Elizabeth M De Villiers, wife of the Illusionist, 1863-1928

ELIZABETH M. DE VILLIERS
NEE OTTOWAY

WIFE OF THE ILLUSIONIST, 
De Villiers

BORN AT HASTINGS ENG
22ND APRIL 1863
DIED AT LUCKNOW
29TH MAY 1928

Cause of death for burial
register - heat stroke

(Pic taken May 27th 2013
Nishatganj Cemetery, Lucknow)

The Illusionist  intrigued me so I searched the net and discovered this picture of 
De Villiers and an article. I will be disappointed if my assumption is wrong! It would be interesting to know how his wife happened to be in Lucknow in 1928. Did her husband also come to Lucknow in the course of his work?

Is this the same De Villiers

Francois DeVilliers

Francois DeVilliers
Born	circa 1854
Died	1929 Malta

Francois DeVilliers (1854? - 1929), born in Malta to French parents, was an illusionist well known on the lyceum and vaudeville stage in the United States as "The Great Villiers".
He traveled with a French circus as a youth, later going to India as a British soldier. In Spain , he fought under Don Carlos and was captured by Government forces. He was tried as a rebel and condemned to be shot, but British Ambassador intervened on his behalf be caused the sentence to be changed to banishment.
In 1883, he went to the United States and eventually became a citizen and made his home in New York City. There were numerous mentions of his performances in Mahatma. He was also a charter member of the Society of American Magicians.
Soon afterward in 1903, he toured South Africa, Italy and Australia. He eventually settled down to retire in India by 1928.
In 1929, it was reported by Eddie Joseph in the Linking Ring that DeVilliers was found dead in a room filled with coal-gas. He left a letter in which he said he was down and out, having lost a lot of money in bank crash.