Alec Guinness (de Cuffe) Guinness CH CBE (1914 - 2000)

Born 2 Apr 1914 in Maida Vale, London, England

Ancestors

Husband of Sylvia Merula (Salaman) Guinness — married 1938 in England, United Kingdom

Died 5 Aug 2000 at age 86 in Midhurst, West Sussex, England

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Biography

Alec (de Cuffe) Guinness CH CBE was featured in Hollywood Walk of Fame, 1960.

Alec (de Cuffe) Guinness CH CBE is Notable.

Alec (de Cuffe) Guinness CH CBE was born in England.

Sir Alec Guinness was a British actor, notable for his role as Obi Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars franchise and for his Academy Award winning role in The Bridge on the River Kwai.

Alec was born April 2, 1914 at 155 Lauderdale Mansions South, Lauderdale Road, Maida Vale, as Alec Guinness de Cuffe. His mother's maiden name was Agnes Cuff.^[1] Alec's birth certificate shows his mother's name as Agnes de Cuffe. The space for the infant's name (where first names only are given) says Alec Guinness. The column for name and surname of father is blank.^[2][3] He spoke harshly of his childhood, remembering times when he and his mother would move from boarding house to boarding house, running out on the bill before paying it. He recalled his mother as "dishonest and trashy". She married an army officer by the name of Stiven who was abusive to young Alec.^[4][5]

The identity of Alec's father has never been officially confirmed. From 1875, under English law, when the birth of an illegitimate child was registered, the father's name could be entered on the certificate only if he were present and gave his consent. Guinness himself believed that his father was a Scottish banker, Andrew Geddes, who paid for Guinness's public school education at Fettes College. Geddes occasionally visited Guinness and his mother, posing as an uncle. ^[6][2][5]

Alec tried to act in school productions growing up but was dubbed as talentless by the headmaster.^[4] Alec finished his schooling in 1932 and started work as an apprentice copywriter at a London advertising agency. He later applied to the Fay Compton Studio of Dramatic Art, and was accepted on a modest scholarship, though he found himself on a single meal a day of baked beans on toast after a time so he could afford theater tickets. He left the studio after seven months, but took one of the annual recital judge's names with him to use later, one John Gieglud, as well as an award for his skill.^[6][2]

Alec married Merula Salaman, an actress, in 1938.^[7] They had one son.^[8][2][4]

Alec was known for his ease in moving from role to role and bringing his quiet intensity to any of them, from comedies to drama to space opera. He started his acting career under the tutelage and direction of John Gielgud, but soon joined the Royal Navy during World War II.^[2][9][10] Following the war he took up the stage again in classic renditions of Shakespeare and Dickens. Not long after he tried his hand in comedy. His 1957 role in "Bridge On The River Kwai" earned him an Oscar. He was well-respected with his following work in "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Doctor Zhivago", but the role that would make him rich and remembered worldwide was that of Obi Wan Kenobi, a Jedi knight in the space opera franchice, Star Wars. Despite the success he reaped from the role, he hated the movies and was ready for them to be done nearly as soon as they began. He continued to act after his Star Wars success, both on the movie screen and on television.^[8][6][6][2] He received another lifetime achievement Oscar in 1979.^[4]

Off screen, Alec lived a quiet life with his family in England. He was not as recognizable as some stage stars and found he could live in anonymity easily, much to his preference.^[8][2] He kept a well-stocked wine cellar and was a gourmet in the kitchen. He was a convert to Roman Catholicism.^[4] Alec was knighted in 1959 by Queen Elizabeth II.^[6][2]

Alec died August 5, 2000 at King Edward VII Hospital, Midhurst, England after battling liver cancer.^[1][8][2][4] Alec is buried in Petersfield Cemetery, Petersfield, East Hampshire District, Hampshire, England.^[11]

