Wallace Widdecombe

Wallace Widdecombe was born Arthur James Widdecombe on September 21, 1868 in Dalston, Middlesex, England. He died at the age of 100 on July 12, 1969 at Somers Manor Nursing Home, Somers, Westchester, New York, USA. He spent his early years working for the Aruba Gold Mining Company, which his father was chairman of at the time. He started acting aroung the turn of the century for Sir Henry Irving. He came to the United States in 1901 with Sir Charles Hawtrey to star in the play "A Message from Mars". It was during the production of this play that he met his first wife Katherine Mary Muriel Nelson Ellis, whose stage name was Muriel Nelson. Muriel was an actress, violinist and was making a name for herself on Broadway as a composer. Wallace married Muriel on December 26, 1902 in Chicago, Illinois, a mere 24 days after her divorce from her first husband John Stewart Baird was finalized. Muriel filed a petition for divorce from Wallace in 1907, citing infidelity. On May 7, 1907, just a few days before their divorce was finalized, Muriel Nelson shot herself in the head in her New York City apartment, ending her life. Her final note was addressed to her "dearest Wally" Wallace continued acting and traveled frequently between the United States and his native London. He met his second wife Minnie Callaway aka Jane Houston in 1914 during the production of "Lady Windermere's Fan". The early stages of love seemed to be cut short by the start of WWI. Wallace went back home to London and joined as a Captain in the 2nd London Regiment in 1915. In 1917 he proposed and Jane applied for her passport in November of that year so she could go to London to meet Wallace and get married. The war was raging so her passport was not approved until February 9,1918. Wallace and Jane got married on March 16, 1918 in Marylebone, London. Wallace and Jane bought a house in Pound Ridge, New York, a neighborhood filled with entertainers, in 1926. Wallace continued doing plays until 1953 and Jane spent many years in radio. When Wallace died at the age of 100 he was the oldest member of the Equity.