Jennie Lee

Jennie Lee (c.1854-1930) was a British actress, singer and dancer.

She made her stage debut in London at an early age and not long afterwards found success in New York and San Francisco. However her career, and indeed her fame, was driven by her performance as the lead in Jo (a melodrama based on Bleak House, written by her husband, John Pringle Burnett).

Lee performed the role of "Jo" for the first time on 7 June 1875, in H. A. Rendle's stage adaptation of Dickens's Bleak House entitled Chesney Wold (with Fanny Janauschek in the dual roles of Lady Dedlock and Hortense). Real success however came when she performed "Jo" in her husband's play of that name on its London debut on 22 February 1876 at the Globe Theatre in Newcastle Street.

Performing Jo and other productions, Lee performed in Britain for many years and undertook at least four tours of the colonies as well. She eventually chose to retire around 1911 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennie_Lee_(British_actress)