Papers relating to Sir Richard Wallace (1818-1890)

Richard Wallace (1818-1890) was born Richard Jackson, little is known of his life until he was taken in by the 3rd Marchioness when he was six years old. His presumed mother was Agnes Jackson and in 1842 he adopted the surname Wallace which is believed to have been her maiden name. The 4th Marquess never acknowledged Wallace as his son, in 1870 Wallace inherited the 4th Marquess' art collection, the properties rue Laffitte and chateau de Bagatelle in Paris and estates in Ireland. On his inheritance he bought the lease of Hertford House from the 5th Marquess of Hertford. Following Wallace's charitable actions during the siege of Paris and the Commune he was made a baronet in 1871, the same year he married Julie Castelnau, the mother of his son Edmond (c. 1841-1887). In 1872 he moved to London bringing with him many of his finest works of art from Paris, while he converted Hertford House to accommodate his collection much of the collection was displayed at the Bethnal Green Museum where it was visited by thousands of people. Wallace embraced the responsibilities his wealth bought him, particularly in Ireland, however the circumstances of his birth and the refusal of his wife and son to become anglicized meant he was never fully accepted in British society. After the death of his son in 1887 he returned alone to Bagatelle where he died three years later. In general Wallace's taste was similar to the 4th Marquess' however he was responsible for collecting the medieval and Renaissance works of art found in the Collection. In 1871 he purchased the collections of European arms and armour and medieval and Renaissance decorative arts formed by the comte de Nieuwerkerke, the same year he bought a selection of European arms and armour previously owned by Samuel Rush Meyrick

The papers have been arranged in the following series: HWF/RW/1 Personal Papers HWF/RW/2 Documents related to the collection HWF/RW/3 Correspondence HWF/RW/4 Property

The material can be accessed by appointment in the Visitors' Library in the Wallace Collection. The Visitors' Library is open Tuesday-Friday, 10am-5pm. Please contact the Library for more information.