Mays Family Tree - Person Sheet
Birth Date15 Sep 1890
Birth PlaceTorquay, Devon, ENGLAND
Death Date12 Jan 1976 Age: 85
Death PlaceWallingford, Oxfordshire, ENGLAND
Death Memoat her Winterbrook house
Burial PlaceSaint Mary’s Chuchyard, Cholsey, ENGLAND
OccupationAuthor/Playright
Cause of DeathNatural Causes
FatherFrederick Alvah MILLER (1846-1901)
MotherClarissa Margaret BOEHMER (-1926)
Misc. Notes
English writer Agatha Christie is the best-selling writer of books of all time. Only the Bible has sold more than her roughly four billion copies of novels.
The best known crime-fiction writer in the world Christie wrote eighty detective novels including the famous mysteries Death on the Nile, The Mousetrap, and Murder on the Orient Express.
Christie's stage play The Mousetrap holds the record for the longest initial run: it opened at the Ambassadors Theater in London on 25 November 1952 and as of 2011 is still running after more than 23,000 performances
Despite her father's nationality as an American Agatha never claimed United States citizenship.
____________
Christie had set up a limited company to hold the rights to her works, and had sold the majority. She kept a minority share which allowed her right of veto to any treatment or new publication of her work. Upon Agatha Christie's death in 1976, [Christie’s daughter Rosalind] Hicks inherited this right of veto, and took the role of protector of the integrity of these works.5323
The best known crime-fiction writer in the world Christie wrote eighty detective novels including the famous mysteries Death on the Nile, The Mousetrap, and Murder on the Orient Express.
Christie's stage play The Mousetrap holds the record for the longest initial run: it opened at the Ambassadors Theater in London on 25 November 1952 and as of 2011 is still running after more than 23,000 performances
Despite her father's nationality as an American Agatha never claimed United States citizenship.
____________
Christie had set up a limited company to hold the rights to her works, and had sold the majority. She kept a minority share which allowed her right of veto to any treatment or new publication of her work. Upon Agatha Christie's death in 1976, [Christie’s daughter Rosalind] Hicks inherited this right of veto, and took the role of protector of the integrity of these works.5323
Spouses
Misc. Notes
The dashing young Officer, Royal Field Artillery, later flying ace, war hero, Royal Flying Corps. Meeting Miss Agatha Miller, Oct. 1912, at a grand ball, he quickly added her to his other life-long loves: motorcyles, aeroplanes, and golf. On Dec. 24, 1914, at the Parish Church of the Emmanuel, Clifton, Bristol, they were wed, the day before he was sent to the Front. On Armistice Day, Nov. 11, 1918, WW1 ended, after which he accepted a position with the Ministry of Aviation, London.5325
Misc. Notes
Despite a turbulent courtship, on Christmas Eve 1914 Agatha married Archibald Christie. They divorced two years after Christie discovered her husband was having an affair.5327
____________
Colonel Archibald Christie was a handsome and quite dashing officer in the Royal Flying Corps when he met Agatha. They met at a dance for the young men of the army stationed in Exeter. They danced several times and had a great evening. Agatha described Archie as "a tall, fair young man, with crisp curly hair, a rather interesting nose, turned up not down, and a great deal of careless confidence about him." For the next few weeks, Archie made "frequent and unexpected appearances." They were married Christmas Eve of 1914 [the same year World War One began]; however, soon after that he was in France while Agatha stayed at their home in Torquay doing volunteer work with the Volunteer Aid Detachment. There she worked in the hospital dispensary, and it was there she learned all about poisons and chemicals. Her first book did fine (2,000 copies sold) but she didn't collect any royalties. Archie suggested that she try a second book, The Secret Adversary, something that ended up being a moderate success. Things were going well for the Christies after that. Archie was working at a London business firm and Agatha's writing began to really take off.
