Charles William Wallace
(Charles) William Bill Wallace (1855–1916), oil industrialist
1855 born in Calcutta on 21 November, the elder son of Alexander Wallace, an East India merchant, and his wife, Helen, née Davidson.
Educated at Framlingham College, Suffolk
1874 joined a Calcutta mercantile firm and helped sort it out.
1886 refounded the business as Shaw, Wallace & Co.
1881 married Ellen Charlotte, daughter of Captain George Fulton of the Royal Engineers; they had two sons and three daughters.
Marketed kerosene in India for the Burmah Oil Co.
1892 returned to London
1902 Director of Burmah Oil; helped negotiate agreement with the Admiralty to supply fuel oil from Rangoon.
Guided the company to purchase some Persian oil concessions from William Knox D'Arcy
1909 Wallace became vice-chairman and managing director of a new firm, the Anglo-Persian Oil Co, set up after oil had been discovered in Persia.
1914 After several years of negotiation, the government was persuaded to buy a stake in Anglo-Persian
Officially proposed as chairman of Anglo-Persian but declined because of poor health
1916 died of kidney failure on 2 August 1916 at his London home.
See Also
Sources of Information
- Biography of Bill Wallace, ODNB