John LEES

LEES, JOHN (b. Stoke, England, c. 1771-76; d. 28 Aug 1836). Soldier, farmer, Wesleyan layman.

A private in the New South Wales Corps, Lees reached Sydney in June 1797 where he served until 24 April 1803. Receiving a land grant at Castlereagh in 1804, he farmed there for many years, marrying Mary Stevens on 20 Nov 1809, a former convict, after the birth of their fifth child. Converted in 1815 in dramatic circumstances, the consequence of his deepening alcoholism, he later welcomed Samuel Leigh (q.v.) to the Castlereagh area and became a strong supporter of the Wesleyan cause. Lees erected the first Wesleyan chapel in Australia (opened 7 Oct 1817) and dedicated an acre of land to the support of the mission. He became noted for his piety, his religious zeal and for his generosity to the cause of missions. He held Sunday school in his small home, became a local preacher and contributed to the building of further chapels. Despite a serious illness and a resurgence of his drink problem in later years, Lees contributed greatly to the winning of settlers in the Castlereagh area to Christ.

J Colwell, Illustrated History of Methodism (Sydney, 1904); M Kavanagh, John Lees the Chapel Builder (Sutherland, 1987); Christian Advocate and Wesleyan Record, 17 March 1859

DON WRIGHT