They had one daughter, Rosalind, who was born in 1919. Agatha said that her husband was "mad about Rosalind." It seemed that Archie and Rosalind understood each other better than she did with Rosalind. Agatha described herself at this period of time as "happily married." In 1924, Archie was asked by a Major Belcher (director of the British Empire Mission) to travel around the world as Belcher's business manager. Agatha was invited to come and they travelled for 10 months to areas such as Canada, Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa. Agatha recounted this tour as "one of the most exciting things that ever happened to me." In 1925, the Christies bought their first home (named by them as "Styles House", named after the home featured in her first novel). It was really exciting because it was priced below market value and was near a golf course. Golfing was a favorite between the two and played it often (Agatha said she even won a competition once). Golfing was a must on the weekends for Archie and Agatha once said this about that obesseion: "he was taking the game so seriously now that it might have been a religion."
Their relationship was beginning to be strained--some part had to be blamed on the game of golf. Agatha began to be troubled by Archie's love for golf, so much so that Agatha felt he was more interested in golf than he was in his own family. She had to get away for a little, so she went to Corsica without him. When she returned, she received news that her mother Clara was gravely ill with bronchitis. She passed away shortly after but Archie didn't want anything to do with it. Agatha described him as someone who hated "illness, death, and trouble." His solution for Clara's passing was for everyone to go to Spain. Agatha refused to leave and Archie stayed in London.
More than a month later, he announced that he was in love with another woman, and demanded a quick divorce. The woman was Nancy Neele, the former secretary of Major Belcher. After a small separation, he returned to Agatha and Rosalind for reconciliation. This was utter failure and Agatha described it as "a mistake". Archie announced in December of 1926 that he decided to finally leave Agatha and marry Miss Neele. Archie packed his bags and left for a friend's house, where Miss Neele was waiting for an engagement party.
That same day, December 4 (many sources say the 3rd or even the 8th), was when Agatha totally broke down and disappeared.* Christie said this about the entire episode and about Archie: "So, after illness, came sorrow, despair, and heartbreak. There is no need to dwell on it. I stood out for a year, hoping he would change. But he did not. So ended my first married life." Agatha and Archie were divorced in April of 1928. Archie did marry Nancy Neele at St. George's Church in Hanover Square (London), and remained married until she died in 1959. Archie Christie died in 1962.5328
*Her eleven day disappearance has haunted the legend of the great writer ever since. Christie never spoke about those missing 11 days of her life and over the years there has been much speculation about what happened between 3rd and 14th December 1926.
____________
Colonel Archibald Christie was a handsome and quite dashing officer in the Royal Flying Corps when he met Agatha. They met at a dance for the young men of the army stationed in Exeter. They danced several times and had a great evening. Agatha described Archie as "a tall, fair young man, with crisp curly hair, a rather interesting nose, turned up not down, and a great deal of careless confidence about him." For the next few weeks, Archie made "frequent and unexpected appearances." They were married Christmas Eve of 1914 [the same year World War One began]; however, soon after that he was in France while Agatha stayed at their home in Torquay doing volunteer work with the Volunteer Aid Detachment. There she worked in the hospital dispensary, and it was there she learned all about poisons and chemicals. Her first book did fine (2,000 copies sold) but she didn't collect any royalties. Archie suggested that she try a second book, The Secret Adversary, something that ended up being a moderate success. Things were going well for the Christies after that. Archie was working at a London business firm and Agatha's writing began to really take off.
They had one daughter, Rosalind, who was born in 1919. Agatha said that her husband was "mad about Rosalind." It seemed that Archie and Rosalind understood each other better than she did with Rosalind. Agatha described herself at this period of time as "happily married." In 1924, Archie was asked by a Major Belcher (director of the British Empire Mission) to travel around the world as Belcher's business manager. Agatha was invited to come and they travelled for 10 months to areas such as Canada, Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa. Agatha recounted this tour as "one of the most exciting things that ever happened to me." In 1925, the Christies bought their first home (named by them as "Styles House", named after the home featured in her first novel). It was really exciting because it was priced below market value and was near a golf course. Golfing was a favorite between the two and played it often (Agatha said she even won a competition once). Golfing was a must on the weekends for Archie and Agatha once said this about that obesseion: "he was taking the game so seriously now that it might have been a religion."
