My wife's ancestors - Maltass - Contents

John Lee

John Lee,
born c.1769.
John Lee of Smyrna received a licence to trade from the Levant Company on 11 Sept 1789.
John Lee of Smyrna became a full Member of the Levant Company 14 Feb 1794.
[Clarke, 1860] says that on 13 Jan 1796, John Lee became a member of the firm of Isaac Morier, at Smyrna.
Listed as British merchant at mar 1797.
Lived at Boudjah (Buca), near Smyrna.

He mar 4 Sept 1797, Smyrna, to Mary Maltass [Maria].
If Buck Whaley is right that her mother was John Lee's aunt, then they were 1st cousins.

"John Lee" witnessed the marriage of his wife's niece Catherine Marguerite de Cramer at Smyrna, 2 Sept 1811.
In 1812, James Silk Buckingham visited Smyrna, and described John Lee as head of the family firm of Lee and Sons.
"Jo. Lee" witnessed the marriage of his nephew Richard Benjamin Abbott to his wife's niece Helen Maltass at Smyrna, 1825.
His brother-in-law John Maltass specifically leaves him money in his will in 1834, and describes him as a friend.
He died 1841.
She died 1848.
John and Mary had issue:

1. John Lee,
   born 12 February 1800 [British Chapel, Smyrna],
   bapt 24 Feb 1800 [Ms 29744-1].
   He married.
   He was left money in will of John Maltass, 1834.
   "John Lee junior" wit the mar of his cousin William Maltass 1836.

   
   

2. Susan Lee,
   born 5 or 6 July 1801 [British Chapel, Smyrna],
   bapt 10 July 1801 [Ms 29744-1].

   
   

3. George Lee,
   born 30 August 1803 [British Chapel, Smyrna].
   He was left money in will of John Maltass, 1834.

4. Mary Lee.

5. Sophia Lee.

6. Emilie Lee.
   Amelia Lee, born 3 January 1806 [British Chapel, Smyrna].

7. Emma Lee.
   Emma Lee, born 20 February 1811 [British Chapel, Smyrna].

Marriage of John Lee and Maria Maltass, 4 Sept 1797.
From Smyrna Anglican Chaplaincy register.

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John Lee and travellers in Smyrna

[Clarke, 1860] says: "On 1st of Jan, 1794, the well-known John Lee, who is referred to by the travellers of this century, was admitted as a member of the [Levant] Company, and on 13th January 1796 as a member of the [Morier] firm."
In the accounts of travellers in Smyrna, we have so far found the following.

John Lee may be this "Mr. Lee" who met Lord Byron in Smyrna in 1810 on Byron's Grand Tour.
The above is from the diary of John Hobhouse, who went on the tour with Byron.
See entries for 6 March to 10 May 1810 in Hobhouse's Diary.

The traveller James Silk Buckingham arrives in Smyrna in 1812. He stays with John Lee.
From pp.6-7 of vol.2 of Autobiography of James Silk Buckingham (1855).
Proof that the date is 1812: The autobiography is sparse on dates, but see "1812" before the Smyrna visit (on p.391 of vol.1) and "1812" after the Smyrna visit (on p.22 of vol.2).
Some writing about Buckingham thinks John Lee was Consul at Smyrna, but this is an error. Buckingham is clear above that the Consul is Francis Werry.

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• Some trees on Ancestry have this John Lee and Mary Maltass as the parents of a child baptised 1770 in England, which is obvious nonsense.