Jesse Lee

Who was Jesse Lee?

Jesse Lee was an American Methodist Episcopal clergyman and pioneer, born in Prince George's County, Virginia A preacher after 1783, in 1789 he visited New England and established Methodism from the Connecticut River to the farthest settlement in Maine. He formed the first Methodist class in New England, at Stratford, Connecticut, September 26, 1787. He preached his first sermon on June 7 or 17, 1789 in Norwalk, Connecticut. He held the first Methodist class in Boston, Massachusetts on July 13, 1792. For his pioneer work in New England he was often called the Apostle of Methodism. He was a friend of Francis Asbury, and served as his assistant from 1797 to 1800. He lacked only one vote of being elected Bishop by the General Conference of 1800, but was appointed to be a presiding elder of the south district of Virginia in 1801. He wrote A Short Account of the Life and Death of the Rev. John Lee and a History of Methodism in America, which has value for the early period. On May 22, 1809 Lee was appointed Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives He was reappointed on November 2, 1812 and served for two sessions.