Edward Lee

Edward Lee
Model Employer and Man of Moral Courage
Edward Lee was born in 1853 in Tyrrellspass, Co. Westmeath. In
1885, he opened his first drapery shop, Edward Lee and Co. in
Bray, Co. Wicklow. Recognised for his caring attitude towards his
employees, he also had a strong social conscience. As Chairman of
Bray Housing Committee, he oversaw the erection of houses for
the working people of the borough. During the Dublin Lockout
in 1913, Edward Lee disagreed with the tactics of William Martin
Murphy and other employers. He was involved with many of the
iconic names of the day including Michael Collins, James Connolly,
Jim Larkin, Éamon de Valera, Tom Kettle, Joseph Plunkett, Thomas
MacDonagh and Sir Hugh Lane. A devoted family man, Edward
and his wife Annie had nine children. Four sons survived into
manhood, but the Great War would take a terrible toll on the
family. The business and the family would shine brightly for a short
time, before the great upheavals of the early twentieth century
would change their lives forever. But, through all this, Edward Lee
remained a Man of Moral Courage.
Michael Lee is a great-grandson of Edward Lee. Along with his
brother Edward, he has been studying the Lee family history for
many years. He has also carried out extensive research into the
Irish involvement in the Great War and has written numerous
articles on the subject. He has worked on various TV documentaries
for RTÉ, including Gallipoli: Ireland’s Forgotten Heroes and Fr.
Browne’s Forgotten War. He is Senior News Cameraman in RTÉ.
ISBN 978-0-9956091-0-5
9 780995 609105