Herbert Wace

Wace was born in 1851, the youngest son of Rev. Richard Henry Wace of Wadhurst, Sussex. He was educated at Westminster School.{{Cite news |date=7 June 1906 |title=The Late Hon'ble Herbert Wace |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/singfreepressb19060607-1.2.20 |work=The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser |pages=3}}{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/whowaswhovol11890001unse/mode/2up |title=Who was who. Vol. 1, 1897-1915 |date=2008 |publisher=London : A. & C. Black |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-7136-2670-4 |pages=540}}{{Cite news |date=30 May 1906 |title=Obituary |work=The Times |pages=10}}{{acad|id=W822RH|title=Wace, Richard Henry}}

Wace entered the Ceylon civil service as a writer in 1873. He then served in a variety of posts including Assistant Collector of Customs (1876); Assistant Government Agent successively in: Kalutara (1879); Ratnapura (1885); Matara (1886), and Nuwara Eliya (1887). In 1889, he served as assistant to the Colonial Secretary, and in the following year was Commissioner of Requests at Colombo.{{Cite book |last=Lewis |first=John Penry |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/List_of_inscriptions_on_tombstones_and_m/lWHHDwAAQBAJ |title=List of inscriptions on tombstones and monuments in Ceylon, of historical or local interest, with an obituary of persons uncommemorated |date=1913-01-01 |publisher=Dalcassian Publishing Company |pages=330 |language=en}}{{Cite book |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Ceylon/c-42AQAAMAAJ |title=The Colonial Office List |date=1903 |publisher=H.M. Stationery Office |language=en}}

From 1890, Wace served in the substantive post of Government Agent, successively in: North Western Province (1890); Sabaragamuwa Province (1891); Southern Province (1897), and Central Province from 1900 until his death in 1906.

Wace was sympathetic to the Sinhalese villagers, and took an interest in the Gam Sabhas or village councils; in education; in irrigation, and in the efficiency of the village headmen and police under his charge. In reporting on the Sabaragamuwa district in 1885, he remarked on "the spirit of enterprise so marked in the character of the low country Sinhalese villager so painfully conspicuous by its absence in the Kandyans".{{Cite book |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Ceylon_Journal_of_Historical_and_Social/2AZDAAAAYAAJ |title=Ceylon Journal of Historical and Social Studies |date=1975 |publisher=Ceylon Historical and Social Studies Publications Board. |pages=53 |language=en}}

He also served, on occasion as Acting Colonial Secretary,{{Cite book |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Ceylon/c-42AQAAMAAJ |title=Ceylon |date=1903 |publisher=H.M. Stationery Office |pages=63 |language=en}} and was a member of both the Executive and Legislative Council of Ceylon.

Wace married Mabel Blyth. His son Sidney Wace was a British army officer. His brother, Henry Wace, was the Dean of Canterbury.

Wace died of dysentery in Ceylon on 28 May 1906, and was buried in St Paul's Church, Kandy.

Wace was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1903 Birthday Honours.{{Cite news |date=9 November 1903 |title=Birthday Honours |work=The Times |pages=10}}

Wace Park in Kandy, built while he was Mayor of Kandy, is named after him.{{Cite web |title=Only lovers bloom in this historic park |url=https://www.sundaytimes.lk/990620/plus14.html |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=www.sundaytimes.lk}}

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Category:1851 births

Category:1906 deaths

Category:People educated at Westminster School, London

Category:British expatriates in British Ceylon

Category:Colonial Administrative Service officers

Category:Government Agents (Sri Lanka)

Category:Members of the Legislative Council of Ceylon

Category:Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George