Jennifer Lee

Jennifer Lee, Jenny Lee or Jennie Lee may refer to:

See also

Jennie Lee, Baroness Lee of Asheridge

Janet Lee, Baroness Lee of Asheridge, PC (3 November 1904 – 16 November 1988), known as Jennie Lee, was a Scottish socialist politician. She played a lead role in the foundation of the Open University working directly with Harold Wilson to established the principle of open access: Enrolment as a student of the University should be open to everyone … irrespective of educational qualifications, and no formal entrance requirement should be imposed.

Early life

Born in Lochgelly, in Fife, Scotland, to James Lee, a miner (who later gave up work in the mines to run a hotel), and Euphemia Grieg, she inherited her father's socialist inclinations, and like him joined the Independent Labour Party (ILP). Her grandfather Michael Lee (born in 1850 to Irish Catholic parents, and a friend of Keir Hardie) had founded the Fifeshire ILP federation. She later joined the Labour Party, and served as an MP from 1929 to 1931 and from 1945 to 1970.

First term as MP

Lee was educated at Beath High School, she wanted to go to university but her parents were unable to afford the fees. Eventually she went to study law and education with support from the Carnegie Trust who agreed to pay half her fees, at the University of Edinburgh.

Jennie Lee (stage actress)

Jennie Lee (c. 1854 – 3 May 1930), was an Victorian Era English stage actress, singer and dancer whose career was largely entwined with the title role in Jo, a melodrama her husband, John Pringle Burnett, wove around a relatively minor character from the Charles Dickens novel, Bleak House. She made her stage debut in London at an early age and found success in New York and San Francisco not long afterwards. Lee may have first starred in Jo around 1874 during her tenure at San Francisco's California Theatre, but her real success came with the play's London debut on 22 February 1876 at the Globe Theatre in Newcastle Street. Jo ran for many months at the Globe and other London venues before embarking for several seasons on tours of the British Isles, a return to North America, tours of Australia and New Zealand and later revivals in Britain. Reduced circumstances over her final years forced Lee to seek assistance from an actor's pension fund subsidized in part by proceeds from Royal Command Performances.

Asheridge

Coordinates: 51°43′49″N 0°38′29″W / 51.7304°N 0.6415°W / 51.7304; -0.6415

Asheridge (recorded Esserugge in the 13th century) is a small hamlet in the parish of Chartridge, in Buckinghamshire, England. Prior to 1898 it was part of Chesham parish. It is situated in the Chiltern Hills, about two and a half miles north west of Chesham, 5 miles from Great Missenden and 6 miles from Wendover.

The village name is probably of Anglo-Saxon origin but its meaning is uncertain. Its may denote, Eastern or Ash tree Ridge, referring to the situation of the village on the ridge of a hill or could derive from previous associations with the manor of nearby Aston Clinton. Matilda de Esserugge is recorded as having connections with Missenden Abbey in the mid-13th century.

Asheridge farm house is of 16th-century origin. In 1848 Asheridge is recorded as having a population of 129. A school and congregational church were established there during the latter part of the 19th century and records show they were still in existence in 1891. The Blue Ball Public House which was at the centre of the settlement at that time is still in business today.