WCP613

[1]

83 Port Street

Stirling

8 Feby 1899

Sir,

Since I wrote¹ you ten days ago I have been making inquiries but I can find no family of the name of Wallace in Stirling in the last century except the one I mentioned to you, the Wallaces of Forthside. They were not originally a Stirling family and may have come from Ayrshire but I cannot tell at present.—

Mr. Andrew Wallace became a member of the Merchant Guild of Stirling (an ancient [2] corporation similar, on a small scale, to the great City Companies of London in 1748 and in the record of his entry he is described as "indweller in Earlsferry”. Earlsferry is a small town in Forfeshire—

Mr. Wallace must have come to Stirling soon after that time as in 1756 he was elected Dean of Guild— that is chairman or president of the incorporation.—

I paid a visit on Tuesday to the family burying ground but found it surrounded by an iron railing which prevented me getting at it remove new moss &c which rendered the inscription [3] for the most part unreadable[.] There are three large flat stones, one is that of Andrew Wallace himself but I could not get at the dates of birth and death.

The next stone was unreadable but I think it would [sic] that of Andrew Wallace’s wife or wives for I think he was twice married.—

The third stone is inscribed

In memory of Janet-Wallace Burd

relict of John Burd of Seafield and daughter of Andrew Wallace of Forthside.

Died 5 June 1864 in her 90th year.

[4] There is also an upright stone in the churchyard wall.

In memory of

Captain Andrew Wallace of his Majesty’s 56th foot

Died on Cawnpore. India. 1 July 1810.

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There is a lady in town (the sister of our Town Clerk) who possesses an unrivalled knowledge of all Stirling families. She has kindly furnished me with a list³ of Andrew Wallace’s family which I now enclose. On the death of Mrs. Burd in 1864 the property passed [5] to a Mrs. Wallace Milroy said to have been a cousin of Mrs. Burd’s but I have not been able yet to discover what was the precise relationship[.] Mrs. Milroy was succeeded by her son the Rev. Wallace Milroy and by him the property was sold to the War office for the erection of Army Stores.

The large and handsome Mansion house is now used partly as the residence of the officer in charge of the Ordnance Stores and partly as offices.

The Rev. Mr. Wallace Milroy was formerly Reader in the Temple — London, and is now I understand [6] Rector or Vicar of Carisbrook - Isle of Wight.

If you were to apply to him I have no doubt he would be able to supply fuller particulars regarding his family history and should you find that the Forthside Wallaces were really your relatives I shall be very glad to send you future details regarding them gathered from the local records.

I am | Sir | Yours very sincerely | W. L. Shirra³ [signature]

Alfred R. Wallace Esq.