Lee, Jenny

1846

1930

Jenny Lee was born in London in 1846, the daughter of the artist Edwin George Lee. She made her first appearance on the London stage as Henry in “Chilperic” at the Lyceum on 22 January 1870. After playing some other parts at the Lyceum and elsewhere in London, in 1872 she accompanied E. A. Sothern to America to play Mary Meredith in “Our American Cousin”. She then acted for two years in San Francisco, where in 1875 she first played her famous role of Jo in “Bleak House” (G0414). She first acted Jo in London at the Globe Theatre on 21 February 1876, and for the next 20 years was associated almost solely with this role, which she played throughout the world. In 1880 she went to Australia, returning to London in 1885 to play Jo at the Strand. Some of her later roles included Mrs James Blackwood in “The Chetwynd Affair” (August 1904), Mrs Bedwin in “Oliver Twist” (July 1905) and Mistress Quickly in “The Merry Wives of Windsor” (April 1906), all at His Majesty’s. She appeared as Jo in a scene from “Bleak House” at a matinée at the Lyric Theatre on 7 February 1921 for the benefit of the Dickens Memorial House. She was married to the actor and dramatist J. P. Burnett. Jenny Lee died on 3 May 1930.