Minnie Jeffs (StageName)

My great-aunt was in reality a Nichols, and was one of three sisters, two of whom ran away from home to go into Vaudeville. Consequently my grand-mother, the third sister, was packed off to a convent boarding school in Belgium to ensure she did not also join her sisters on stage.
Minnie Jeffs (her mother’s maiden name) later married a Mr Crozier and had a son, Jack, who worked in the 50’s and 60’s at the Ministry of Housing.
The following is available online at http://footlightnotes.tripod.com/BL-pressclippings8.html

(The Birmingham Pictorial and Dart, Birmingham, England, Friday, 30 December 1898, p. 5) ‘MISS MINNIE JEFFS.
‘This talented young lady, who takes the part of Robinson Crusoe at the Grand Theatre, is a daughter of one of the Sisters Jeffs, well known on the variety stage. She is a Londoner, and made her first appearance when only ten years old, at the Grand Theatre, islington, London, in Mr. Charles Willmott’s pantomime of Blue Beard, and sang at that early age, ”Rule Britannia” and the ”Powder monkey,” in a style which attracted attention, and led to future promotion.
‘Miss Jeffs has since been a great favourite with the public, and although very young (she does not look twenty,) has had a very successful tour in the United States with Tony Pastor’s well-known variety company. Miss Jeffs was delighted with America, and is determined to go again.
‘This is the third pantomime in which she has taken a leading part. In 1896–7 she was The Prince in The Sleeping Beauty at the Tyne Theatre, Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the cast being Mr. William Walton and Miss Ethel Earle.
‘Last winter she was a fascinating Boy Blue at the Prince of Wales’, Liverpool, when Eugene Stratton was one of the company, and the show beat record[s] with a splendid run. Miss Jeffs was also the original Madame Montresque in All Aboard.
‘One of her most notable engagements was when se made a great success as Pllly Green in The Dandy Fifth, when it was produced last year at the Duke of York’s Theatre, London, and subsequently on tour. This was a great part, requiring a fine presence, a good voice, and excellent acting, all of which qualifications Miss Jeffs is fortunate in possessing.
‘As the fequenters of the Birmingham Grand Theatre know, Miss Jeffs is an ideal principal boy, and that she will be heard of yet in London, and in the very front rank, too, is not a rash thing to predict.’