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134
The Autobiography of Archbishop Thomas Seeker
FOLIO 51 (1758)
Sir George Lee (1694P-1758), younger brother of Sir William Lee and a
specialist in civil law (D.C.L. Oxford 1729), was admitted advocate at
the Doctors' Commons in 1729. He was dean of the arches and judge of
the prerogative court of Canterbury 1751-58. He had been returned as
M.P. for Brackley 1733-42, and then sat variously for Devizes 1742-47,
Liskeard 1747-54 and Launceston 1754-58. Early in 1747 he joined the
Prince of Wales's new opposition, becoming one of the leaders of the
Leicester House party. After Frederick's death Lee supported the
administration till 1755 when he went back into opposition. An
impressive speaker, he was described by Walpole as having "a solemn
harmonious voice, and something severe in his style. ..." (Sedgwick,
H.C, III, pp. 204-05; Foord, His Majesty's Opposition, pp. 273, 275,
278-79). Seeker's chronology is inexact: Lee died suddenly on 18
December, while Seeker was confirmed as archbishop in April.
Dean of the Arches was the judge of the archbishop's court of peculiars
which had jurisdiction over thirteen London parishes which were
exempt from the diocesan jurisdiction of the bishop of London. With the
deanery was combined the office of Official Principal of the consistory
court of the province of Canterbury, originally a separate title. The two
offices were held together by Sir George Lee and his successors.
Dr Simpson: Sir Edward Simpson (c. 1699-1764), who was admitted
advocate at Doctors' Commons in 1736, and became chancellor of the
diocese of Bath and Wells in 1738, then of London 1747-58. Through
Lord Hardwicke's interest he was elected M.P. for Dover 1759-64, and
appointed dean of arches in 1758, holding it until his death. Simpson
was master of Trinity Hall 1735-64, and one of the duke of Newcastle's
staunch supporters at Cambridge (Namier and Brooke, H.C, III, pp.
439-40).
strong Letter to Newcastle is B.L. Add. MS 32,881, fol. 195 in which
Seeker suggests that "Ministry-men" suffer at Oxford, and Oxford men
suffer with the Ministry, while admitting that all was not well at the
university.
Bp Yonge: Philip Yonge (1709?-1783), the chief of Newcastle's Cambridge
friends and closest of his dependents, who was master of Jesus
college 1752-58. He was appointed bishop of Bristol in 1758 and
translated to Norwich in 1761 (Venn, Alumni Cantab.).
procurations were fixed sums of money paid by the parochial clergy to
bishops or archdeacons in their visitations. Originally provided as meat,