Nelson Lee
NELSON LEE
Actor, theatre manager &
pantomime writer
Lived here 1851-1872
(67 Shrubland Road)
Richard Nelson Lee was born on January 8 1806 at Kew, Surrey.
He was the illegitimate son of a Colonel; nothing is known of his mother. Colonel Lee was involved in the preparations for Lord Nelson's funeral on October 9th which prompted him to include “Nelson” as his new born sons middle name.
Lee had to make his own way in the world and in the early 1820’s he learnt acting and juggling, became a fairground operator and by 1827 had joined the Surrey Theatre.
Lee made his name as a theatre impresario in June 1838 with the organisation and promotion of the Hyde Park fair to mark the coronation of Queen Victoria. This was a huge success. Also that year he married Amelia Griffith (1818 – 1870) and they had eight children.
Lee toured, wrote more than two hundred pantomimes and managed minor London theatres. Each Christmas his annual pantomime was eagerly awaited in East London. He also organised open air performances of Shakespeare which lasted just 15 minutes, a precursor to today’s complete works of Shakespeare in little more than an hour. Lee owned and managed the City of London Theatre at Norton Folgate from 1848 to 1868 for which his best pantomimes were normally reserved.
The pantomimes of Lee’s day were very long, often more than 2 hours, with a complicated plot which could leave the audience trying to guess what was the main theme. As a result they were more suitable for adults than children unlike the pantomimes of today.
From 1851 until his death on 2 January 1872, Lee lived at 67 Shrubland Road, Hackney. The inscription “Nelson’s Cottage 1851” can still be seen at the house. Nelson Lee is buried in Abney Park Cemetery with his wife.
The writer W.M. Thackeray commented on Lee:
“I often think with gratitude of the famous Mr. Nelson Lee – the author of I don’t know how many hundreds of pantomimes – walking the summer wave at Margate or Brighton, revolving in his mind the idea of some gorgeous spectacle or faery, which the winter shall complete.”
Page updated: 28 Feb 2007