William Winter Jefferson (1876-1946) was elected to The Lambs in 1896. He was the son of beloved Lamb Joseph Jefferson, and his second wife, Sarah Warren (1849-1921). He was born in London on April 25, 1876, while his father was on tour. His christening was held at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, known as Shakespeare’s Church. His father named him after his close friend, the critic-writer William Winter.
Shortly after that young William moved with his family to New York. His parents called him “Willie.” He initially studied in Germany to become a medical doctor. He attended local schools and took up acting. He also was a painter and played the cello masterfully.
Among his New York theater credits are The Belle of Bridgeport (1900) at the Bijou Theatre where Jefferson wrote additional music and lyrics; The Catch of the Season (1905) produced by Lamb Charles Frohman at Daly’s Theatre; The Senator Keeps House (1912) at the Garrick Theatre; and the musical Three Showers (1920).
Jefferson appeared in 34 films from 1913 to 1919. Jefferson starred in the 1913 film “The Rivals,” one of his father’s favorite plays, for which he earned positive reviews. He was one of the leads in the Keystone comedy Bright Lights (1916). In the 1916 comedy He Did and He Didn’t, Jefferson appeared opposite Fatty Arbuckle and Mabel Norman. Upon his father’s death in 1905, Jefferson and his brothers entertained guests at the family’s plantation in Louisiana.
He was married four times: to actress Elsie Leslie Lyde, to musical comedy singer Christie MacDonald until 1909, actress Vivian Martin, and in 1936 to Mary Meryl Swartz.
Jefferson retired from acting in 1928 and took up painting. He relocated to Hawaii with his brother, Frank. William Winter Jefferson died February 11, 1946, in Honolulu. He was 69 years old. His remains were cremated and interred in the family plot in Bay View Cemetery in Sandwich, Massachusetts.