WILSON OF KESWICK

The parentages of Edward Wilson and Mary Allason who married in 1781 are uncertain. There was an Edward Wilson, son of Thomas Wilson, baptised in 1755 at Greystoke. However, the will of Thomas Wilson of Greystoke, written in 1786, mentions his son Edward Wilson and grandson Elwood Wilson.[1] Elwood Wilson, son of Edward and Peggy Wilson, was baptised at Greystoke in 1782. This appears to rule out the Edward baptised at Greystoke in 1755 being the Edward Wilson who married Mary Allason in 1781. There were other Wilsons in the Borrowdale area who may be relevant, for example Joseph Wilson and Isabel Tyson, both of Rosthwaite, who were married in 1752 at Crosthwaite. Another possibility is an Edward Wilson baptised at Eskdale in 1753, son of John Wilson of Randlehow.

The marriages at Crosthwaite of William Bowe and Jane Wilson in 1785, and Joseph Wilson and Fanny Fairlom in 1786, were both witnessed by an Edward Wilson, although it seems that there was more than one of that name in the Keswick area at the time.

One of the witnesses at the marriage of Edward and Mary (Allason) Wilson was a John Allison. It is possible that Mary was a daughter of Thomas Allason of Rosthwaite and Sarah Wren of Pyetnest (Piet Nest) who were married at Crosthwaite on 6 February 1758. Sarah was a daughter of Peter Wren whose will was written in 1772.[2]

One of the witnesses of the will of Thomas Wilson (1784-1860), written in 1836, many years before his death, was a Grace Allison. This was most probably Grace (Scott) Allison, widow of Thomas Allison of Keswick, surgeon and apothecary.[3] Thomas was baptised at Borrowdale in 1788, son of John and Martha (Jopson) Allason. John and Martha were married at Crosthwaite in 1786 and lived at Rosthwaite in Borrowdale.[4] No baptism has been found for John but it seems likely that he was a son of Thomas and Sarah (Wren) Allason.[5] Grace also had a direct connection with Piet Nest, the former home of the Wren family, as she was a daughter of John Scott of Piet Nest.[6] Thomas Wilson’s will also mentions his “Friend Robert Wren of Borrowdale”. One Robert Wren was baptised in 1790 at Borrowdale, son of Thomas Wren and Ann Allason. Another Robert Wren was baptised in 1796 at Borrowdale, son of Joseph Wren and Nancy Raven.

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WILSON

EDWARD WILSON of Peat Howe, Borrowdale, Cumberland, and of Keswick, shoemaker, was born about 1753 and died on 21 September 1826 at Keswick.[7] He married on 17 November 1781 at Crosthwaite, MARY ALLASON.[8] Mary was born about 1758 and buried on 16 December 1817 at Crosthwaite.[9]

Children of Edward and Mary (Allason) Wilson:

i JOHN WILSON, bap 20 Oct 1782, Borrowdale,[10] bur 27 Mar 1799, Crosthwaite.[11]

ii THOMAS WILSON of Keswick, shoemaker,[12] bap 2 May 1784, Borrowdale,[13] d 28 Jan 1860, Keswick;[14] m JANE.[15]

iii EDWARD WILSON of Keswick, shoemaker, b Borrowdale,[16] bap 29 Jan 1786, Borrowdale,[17] d 3 Feb 1855, Caldbeck;[18] m 20 Nov 1815, Crosthwaite, MARY GRIGG.[19]

iv JOSEPH WILSON of Keswick, nail maker, b Borrowdale,[20] bap 29 Jan 1788, Borrowdale,[21] d 27 Jan 1856, Keswick;[22] m 17 May 1815, Crosthwaite, ANN CARDUS.[23]

v MARY WILSON, bap 29 Jan 1788, Borrowdale,[24] bur 5 Feb 1816, Crosthwaite;[25] m 4 Nov 1809, Crosthwaite, ISAAC WILSON[26] (see here).

