David WALLACE

[Anne Wilson]

A quick bit of background info first........David WALLACE was born C1835 in Arbroath to Robert & Mary nee MATHER. He married my ggreat aunt, Mary LYNCH, in December 1856 & they had a child, Helen, in 1858 in Dundee. After that they dissappear (as a couple). Helen is then raised by her maternal grandparents until 1865 when she comes out to Australia with Mary's two sisters, one of whom is my ggreat grandmother. I've always suspected David deserted Mary & Helen for whatever reason...have never been able to find a death in Scotland for him BUT have turned up some interesting newspaper articles on him and this is where I need some help please.
In August 1855 he committed burglary with a James Falconer (the witness on his later marriage certificate!) and was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment. This was noted in the Dundee Courier report on 5th December 1855 regarding Emily Currie/Mitchell being charged with the same offence but can find no separate record re the original charging of David & James. Where would he have served the sentence?
In July of 1858, in the Hull Packet & East Riding Times he is noted as being apprehended for a rape committed (not a nice person!) in Arbroath and handed over to a constable for return to same, but once again can find no Dundee Courier report about this incident or subsequent sentencing. I'd have thought this would have been reported at the time?? Can anyone find any further reports/records on this?
Now's the tricky bit........a David WALLACE & David SUTTIE were tried in Perth for robbery with violence in 1862 and sentenced to 6 years penal servitude (in Australia). They were both Gunners in the Fifeshire Militia at the time of sentencing. In trying to connect this David to the other two (which would fit with why I can't find further records for "my" David Wallace in Scotland), I was wondering if it was customary for prisoners to be forced to join the militia as part of their sentence or even after time served??
Sorry to be so long winded but can anyone help me put this jigsaw together please?
Annie

[ev]

hi Annie 

looking at the records at the national archives of scotland david wallace age is
given as 24 in 1862 so perhaps too young to be your david 
also david suttie is noted as having a previous conviction but david wallace is
not(although the title would lead you to believe they both had previous)
reading the records i would think the two davids were already serving in the
fifeshire militia artillery as gunners when they commited their crime

ev

[Anne Wilson]

Hi Ev
Thanks for taking the time to consider my quandary 
I'm not too fussed about the age difference for David cos people in those days weren't always accurate in reporting their ages correctly.
What I was thinking though was that after he was convicted for the rape in 1858, maybe he was forced to join the militia as part of or after serving his time & that would account for him being in it when he was convicted in 1862. That's why I was hoping someone might have been able to find something more in the newspapers about the rape trial & conviction.
Cheers
Annie