Sophia Lee
Sophia Lee, born in 1750 in London, was an influential English novelist and dramatist, recognized for her contributions to the early gothic novel genre. As the daughter of an actor and stage manager, she faced personal challenges early in life, including the death of her mother and the responsibility of caring for her siblings. Lee began her writing career with an opera, "The Chapter of Accidents," which, despite initial rejection, achieved success in 1780. Following her father's death in 1781, she relocated to Bath and established a successful school for young ladies, while also continuing her writing pursuits. Her notable works include the historical gothic novel "The Recess: Or, A Tale of Other Times," which gained acclaim from contemporaries like Richard Brinsley Sheridan. In addition to her literary endeavors, Lee intertwined her life with significant literary figures of her time, including a brief connection with the philosopher William Godwin. Throughout her career, she published several works, though not all were well-received. Sophia Lee passed away in 1824, leaving behind a legacy as a pioneer of gothic literature, influencing future writers such as Ann Radcliffe and Sir Walter Scott.
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Sophia Lee
Writer
- Born: 1750
- Birthplace: London, England
- Died: March 13, 1824
- Place of death: Clifton, near Bristol, England
Biography
In 1750, Sophia Lee was born in London as the daughter of actor and stage manager John Lee, who worked for the famous eighteenth century actor David Garrick. Her mother died when Lee was very young; consequently, she had to care for her younger brothers and sisters.
Lee began her writing career at a young age by writing an opera called The Chapter of Accidents: A Comedy, in Five Acts based on Denis Diderot’s Le Père de famille. Although rejected for production at Covent Garden, the work was eventually accepted and successfully staged in 1780 by George Colman at the Haymarket Theatre. After her father died in 1781, Lee utilized the money garnered from her play to move to Bath with her sisters, where she began a school for young ladies. The school was a success and attracted well-to-do students.
Lee continued her writing. In 1783, she published the historical gothic novelThe Recess: Or, A Tale of Other Times, which received high praise from the well-known Irish playwright and politician Richard Brinsley Sheridan. The three- volume story concerns the twin daughters of Mary, Queen of Scots, who were born as the result of a clandestine marriage. In 1796, Lee published Almeyda, Queen of Granada: A Tragedy, in Five Acts to disappointing reviews. Next she wrote two stories, titled “The Young Lady’s Tale” and “The Clergyman’s Tale,” for the first volume of her sister Harriet Lee’s popular The Canterbury Tales (1797- 1805). (Despite the title, this book had only a marginal association with Geoffrey Chaucer’s work.)
In 1798, the Lee home in Bath received as its honored guest the famous writer William Godwin, who was interested in marrying Harriet Lee, Sophia’s sister. However, Harriet rejected Godwin because they had different ideas about religion.
Lee closed her school in 1803 and moved to Monmouthshire, near Tintern Abbey, followed later by another move to the village of Clifton, near Bristol, where she was to die in 1824. In 1804, Lee published the six-volume The Life of a Lover: In a Series of Letters, and a dramatic comedy titled The Assignation, which once more did not do well when staged at Drury Lane in London in 1807.
Lee remains best remembered for writing one of the first gothic novels, The Recess: Or, A Tale of Other Times, which is said to have influenced the writers Ann Radcliffe and Sir Walter Scott.