James Rees

James Rees (1802 – 1885) was an American author, playwright, and editor.

Biography

Rees was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania. He worked as a salesman, and as a clerk for the United States Post Office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Rees was co-editor of the Mechanics' Free Press, 1831; and editor of The Dramatic Mirror, 1842; and of The Philanthropist, 1854. He was closely involved with the Home Missionary Society of the City and County of Philadelphia, a Christian evangelist organization.

He and his wife Anna were the parents of four children, the first two of whom were born in their mother's home state of Louisiana.

Bibliography

Books

• The Beauties of the Hon. Daniel Webster; Selected and arranged, with a critical essay on his genius and writings, 1839.
• The Dramatic Authors of America, 1842.
• Mysteries of City Life; or, Leaves from the World's Book, 1849.
• The Tinker Spy: A Romance of the Revolution, 1855.
• Foot-Prints from a Letter Carrier; or, A History of the World's Correspondence, 1866.
• The Life of Edwin Forrest, 1874.
• Shakespeare and the Bible, 1875.

Plays

• The Headsman
• Washington at Valley Forge
• Changes
• Marion
• Pat Lyon
• Anthony Wayne

Further reading

• "James Rees", in Allibone's Critical Dictionary of English Literature and British and American Authors, vol. II, p. 1761.
• "James Rees", in Dictionary of American Biography, p. 761.
• "James Rees", in A Supplement to Allibone's Critical Dictionary of English Literature, vol. II, p. 1269.
• "James Rees", in A Dictionary of American Authors, 1904, p. 548.