vi ISAAC WILSON, bap 15 Oct 1789, Borrowdale,[27] bur 22 Jul 1791, Crosthwaite.[28]

vii ROBERT WILSON, bap 15 Jul 1792, Crosthwaite,[29] bur 24 Oct 1804, Crosthwaite.[30]

viii BENJAMIN WILSON of Keswick, shoemaker, b Keswick,[31] bap 1 Nov 1795, Crosthwaite,[32] d 5 Mar 1884, Keswick;[33] m 9 Jun 1824, Crosthwaite, ANN TAYLOR.[34]

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[1] Cumbria Archive Service, PROB/1788/W729.

[2] Cumbria Archive Service, PROB/1773/W239.

[3] See The Cumberland Pacquet, 18 Apr 1820, for the marriage of Thomas and Grace.

[4] Cumbria Archive Service, PROB/1825/W462.

[5] William Green, The Tourist’s New Guide, 2 vols (Kendal, 1819), 2:449-51, mentions a phenomenon observed “from the High Nest five miles from Souter Fell... by an aunt of Mr. John Allison, of Rosthwaite in Borrowdale”. High Nest, also known as Piet Nest or Pyetnest, was the home of the Wren family.

[6] The Carlisle Journal, 26 Aug 1815; The Cumberland Pacquet, 18 Apr 1820. Grace may have been a connection of Esther (Wren) (Watson) Scott, a daughter of Peter Wren.

[7] The Cumberland Pacquet, 3 Oct 1826.

[8] Crosthwaite parish registers (Cumbria Archive Service).

[9] Crosthwaite parish registers (Cumbria Archive Service).

[10] England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N546-HVY).

[11] Henry Brierley and Francis Haswell, eds., The Registers of Crosthwaite, 4 vols. (Penrith, 1928-31), 4:136.

[12] The notice of the marriage of George Dixon and Mary Wilson in The Carlisle Journal, 21 Apr 1838, notes that Mary was “niece of Mr. Thomas Wilson, boot and shoe maker”.

[13] England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J7SQ-ZT5).

[14] Grant of probate; The Carlisle Journal, 3 Feb 1860.

[15] Grant of probate. Thomas Wilson and Jane Dalton were married at Crosthwaite in 1811 and Thomas Wilson and Jane Douthwaite were married there in 1816.

[16] 1851 census returns, Keswick (National Archives, HO 107/2434, fol. 69).

[17] England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NB35-G27).

[18] The Cumberland Pacquet, 13 Feb 1855.

[19] England Marriages, 1538–1973 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N2LQ-N2Z).

[20] 1851 census returns, Keswick (National Archives, HO 107/2434, fol. 69).

[21] Borrowdale parish registers (Cumbria Archive Service).

[22] The Cumberland Pacquet, 29 Jan 1856.

[23] England Marriages, 1538–1973 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N2LQ-T5B).

[24] Borrowdale parish registers (Cumbria Archive Service).

[25] Crosthwaite parish registers (Cumbria Archive Service).

[26] Crosthwaite parish registers (Cumbria Archive Service).

[27] England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N546-HPP).

[28] Henry Brierley and Francis Haswell, eds., The Registers of Crosthwaite, 4 vols. (Penrith, 1928-31), 4:127.

[29] Henry Brierley and Francis Haswell, eds., The Registers of Crosthwaite, 4 vols. (Penrith, 1928-31), 3:182.

[30] Henry Brierley and Francis Haswell, eds., The Registers of Crosthwaite, 4 vols. (Penrith, 1928-31), 4:142.

[31] 1851 census returns, Keswick (National Archives, HO 107/2434, fol. 73).

[32] Henry Brierley and Francis Haswell, eds., The Registers of Crosthwaite, 4 vols. (Penrith, 1928-31), 3:189.

[33] The English Lakes Visitor, 8 Mar 1884.

[34] The Cumberland Pacquet, 14 Jun 1824; England Marriages, 1538–1973 (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N2L7-CTG).