Lee's telescope for his Egypt expedition. This telescope was used by the British astronomer John Lee (1783-1866) on his expedition to Egypt. Lee, born John Fiott, was educated as a mathematician and travelled widely in his youth, including trips to Egypt. In 1815 and 1827, he inherited several properties. From 1830, he built a private observatory (Hartwell Observatory) at his home, and carried out numerous astronomical observations. He was President of the Royal Astronomical Society from 1861 to 1863.