Uniform ID and dating please.

[littlefishlock]

Hi Lones, your two cents worth is well appreciated.  Likeme. not that good at the searching bit, but I'm sure in time all will be revealed.

regards
Chrissi

[ShaunJ]

Did a search on 19th century newspapers for a Major Wallis in the 1800 to 1830's period and the only one mentioned is Major James Wallis of the 46th Regiment. He has a biog in the Australian Dictionary of Biography:

http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A020518b.htm

Some of the newspaper references:

Arrived in the Clyde from Calcutta ( Caledonian Mercury 22/3/1827)
Birth of twin sons, one stillborn, at York Place Clifton 12/6/1838 (various papers in Exeter, Bristol and Dublin)
Died 12/7/1858 aged 76, at Prestbury Green nr Cheltenham (Morning Chronicle 26/7/1858)
His wife Mary Ann died 15/4/1869 at Prestbury Green ( Bristol Mercury)

[littlefishlock]

Thanks ShaunJ.  I'm just going to work.  Will look when I get back!

[ev]

hi all

an artist as well ?

https://www.artnet.com/artist/638251/james-major-wallis.html

the dates match 1785 - 1858

ev

[ShaunJ]

Yes, an artist too - some more of his work here: http://www.printsandprintmaking.gov.au/catalogues/artist/1305/james-wallis.aspx?related=work

[liverpool annie]

Just to tag on here .... 

James WALLIS

Name WALLIS, James
Other Names WALLIS, Captain James
Culture Irish | Male
Context Australia

Birth Date 1785
Birth Place Cork, Ireland
Death Date 12 July 1858
Death Place Gloucestershire, England
Movements Australia 1814 (Wyndham) - 1819 (Bengal Merchant)

[lucyville]

Dear Littlefishlock
Your story about the old lady who gave you the box of material relating to the Surtees and Wallis families is fascinating. I have been doing some research on Major James Wallis (1785-1858) whose life and pictures have interested me greatly. I think I may have solved the riddle of how the portrait of the officer in the 46th Regiment came to be with the other items in the box. For a start, I do believe this is James Wallis, painted around 1812/3. In 1836 Wallis married Mary Ann Breach (c. 1798 -1869). They did not have children. His sister Ann (c. 1796 -?) married Alexander Taylor (Tayler) in 1817. Their daughter, also Ann (1822-1897) married Thomas Hilton (1813-1883). Their sixth child and third daughter, Dora (1849-1897) married John Baker White. Their eldest daughter Mary Baker White (1869- ?)  married William Villiers Surtees, and their sixth child and second daughter, Barbara (Doreen) Feliciana Surtees (1899-1989), who was unmarried, is your lady. I wonder if you still have the portrait (which does look like a later black and white photograph of an original (coloured) watercolour on ivory), and the other material?

[littlefishlock]

thank you Lucyville for linking these all together. Very impressive. I'm so pleased to have connected Major James Wallis to the family.

I have yet to find any members of the Surtees family except  an inlaws  married in line in America.

I do still have all of Barbara's treasure including the little portrait of James Wallis. I've had them over 20 years now. 

One day I intend to 'transcribe' all the diaries : )  Barbara suffered much hardship during her later years and often worried about paying the rent. I know she suffered a lot of physical pain and the doctor had told her she had cancer and was treating her for it.  Yet in a later diary the police  came and told her the doctor had in fact been taking her  prescribed medication and was stuck off I think. I could never work out whether she had cancer or not.  I know she suffered daily and  couldn't wait to be released from the pain. The sadest part was a diary dated about 10 years after the others, nothing in between, but she was still alive and still suffering. : (

She had so few possession at the end of her life, but the photo's were obviously something she treasured.  she must have had some stories to tell : )

Thank you for helping with this.

[walliscreek]

I seek permission to reproduce  the portrait thought to be Major Wallis, in a monograph I have prepared on the settlers of Wallis Plains (Maitland) NSW Australia. Can I contact the relevant person?