Jennie Worrell
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Jennie Worrell (1850 - August 11, 1899) was a burlesque actress of the 19th Century from Cincinnati, Ohio. She was the youngest of three Worrell sisters who appeared in Broadway theatre productions from (1867 - 1872).
Sister act
She was the daughter of William Worrell, a circus clown. Her sisters were Irene Worrell and Sophie Worrell. The sisters performed on stage as children, singing and dancing their way to popularity in California and Australia. In 1866 they came to New York City and gained possession of a theatre on Broadway (Manhattan) opposite Waverly Place. They called it the Worrell sisters' New York Theatre. They acted in a musical travesty followed by a production of Under the Gaslight (1867) by Augustin Daly. In the latter play, the sisters depicted roles created by Rose Eytinge, Blanche Grey, and Rose Skennett. Worrell was the best actress of the three siblings. In the spring of 1866, she was in Nan the Good For Nothing at Wood's Theatre. Previously the sisters performed together at the same venue in Elves.[1]
Burlesque became increasingly popular with the arrival of Lydia Thompson and her British Blondes. This added to the appeal of the Worrell sisters. Nevertheless their business was not profitable and they gave up the theatre in 1868. It became the Broadway Athletic Club in later years. [2]
Marriage
She married Mike Murray, the manager of a gambling resort. Murray and Worrell separated in 1888 when he ran a gambling establishment at 13 West 28th Street. They reconciled. Murray died in his office at 128 East 14th Street in June 1895. The cause of death was heart disease. [3]
Death
Worrell died in 1899 at the Kings County Hospital of burns she sustained while sleeping on the grass meadows at the foot of 17th Street, in Coney Island. [4] She lived there destitute, having resided in Coney Island for some years after divorcing Murray. Police of the precinct had arrested her a number of times. Her sisters separated themselves from her years before because of her degenerate lifestyle.
The New York Times reported that she was to be buried in Potter's Field in Flatbush, Brooklyn, unless someone claimed her body. [5]
References
- ↑ Downfall Of Jennie Worrell, New York Times, May 26, 1896, pg. 3.
- ↑ Jennie Worrell Is Dying, New York Times, August 10, 1899, pg. 5.
- ↑ Big Mike Murray Is Dead, New York Times, June 15, 1895, pg. 9.
- ↑ The News Condensed, New York Times, August 10, 1899, pg. 1.
- ↑ Jennie Worrell Is Dead, New York Times, August 12, 1899, pg. 7.
External Links
- Jennie Worrell Internet Broadway Database credits
- Worrell sisters New York Public Library Digital Gallery photo
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