Eglantine Wallace
Encyclopedia
Eglantine Wallace, Lady Wallace (died 1803), was an author.
She was the youngest daughter of Sir William Maxwell, 3rd Baronet, of Monreith
, Wigtownshire
, and sister of Jane Gordon, Duchess of Gordon
. A boisterous hoyden in her youth, and a woman of violent temper in her maturer years, she was married on 4 September 1770 to Thomas Dunlop
, son of John Dunlop of Dunlop, by Frances Anna, daughter and heiress of Sir Thomas Wallace
(1702–1770) of Craigie
, fifth and last baronet. On his grandfather's death Dunlop, inheriting Craigie, took the name of Wallace and assumed the style of a baronet; but the property was deeply indebted, and in 1783 he was obliged to sell all that remained of Craigie. It would seem to have been shortly after this that his wife obtained a legal separation, on the ground, it is said, of her husband's cruelty. It is probable that the quarrel was due to pecuniary embarrassment.
A little later Lady Wallace was herself summoned for assaulting a woman—apparently a humble companion—and was directed by the magistrate to compound the matter. Leaving Edinburgh
, she seems to have settled in London
, but upon her play ‘The Whim’ being prohibited the stage by the licenser, she left England in disgust. In October 1789 she was arrested at Paris
as an English agent, and narrowly escaped with her life. In 1792 she was in Brussels
. There she contracted a friendship with General Charles François Dumouriez
, whom in 1793 she entertained in London, where she seems to have been well received in society. She died at Munich on 28 March 1803, leaving two sons, the elder of whom was General [Sir] John Alexander Dunlop Agnew Wallace.
She was author of 1. ‘Letter to a Friend, with a Poem called the Ghost of Werter,’ 1787, 4to. 2. ‘Diamond cut Diamond, a Comedy’ [from the French], 1787, 8vo. 3. ‘The Ton, a Comedy,’ 8vo, 1788; it was produced at Covent Garden on 8 April 1788 with a good cast, but, says Genest
, was ‘very dull’ and a dead failure. 4. ‘The Conduct of the King of Prussia and General Dumouriez,’ 1793, 8vo; this was followed by a separately issued ‘Supplement.’ 5. ‘Cortes
, a Tragedy’ (?). 6. ‘The Whim, a Comedy,’ 1795, 8vo. 7. ‘An Address to the People on Peace and Reform,’ 1798, 8vo.
She was the youngest daughter of Sir William Maxwell, 3rd Baronet, of Monreith
Monreith
Monreith is a small seaside town located in the Machars, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland....
, Wigtownshire
Wigtownshire
Wigtownshire or the County of Wigtown is a registration county in the Southern Uplands of south west Scotland. Until 1975, the county was one of the administrative counties used for local government purposes, and is now administered as part of the council area of Dumfries and Galloway...
, and sister of Jane Gordon, Duchess of Gordon
Jane Gordon, Duchess of Gordon
Jane Gordon, Duchess of Gordon was a significant Scottish Tory political hostess.-Life:The wife of Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon, she was second daughter of Sir William Maxwell, third baronet of Monreith, Wigtownshire, by his wife Magdalen Blair of Blair. She was born in Hyndford's Close,...
. A boisterous hoyden in her youth, and a woman of violent temper in her maturer years, she was married on 4 September 1770 to Thomas Dunlop
Thomas Dunlop
Thomas Dunlop may refer to:*Sir Thomas Dunlop, 1st Baronet *Thomas Dunlop , Scottish footballer of the 1890s*Thomas Dunlop Galbraith, 1st Baron Strathclyde,Scottish politician*Sir Thomas Dunlop, 2nd Baronet...
, son of John Dunlop of Dunlop, by Frances Anna, daughter and heiress of Sir Thomas Wallace
Thomas Wallace
Thomas Wallace may refer to:* Thomas Wallace, 1st Baron Wallace , British politician, President of the Board of Control and Vice President of the Board of Trade* Thomas W...
(1702–1770) of Craigie
Craigie
-Places:Australia*Craigie, Western Australia, a suburb of PerthScotland*Craigie, Ayrshire, a small village in East Ayrshire,*Craigie Castle, Ayrshire*Scottish feudal Barony of Craigie, a feudal barony in Dundee-People:...
, fifth and last baronet. On his grandfather's death Dunlop, inheriting Craigie, took the name of Wallace and assumed the style of a baronet; but the property was deeply indebted, and in 1783 he was obliged to sell all that remained of Craigie. It would seem to have been shortly after this that his wife obtained a legal separation, on the ground, it is said, of her husband's cruelty. It is probable that the quarrel was due to pecuniary embarrassment.
A little later Lady Wallace was herself summoned for assaulting a woman—apparently a humble companion—and was directed by the magistrate to compound the matter. Leaving Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, she seems to have settled in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, but upon her play ‘The Whim’ being prohibited the stage by the licenser, she left England in disgust. In October 1789 she was arrested at Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
as an English agent, and narrowly escaped with her life. In 1792 she was in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. There she contracted a friendship with General Charles François Dumouriez
Charles François Dumouriez
Charles-François du Périer Dumouriez was a French general during the French Revolutionary Wars. He shared the victory at Valmy with General François Christophe Kellermann, but later deserted the Revolutionary Army and became a royalist intriguer during the reign of Napoleon.-Early life:Dumouriez...
, whom in 1793 she entertained in London, where she seems to have been well received in society. She died at Munich on 28 March 1803, leaving two sons, the elder of whom was General [Sir] John Alexander Dunlop Agnew Wallace.
She was author of 1. ‘Letter to a Friend, with a Poem called the Ghost of Werter,’ 1787, 4to. 2. ‘Diamond cut Diamond, a Comedy’ [from the French], 1787, 8vo. 3. ‘The Ton, a Comedy,’ 8vo, 1788; it was produced at Covent Garden on 8 April 1788 with a good cast, but, says Genest
Genest
Genest may refer to:*Charles-Borromée Genest , Canadian politician*Claude Genest, Canadian journalist, actor, and television host*Émile Genest , Canadian actor*Jacques Genest , Canadian physician and scientist...
, was ‘very dull’ and a dead failure. 4. ‘The Conduct of the King of Prussia and General Dumouriez,’ 1793, 8vo; this was followed by a separately issued ‘Supplement.’ 5. ‘Cortes
Cortes
Cortes is surname of Spanish and Portuguese origin. Cortes or Cortés may also refer to:-Institutions:* The Cortes , the national legislative assembly of Spain...
, a Tragedy’ (?). 6. ‘The Whim, a Comedy,’ 1795, 8vo. 7. ‘An Address to the People on Peace and Reform,’ 1798, 8vo.