Introduction / Families / Wallace

William Peace Wallace and Ann Drever

William (Willie) Peace Wallace was born 26th November 1872, the illegitimate son of John Bryden Wallace of Gravesend, Eday and Mary Peace of Ferniebrae. He lived with his mother and grandparents at Ferniebrae until his mother married William Drummond, a widower from the Ness, Pharay. The Pharay school logs prior to 1893 no longer exist, so it is not known whether Willie attended the Pharay School for a few months before his 14th birthday.

On 14th October 1902 Willie married Ann (Annie) Drever, (born 25th April 1883) daughter of John Drever and Ann Hercus of Windywa, Pharay. They were married at St. Magnus Villa, Kirkwall, and the witnesses were the minister’s two daughters. At the time Annie was a servant living at the Ness. Willie and Annie had four children:

• Mary Ann Wallace, born 14th March 1903, Lakequoy, Pharay and died 4th February 1971, St. Peter’s House, Stromness.

• William Wallace, born 23rd June 1904

• John Drever Wallace, born 9th January 1906 at the Ness. It is not known what became of John.

• David Drever Wallace, born 21st October 1907 at the Ness. He farmed New Green, Holm where his mother’s family went from Pharay in 1928. He married and had family. He died 2nd May 1979, age seventy one and is buried in Holm.

Sadly, Annie died the day following the birth of her fourth child, only twenty four years old. She is buried in the Pharay kirkyard.

Although Willie was not born on Pharay, he became a Pharayman in every way. His children were raised at the Ness and he, his son Willie and his daughter remained there. He saw all the old families leave Pharay, including his Drever in-laws from Windywa in 1928, and finally the Harcuses from Doggerboat in 1943. All the other houses had been vacated by April 1947 and it was known that Willie did not want to leave his home of over 60 years. The SS Earl Sigurd came to remove him and his family and one of the crewmen on the boat was Jock Harcus who had grown up at Doggerboat and therefore knew Willie well. In the end Willie left without incident. The family went to Orphir.

Willie died 2nd May 1953, age eighty in the hospital in Kirkwall, although he had been living at Coldomo Cottage, Stenness. He is buried at St. Olafs, Kirkwall.