The other Wilsons by S Linton 2008

Keith Wilson (2009)
Mathew Wilson 1726-1802
George Wilson 1758-1830
Mathew Wilson 1790-1873
George Wilson 1818-1903
William Wilson 1855-1941

SECTION 3
Title 1
Title 2
Title 3
Title 4
Title 5

Elizabeth Wilson, mother of Elizabeth Hodgson and mother-in-law of William Wilson – hence, grandmother of Harold – was born in 1828. Baptised  in February at Alne, she was the daughter of Thomas and Hannah Wilson of New Parks.

Thomas was born about 1800 in Huby, a village some 10 miles north of York. Huby does not have its own church, and therefore shares in worship at All Hallows, Sutton on the Forest, one mile away. The nearest entry found in the Sutton parish register which might refer to his baptism is that for 27^th November 1802. If this is the correct entry, his parents were James and Elizabeth Wilson, and he had two younger siblings, Mary, b. 1805, and John, b. 1810. James , his father was born in 1779 in Huby, the son of Thomas (B.1730, d. abt. Nov 1811 at New Parks) and Ellen or Nelly (B. 1734, d. abt. Aug 1808 at New Parks). James’ siblings were Elizabeth, b. 1764, Jane, b.1766, Thomas, b. 1769, John, b. 1771, George b. 1773, and Helen, b. 1775. James was the youngest child, born when his mother was about 45 years old.

Thomas married Hannah Bell on 4^th April 1826 in Alne, Hannah’s home parish. The witnesses were John Wilson and Mary Bell, probably Hannah’s mother. Alne, pronounced ‘Awn’, is a pretty village. The church of St Mary the Virgin, where the marriage took place, dates from the 12^th century, and the local custom was that any couple marrying there had to’ buy’ their exit from the churchyard through gates tied and decorated by local children.

The next record found relating to Thomas and Hannah is the 1851 census for Huby. Thomas was 51, and described as a farmer with 150 acres and 4 labourers. He must have been quite a successful farmer. Hannah, too, was 51, and also in the household were their children, William, Elizabeth, married to George Hodgson, John, Hannah, Mark, and Mary Ann. Their ages have already been listed in the account of George Hodgson’s life.

In 1861, the census tells us that Thomas and Hannah were both 61 years old. Living with them were William, now 34, Hannah, 22, Mark, 20, and Mary Ann, 19. There were two servants, Thomas Crosby, 31, and John Allison, 15. An interesting detail is that William was born in Tollerton, while the rest of the children were born in Huby, complying with the tradition of the time whereby wives would return home for the birth of their first child.