Donald Mackenzie Wallace
Encyclopedia
Sir Donald Mackenzie Wallace KCIE
, KCVO
(11 November 1841 – 10 January 1919) was a British
public servant, editor and foreign correspondent of The Times
(London).
, Dunbartonshire
, and Sarah Mackenzie. Both his parents died before Donald turned ten. By the age of fifteen, Wallace immersed himself in his studies. He spent all his time before the age of twenty-eight in continuous study at various universities such as Edinburgh
and Glasgow
, focusing his study on metaphysics and ethics. He spent the remaining years at the École de Droit
, Paris, and applied himself to Roman law at the universities of Berlin
and Heidelberg, graduating with a doctorate in law from Heidelberg in 1867.
, having a strong desire to study the Ossetes, a tribe of Iranian
descent in the Caucasus
. Living in Russia from early 1870 until late 1875, Wallace found the Russian civilization far more interesting than his original Ossetes. Wallace returned to England in 1876 and published two volumes in his work Russia
by 1877, right before the outbreak of the Russo-Turkish War. His book had great success, going through several editions and being translated into many languages.
, Wallace was appointed as foreign correspondent of The Times. His first post was St. Petersburg in 1877-78; he was then sent to the Congress of Berlin
in June and July of 1878. There he assisted Henri de Blowitz, the famous Paris correspondent of The Times, and carried the text of the treaty from Berlin to Brussels sewn into the lining of his greatcoat. From 1878-1884 he was in Constantinople; while there, he investigated the Balkan peoples and their problems and ended up going on a special mission to Egypt
. The outcome of Wallace's mission to Egypt became another successful book, Egypt and the Egyptian Question (1883). After traveling through the Middle East, Wallace was selected as the political officer of Tsar Nicholas II in his Indian tour of 1890-91, for which he later received 1st class Russian Order of St. Stanislas. He served as Private Secretary to Lords Dufferin
and Lansdowne
, in India.
, but in 1902 he was taken from his Britannica duties by the Prince of Wales
, George V of the United Kingdom
, who commanded Wallace's attendance for a world tour. He was attached to Emperor of Russia during his visit to England, 1909, then was Extra Groom-in-Waiting to Emperor Edward VII, 1909-10, and to Emperor George V from 1910. He was knighted, KCIE, for his services to India in 1888, and subsequently knighted for his services to the Crown, KCVO in 1901. He never married and died at Lymington
, Hampshire
, on 10 January 1919.
Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
, KCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(11 November 1841 – 10 January 1919) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
public servant, editor and foreign correspondent of The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
(London).
Early life
Donald Mackenzie Wallace was born to Robert Wallace of BogheadBoghead
Boghead is a small village in South Lanarkshire, west central Scotland. It is about southeast of Glasgow and sits nearby to the Avon Water. Boghead is a residential area, with working residents commuting to nearby villages and large towns of Lesmahagow, Strathaven and Lanark. It is composed of...
, Dunbartonshire
Dunbartonshire
Dunbartonshire or the County of Dumbarton is a lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Until 1975 it was a county used as a primary unit of local government with its county town and administrative centre at the town...
, and Sarah Mackenzie. Both his parents died before Donald turned ten. By the age of fifteen, Wallace immersed himself in his studies. He spent all his time before the age of twenty-eight in continuous study at various universities such as Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
and Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
, focusing his study on metaphysics and ethics. He spent the remaining years at the École de Droit
Paris Law Faculty
The Paris Law Faculty was one of the four faculties of the old University of Paris.After the creation of chairs in civil law in the 9th century, the Paris Law Faculty was called the Faculté de décret or Consultissima decretorum...
, Paris, and applied himself to Roman law at the universities of Berlin
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
and Heidelberg, graduating with a doctorate in law from Heidelberg in 1867.
Travels to Russia
Wallace accepted a private invitation to visit RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, having a strong desire to study the Ossetes, a tribe of Iranian
Iranian peoples
The Iranian peoples are an Indo-European ethnic-linguistic group, consisting of the speakers of Iranian languages, a major branch of the Indo-European language family, as such forming a branch of Indo-European-speaking peoples...
descent in the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
. Living in Russia from early 1870 until late 1875, Wallace found the Russian civilization far more interesting than his original Ossetes. Wallace returned to England in 1876 and published two volumes in his work Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
by 1877, right before the outbreak of the Russo-Turkish War. His book had great success, going through several editions and being translated into many languages.
Foreign correspondent
Due to the success of his work in RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Wallace was appointed as foreign correspondent of The Times. His first post was St. Petersburg in 1877-78; he was then sent to the Congress of Berlin
Congress of Berlin
The Congress of Berlin was a meeting of the European Great Powers' and the Ottoman Empire's leading statesmen in Berlin in 1878. In the wake of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78, the meeting's aim was to reorganize the countries of the Balkans...
in June and July of 1878. There he assisted Henri de Blowitz, the famous Paris correspondent of The Times, and carried the text of the treaty from Berlin to Brussels sewn into the lining of his greatcoat. From 1878-1884 he was in Constantinople; while there, he investigated the Balkan peoples and their problems and ended up going on a special mission to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. The outcome of Wallace's mission to Egypt became another successful book, Egypt and the Egyptian Question (1883). After traveling through the Middle East, Wallace was selected as the political officer of Tsar Nicholas II in his Indian tour of 1890-91, for which he later received 1st class Russian Order of St. Stanislas. He served as Private Secretary to Lords Dufferin
Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava
Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava, KP, GCB, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, PC was a British public servant and prominent member of Victorian society...
and Lansdowne
Henry Petty-FitzMaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne
Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne, KG, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, PC was a British politician and Irish peer who served successively as the fifth Governor General of Canada, Viceroy of India, Secretary of State for War, and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs...
, in India.
Later life
In his last years Wallace reverted to his youthful self and devoted himself to study again. He didn't publish anything after his last book, The Web of Empire, in 1902. He contributed briefly to the editing of the 10th edition of the Encyclopædia BritannicaEncyclopædia Britannica
The Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...
, but in 1902 he was taken from his Britannica duties by the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
, George V of the United Kingdom
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, who commanded Wallace's attendance for a world tour. He was attached to Emperor of Russia during his visit to England, 1909, then was Extra Groom-in-Waiting to Emperor Edward VII, 1909-10, and to Emperor George V from 1910. He was knighted, KCIE, for his services to India in 1888, and subsequently knighted for his services to the Crown, KCVO in 1901. He never married and died at Lymington
Lymington
Lymington is a port on the west bank of the Lymington River on the Solent, in the New Forest district of Hampshire, England. It is to the east of the South East Dorset conurbation, and faces Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight which is connected to it by a car ferry, operated by Wightlink. The town...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, on 10 January 1919.
Sources
- G. E. Buckle, ‘Wallace, Sir Donald Mackenzie (1841–1919)’, rev. H. C. G. Matthew, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 28 Oct 2007