Lionel Frederick Lee was born 4 December 1845 in Colombo, British Ceylon, the eldest son of George Lee, the Postmaster General of Ceylon (1844-1860) and Martha née Austin.
[1][2] He joined the Ceylon Civil Service in 1864, at age nineteen, and was the Superintendent of the Census in 1881 and 1891,[3] whilst acting as Registrar-General.
He served as District Judge in Kegalle, Tangalle, Galle, Matara and Jaffna; as Principal Collector of Customs; and Fiscal at Colombo and Kandy.
), the fourth daughter of Robert Wright Norfor (1815-1864), the Commissioner of Stamps, Madras, and Amelia Wilhelmina Boxley, at the Holy Trinity Church St Sebastian Hill, Colombo.
[7] His position was filled by Charles Edward Ducat Pennycuick, the Postmaster General of Ceylon.