Wallace family grave in Tetbury Hill cemetery

Whilst researching graves of Malmesbury residents as part of the Tetbury Hill Cemetery project the grave of the Wallace family caught the eye. This is the resting place of William Wallace born 03/07/1860 died 16/12/1940 and his wife Ottilie Helen Wallace born 02/08/1875 died 16/10/1947. 

They are both Scottish. William’s father was a doctor in Greenock and Ottilie’s father was Lord Maclaren, Lord Advocate of Scotland.

William was born in 1860, attended Fettes College in Edinburgh and graduated in Medicine from Glasgow University in 1888. He studied ophthalmology, his specialty. However, his heart wasn’t in medicine, and he increasingly concentrated on music. He was also a poet, dramatist, composer, and a painter.

In 1889 he enrolled in the Royal Academy in London to study music with Alexander MacKenzie and Frederick Corder. However, after two terms his father withdrew funding. This was the only formal training that he had!

Wallace composition include 15 orchestral works, 7 choral and vocal pieces, a one act operatic work and 2 items of incidental music. His musical creative period was between 1886 and 1910. His symphonic poem inspired by his namesake the Sir William Wallace was first performed at a promenade concert in 1905 at the Queen’s Hall, London under the baton of Sir Henry Wood.

On a holiday in Switzerland in 1895 he met Ottilie Helen Maclaren. They fell in love but her father, Lord Maclaren who was the Lord Advocate of Scotland and an MP in Gladstone’ government, was disappointed with William’s financial situation and refused them permission to marry until William achieved an annual income of £600+. There followed a prolonged engagement and they eventually married in St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh on 11th April 1905. They then moved to London where Ottilie had a studio at Ladbroke Road, Kensington.

Ottilie was a sculptor who had rheumatic hands so found that manipulating cold damp clay helped her condition. Between 1897 and 1901 she studied and worked with Rodin in Paris. She helped organise his display in the Great Paris Exhibition of 1900. William and Ottilie’s romance was conducted in secret at this time and they were both prolific letter writers. These letters are deposited at the National Library of Scotland.

He had a great influence on the development of the Copyright Act of 1911 and ensured that the financial interests of musicians and artists were rewarded. The Act established UK Copyright Law.

During World War l William joined the RAMC as Captain and was responsible for ophthalmic services. He utilised his skills as an artist to record many of the optical cases that he came across. After the war these illustrations were donated to the RAMC museum, but it seems that they have sadly been lost. It is reported that he only took 3 weeks leave throughout the entire war. Ottilie at this time served in the WRNS. The National Registration of 1939 records William as Doctor of Medicine retired and Captain RAMC retired. Ottilie is recorded as Sculptor and Deputy Assistant Director WRNS retired.

After WW l William did not compose any further music. He did however paint and write several books including titles on Wagner and Liszt, the latter was a great influence on his life.

William served as Secretary of the Philharmonic Society and was instrumental in it attaining its Royal Charter to become the Royal Philharmonic Society. He was Professor of Music at the Royal Academy of Music and Dean of the Faculty of Music at London University.

Most of Ottilie’a work is in private hands. Her work was exhibited regularly at the Royal Scottish Academy and the Royal Academy in the 1920’s and 30’s. She designed her father’s headstone and that of her and William’s grave in Malmesbury. She also designed the Pocahontas Memorial in St Mary’s Heacham, and several war memorials around the country.

William and Ottilie lived at Ladbroke Road, Kensington. It seems they bought Westport House in Malmesbury as a home for their retirement. William died at Westport House on 16th December 1940 of bronchitis and the effects of Parkinson’s disease. It is rumoured that Ottilie designed the headstone that we see in Malmesbury Cemetery.

Ottilie was involved in the management of the YMCA canteens in Wiltshire during WW ll.

She died at her sister’s home Edgerston House, Jedburgh on 16th October 1947 and was buried with William in Malmesbury.