Their relationship was beginning to be strained--some part had to be blamed on the game of golf. Agatha began to be troubled by Archie's love for golf, so much so that Agatha felt he was more interested in golf than he was in his own family. She had to get away for a little, so she went to Corsica without him. When she returned, she received news that her mother Clara was gravely ill with bronchitis. She passed away shortly after but Archie didn't want anything to do with it. Agatha described him as someone who hated "illness, death, and trouble." His solution for Clara's passing was for everyone to go to Spain. Agatha refused to leave and Archie stayed in London.
More than a month later, he announced that he was in love with another woman, and demanded a quick divorce. The woman was Nancy Neele, the former secretary of Major Belcher. After a small separation, he returned to Agatha and Rosalind for reconciliation. This was utter failure and Agatha described it as "a mistake". Archie announced in December of 1926 that he decided to finally leave Agatha and marry Miss Neele. Archie packed his bags and left for a friend's house, where Miss Neele was waiting for an engagement party.
That same day, December 4 (many sources say the 3rd or even the 8th), was when Agatha totally broke down and disappeared.* Christie said this about the entire episode and about Archie: "So, after illness, came sorrow, despair, and heartbreak. There is no need to dwell on it. I stood out for a year, hoping he would change. But he did not. So ended my first married life." Agatha and Archie were divorced in April of 1928. Archie did marry Nancy Neele at St. George's Church in Hanover Square (London), and remained married until she died in 1959. Archie Christie died in 1962.5328
*Her eleven day disappearance has haunted the legend of the great writer ever since. Christie never spoke about those missing 11 days of her life and over the years there has been much speculation about what happened between 3rd and 14th December 1926.
ChildrenRosalind Margaret Clarissa (1919-2004)
Birth Date6 May 1904
Birth PlaceWandsworth, South London, ENGLAND
Death Date19 Aug 1978 Age: 74
Death PlaceWallingford, Oxfordshire, ENGLAND
EducationLancing College; New College, Oxford
OccupationArchaeologist specializing in Middle Eastern History
Misc. Notes
Max’ full name from his headstone.3
He was a thin, dark young man, and very quiet.
--Agatha Christie, An Autobiography
He was a thin, dark young man, and very quiet.
--Agatha Christie, An Autobiography
Misc. Notes
Edgar and Agatha were married after she joined him in an archaeological dig. Their marriage was especially happy in the early years and remained so until Christie's death.
In the 1971 New Year Honours Agatha was promoted Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire three years after her husband had been knighted for his archeological work in 1968. They were among the small number of married couples, each of whom held knightly honours in their own right.5331
Headstone Inscription
In Memoriam
Agatha Mary Alarissa
Mallowan
DBE
Agatha Christie Author & Playwright
Born 15th Sept 1890 - Died 12th Jan 1976
Sleepe after toyle, port after stormie seas
Ease after war, death after life, does greatly please
Also Her Husband
Max Edgar Luchien
Mallowan
Kt
Archeailogist & Orientalist
Membre de Institut de France
Born 6 May 1904 Died 19th August 1978
In the 1971 New Year Honours Agatha was promoted Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire three years after her husband had been knighted for his archeological work in 1968. They were among the small number of married couples, each of whom held knightly honours in their own right.5331
Headstone Inscription
In Memoriam
Agatha Mary Alarissa
Mallowan
DBE
Agatha Christie Author & Playwright
Born 15th Sept 1890 - Died 12th Jan 1976
Sleepe after toyle, port after stormie seas
Ease after war, death after life, does greatly please
Also Her Husband
Max Edgar Luchien
Mallowan
Kt
Archeailogist & Orientalist
Membre de Institut de France
Born 6 May 1904 Died 19th August 1978