, one of Scotland's most important charges. He was

Dean of the Thistle The Dean of the Thistle is an office of the Order of the Thistle, re-established in 1687. The office is normally held by a minister of the Church of Scotland, and forms part of the Royal Household in Scotland. In 1886 the office of Dean of ...

and

Dean of the Chapel Royal The Dean of the Chapel Royal, in any kingdom, can be the title of an official charged with oversight of that kingdom's chapel royal, the ecclesiastical establishment which is part of the royal household and ministers to it. England In England, ...

from 1887 to 1910. He was an

Honorary Chaplain to the Queen An Honorary Chaplain to the King (KHC) is a member of the clergy within the United Kingdom who, through long and distinguished service, is appointed to minister to the monarch of the United Kingdom. When the reigning monarch is female, Honorary Ch ...

from 1881 to 1901, and was appointed a Chaplain-in-Ordinary in Scotland to

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...

in October 1901. In 1901 he was living at 33 Blacket Place in south Edinburgh. He reached this position of importance through the patronage of Lord Abercorn. He received three honorary Doctor of Divinity: Glasgow University (1871); Aberdeen University (1894); and Edinburgh University (1906). He also received an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) from St Andrews University in 1889. Lees was appointed a Commander of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...

(CVO) in 1906 and a Knight Commander of the Order (KVCO) in the 1909 Birthday Honours. He resigned from St Giles in May 1909. In 1910 he became Chaplain in Scotland to King George V. Memorial to James Cameron Lees

He died at St Giles in

Kingussie Kingussie ( ; gd, Ceann a' Ghiùthsaich ) is a small town in the Badenoch and Strathspey ward of the Highland council area of Scotland. Counties of Scotland, Historically in Inverness-shire, it lies beside the A9 road (Great Britain), A9 road, ...

on 26 June 1913, and is buried in the Dean Cemetery,

on the northern side of the original cemetery.Record of gravestone in Dean Cemetery.
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Family

In 1872, Lees was married to Rhoda Rainsford Hannay (1843-1887), daughter of Major Rainsford Hannay of

Creetown Creetown (, sometimes ) is a small seaside town in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, in Galloway in the Dumfries and Galloway council area in south-west Scotland. Its population is about 750 people. It is situated near the head of Wigtown Bay, ...

. Their children included: *Constance (1873-1902) married Rev Thomas Edward Taylor a missionary in

Darjeeling Darjeeling (, , ) is a town and municipality in the northernmost region of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the easternmost province of Nepal, ...

*Mary Isabel Cameron Lees (1876-1893) *John Cameron Lees (1880-1909) *Arthur Stanley Lees (b.1882)

Publications

*''The Abbey of Paisley from its Foundation to its Dissolution'' (1878) *''Tobersnorey'' (1878) anon. *''Stronbuy'' (1881 reprinted 1893) anon. *''St Giles, Edinburgh: Church, College, and Cathedral'' (1889) *''The Greek Church'' (1894) *''Life and Conduct'' (1911 reprinted 1922) *''Beatha Agus Caithearnh-Beatha'' (1916) *''A History of the County of Inverness'' (1897) *''Visitation of the Sick''

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lees, James Cameron 1830s births Clergy from London Alumni of the University of London Deans of the Chapel Royal in Scotland Deans of the Thistle Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order 1913 deaths 19th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland Honorary Chaplains to the Queen People from Kingussie Ministers of St Giles' Cathedral