James Cameron Lees KCVO (1835–1913) was a

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland (CoS; ; ) is a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity that holds the status of the national church in Scotland. It is one of the country's largest, having 245,000 members in 2024 and 259,200 members in 2023. While mem ...

minister and

author In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...

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

Life

Lees was born in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

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 Stornoway (; ) is the main town, and by far the largest, of the Outer Hebrides (or Western Isles), and the capital of Lewis and Harris in Scotland. The town's population is around 6,953, making it the third-largest island town in Scotlan ...

as a minister.''Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae''; by Hew Scott He was educated in London them studied divinity at first

Glasgow University The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in post-nominals; ) is a public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ...

then

Aberdeen University The University of Aberdeen (abbreviated ''Aberd.'' in post-nominals; ) is a public research university in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1495 when William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen and Chancellor of Scotland, petitioned Pope Al ...

. Joining his family in Stornoway he was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of the

Isle of Lewis The Isle of Lewis () or simply Lewis () is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides archipelago in Scotland. The two parts are frequently referred to as if they were separate islands. The t ...

as a minister in the

in November 1855. In November 1856 he was ordained as minister of

Carnach Carnach () is a remote hamlet on the north west shore of Little Loch Broom in Ross-shire, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland. It is located in the historic county of Cromartyshire. The hamlet is only accessible ...

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 River Cart, 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, base ...

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

St Giles' Cathedral St Giles' Cathedral (), or the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in the Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town of Edinburgh. The current building was begun in the 14th century and extended until the early 16th century; ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

, one of Scotland's most important charges. He was Dean of the Thistle and Dean of the Chapel Royal from 1887 to 1910. He was an Honorary Chaplain to the Queen from 1881 to 1901, and was appointed a Chaplain-in-Ordinary, Chaplain-in-Ordinary in Scotland to Edward VII, King Edward VII 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 degrees: 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 (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 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. Their children included: *Constance (1873-1902) married Rev Thomas Edward Taylor a missionary in Darjeeling *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 19th-century Scottish Presbyterian ministers Honorary chaplains to the King People from Kingussie Ministers of St Giles' Cathedral