▁of ▁John ▁Lee ▁( d ied ▁ 1 7 8 1 ), ▁actor ▁and ▁the atr ical ▁manager , ▁and ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁London . ▁Her ▁first ▁piece , ▁The ▁Chapter ▁of ▁Acc idents , ▁a ▁three - act ▁drama ▁based ▁on ▁Den is ▁D ider ot ' s ▁Le ▁père ▁de ▁famille , ▁was ▁produced ▁by ▁George ▁Col man ▁the ▁E lder ▁at ▁the ▁Hay market ▁Theatre ▁on ▁ 5 ▁August ▁ 1 7 8 0 ▁and ▁was ▁an ▁immediate ▁success . ▁ ▁When ▁her ▁father ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 1 , ▁Lee ▁spent ▁the ▁proceed s ▁of ▁the ▁play ▁on ▁establish ing ▁a ▁school ▁at ▁Bath , ▁where ▁she ▁made ▁a ▁home ▁for ▁her ▁sister s ▁Anne ▁and ▁Har ri et . ▁Her ▁novel ▁The ▁Rec ess , ▁or ▁a ▁T ale ▁of ▁other ▁Times ▁( 1 7 8 3 – 8 5 ) ▁was ▁a ▁historical ▁rom ance . ▁The ▁Rec ess ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁Elizabeth an ▁times ▁and ▁revol ves ▁around ▁two ▁fict ional ▁daughters ▁of ▁Mary , ▁Queen ▁of ▁Sc ots . ▁ ▁Lee ▁also ▁wrote ▁the ▁play ▁Al me y da , ▁Queen ▁of ▁Gren ada ▁( 1 7 9 6 ) ▁was ▁a ▁long ▁tra ged y ▁in ▁blank ▁verse , ▁which ▁opened ▁at ▁Dr ury ▁Lane ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁April ▁ 1 7 9 6 ▁but ▁ran ▁for ▁only ▁five ▁night s . ▁ ▁The ▁Rec ess ▁can ▁also ▁be ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁form ative ▁work ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁Goth ic ,