|
William was born in 1822 and was a late member of a big family
living on a small farm with a limited income. He went to school
in Riccarton and experienced great problems with a bad chest such
that the school doctor pointed out that he had to get out of
Ayrshire and seek a warmer climate. At the age of 13 years, and
with five pounds in his pocket given to him by his father,
William gained a working passage on a ship heading south.
Eventually, William arrived in Madeira which he described as
heaven. At this time Madeira was not a holiday centre and there
were no entertainments or hotels or luxury apartments. He gained
a job in a bakery run by a German family and worked and saved the
10 years until at the age of 24 he decided to go into business on
his own as a wine merchant. Madeira wine was becoming very
popular in Europe and William built a very successful business.
 Despite his success,
William had always dreamt of building a beautiful hotel on the
Madeira cliff tops and when the Madeira wine trade fell on hard
times, he bought a villa on the island which he turned into a
holiday home for top-class aristocracy. This venture was a great
success and he bought more villas and became increasingly
wealthy. Eventually, William achieved his complete dream when he
built the Madeira Palace Hotel high on the cliff tops overlooking
the sea and built to the highest and finest standards for the
rich and famous. William died at 66 years old shortly before the
project was finished, but his hotel still flourishes and carries
his name.
|
