Jessie Ellen Cadell (23 August 1844 – 17 June 1884) was an English novelist and orientalist who wrote stories set in India, where she lived for some time with her husband.
Without seeking to compete with Edward FitzGerald's splendid paraphrase of Khayyam in its own line, Cadell contemplated a complete edition, and a more accurate translation.
She visited numerous public libraries in quest of manuscripts, and published a portion of her research in an article in Fraser's Magazine in May 1879.
Friedrich von Bodenstedt, when publishing his own German translation, bestowed the highest praise on Cadell's work, without any idea that he was criticising the production of a female writer.
The Athenaeum said after her death that "She was a brave, frank, true woman, bright and animated in the midst of sickness and trouble, disinterestedly attached to whatever was good and excellent, a devoted mother, a staunch and sympathising friend.