FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about John Lee
Quiz about John Lee

John Lee Trivia Quiz


This quiz follows the remarkable story about the unfortunate Englishman John Lee who was dubiously convicted of murder in the late 19th century.

A multiple-choice quiz by harryofarabia. Estimated time: 3 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. People Trivia
  6. »
  7. Criminals
  8. »
  9. Innocent or Guilty?

Time
3 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
356,821
Updated
Jul 23 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
224
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. What is the name of the Devonshire area where John Lee lived and where the murder was committed? The name of the area was later added as his middle name for identification. Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Who was John Lee convicted of murdering in 1884? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. The name of the house in which John Lee was judged to have committed the murder contains a Scottish boy's name. What was the name of the house? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. How did the victim whom John Lee was accused of murdering die? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. At what age was John Lee when the murder was committed? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Who is now considered to be the real murderer instead of John Lee? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Before his trial and sentence, John Lee had never been in trouble with the law previously.


Question 8 of 10
8. How many times was John Lee hanged? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. In which prison was John Lee incarcerated for the majority of his sentence? It shares its name with a city in Oregon. Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Which British folk rock band immortalised John Lee by producing an album dedicated to his story? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. What is the name of the Devonshire area where John Lee lived and where the murder was committed? The name of the area was later added as his middle name for identification.

Answer: Babbacombe

Babbacombe is an area of the town and resort of Torquay in Devon. The middle name "Babbacombe" was not part of his real name. It is thought that it was given to him by the press to distinguish him from others of the same name. He has been known by all three names ever since although his full name was John Henry George Lee.
2. Who was John Lee convicted of murdering in 1884?

Answer: Emma Anne Whitehead Keyes

John "Babbacombe" Lee was convicted of the murder of Miss Emma Anne Whitehead Keyes. John was a footman in her house in Babbacombe. He apparently "lived in" and slept in the pantry.
3. The name of the house in which John Lee was judged to have committed the murder contains a Scottish boy's name. What was the name of the house?

Answer: The Glen

Miss Emma Anne Whitehead Keyes lived at The Glen. She was unmarried but lived with her servants, one of whom was footman John Lee. It is of note that investigation concluded that the house had not been broken into on the night of the murder.
4. How did the victim whom John Lee was accused of murdering die?

Answer: Her throat was cut

Miss Emma Anne Whithead Keyes had her throat slashed. She also had the side of her head smashed and an attempt had been made to burn the body. The house was very badly damaged by fire. Oddly, for a murder suspect, it was John Lee himself who raised the alarm.
5. At what age was John Lee when the murder was committed?

Answer: 20

John "Babbacombe" Lee was born is 1864 making him 20 years of age at the time of the murder. By that age he had already been in the Navy but had been invalidated out.
6. Who is now considered to be the real murderer instead of John Lee?

Answer: His defence lawyer

Reginald Gwynne Templer was John "Babbacombe Lee's" defence lawyer. Evidence gathered since the murder and examined over many years including witness statements point to John Lee having known who the actual murderer was and covering for him. Templer had a link to a cook in the house whom he had made pregnant, but this and other evidence did not reach court. Templar died insane in 1886 shortly after the murder. On his deathbed he made rantings about the murder that caused further doubt to be cast on the original verdict.
7. Before his trial and sentence, John Lee had never been in trouble with the law previously.

Answer: False

John "Babbacombe" Lee had been sentenced to a period of hard labour following a conviction for theft from his employer, Colonel the Hon. Edward Brownlow in Torquay. He had tried to sell the goods in Torquay but suspicions were raised and he was arrested. This was the year prior to the murder for which he became famous.
8. How many times was John Lee hanged?

Answer: 3

John "Babbacombe" Lee was hanged three times. Each time the gallows failed even though they had been thoroughly tested each time. The Home Secretary at the time decided that he had suffered enough by the ordeal and sentenced him to prison where he should never be released. However, following many petitions he was released in 1907 on licence after serving 22 years.
9. In which prison was John Lee incarcerated for the majority of his sentence? It shares its name with a city in Oregon.

Answer: Portland

John "Babbacombe" Lee was imprisoned in Portland jail from 1892 until his release in 1907 under licence. He had previously been imprisoned in Portsmouth as part of the same sentence and in Exeter prison for a crime prior to the murder that made him famous.
10. Which British folk rock band immortalised John Lee by producing an album dedicated to his story?

Answer: Fairport Convention

Fairport Convention produced the album "Babbacombe Lee" in 1971. Dave Swarbrick, violinist and vocals with the band, found the story in some old papers and decided to put it to music.
Source: Author harryofarabia

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
3/28/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us