Research Notes

He may well have been at boarding school at Normandale, Collingwood Avenue, Bexhill, Sussex at the time of the 1921 census. There was an Alec Stiven age 7. His father was described as dead and his birthplace as in Scotland.^[12]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVZF-8SCM : accessed 27 December 2015), Alec Guinness, Aug 2000; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Death Registration, Chichester, Sussex, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8} New Castle News (Pennsylvania) 7 August 2000, obit for Actor Sir Alec Guinness dies at 86, GenealogyBank.com (https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/obituaries/obit/109C38F6B3A35167 : accessed 16 December 2019)
3. ↑ FreeBMD. England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Ancestry Record 8912 #42019033
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5} Philadelphia Inquirer, The (Pennsylvania) 7 August 2000, obit for ACTOR SIR ALEC GUINNESS DIES AT 86 HIS CAREER SPANNED SIX DECADES AND BROUGHT ONE OSCAR. AMONG HIS FAMOUS ROLES: OBI-WAN KENOBI IN "STAR WARS.", GenealogyBank.com (https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/obituaries/obit/0F8EB38376436F9A : accessed 16 December 2019)
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "My Mother Slept With The Entire Crew", The TImes, 23 Sep 2003
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4} Watertown Daily Times (New York) 7 August 2000, obit for SIR ALEC GUINNESS, VERSATILE ACTOR ON STAGE AND SCREEN, DIES AT 86, GenealogyBank.com (https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/obituaries/obit/10462E630DC7905D : accessed 16 December 2019)
7. ↑ "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV8N-X8NH : accessed 27 December 2015), Alec Guinness and null, 1938; from “England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005,” database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Marriage Registration, Surrey South Eastern, Surrey, England, General Register Office, Southport, England. Ancestry Record 8753 #55368688
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3} New York Post (New York) 7 August 2000, obit for STAR WARS' ACTING LEGEND ALEC GUINNESS IS DEAD AT 86, GenealogyBank.com (https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/obituaries/obit/0FC5B6A00E75ACC1 : accessed 16 December 2019)
9. ↑ Ancestry.com. UK, Navy Lists, 1888-1970 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Ancestry Record 2406 #7977776
10. ↑ Ancestry.com. UK, Navy Lists, 1888-1970 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Peter Singlehurst Ancestry Record 2406 #9958293
11. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 16 December 2019), memorial page for Sir Alec Guinness (2 Apr 1914–5 Aug 2000), Find A Grave: Memorial #11784, citing Petersfield Cemetery, Petersfield, East Hampshire District, Hampshire, England ; Maintained by Find A Grave .
12. ↑ 1921 Census: "1921 Census Of England & Wales"
    Archive: The National Archives; Series: RG 15; Piece number: 04679; Page: 3; District reference: RD 70 RS 1 ED 9
    FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 8 May 2023)
    Alec Stiven (7) boarder in Normandale, Collington Avenue, Bexhill in Battle registration district in Sussex, England. Born in Scotland.

• Alec Guinness on Wikipedia

• Alec Guinness on Ethnicelebs

• "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24RY-VXG : accessed 27 December 2015), Alec Guinness, 1950; citing Immigration, New York City, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVMF-VXPW : accessed 27 December 2015), Alec Guinness, 1953; citing Immigration, New York, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania) 7 August 2000, obit for SIR ALEC GUINNESS, GenealogyBank.com (https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/obituaries/obit/0FC00B9F4F121DA4 : accessed 16 December 2019)

• Herald-Sun, The (Durham, North Carolina) 7 August 2000, obit for Sir Alec Guinness, actor, dies at 86, GenealogyBank.com (https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/obituaries/obit/1028A21EDDDF7138 : accessed 16 December 2019)

• News & Observer, The () , obit for Sir Alec Guinness, beloved Obi-Wan, dies, GenealogyBank.com (https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/obituaries/obit/1028935654F2E403 : accessed 16 December 2019)

• Ancestry.com. 1939 England and Wales Register [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2018. The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1939 Register; Reference: RG 101/1938I Ancestry Record 61596 #269967

• This WikiTree profile is referenced from Wikidata: Item Q103894, en:Wikipedia