Post by Pat (Friend) Thompson on Nov 10, 2011 8:14:44 GMT -5
Rootsweb.com BIOGRAPHY: JOHN WILSON I..fifth son of WILLIAM and ELIZABETH of the original family. When we remember that JOHN WILSON I , father of ARCHIBALD WILSON, has contributed four generations of intelligent citizenship to Ritchie County, he at once becomes unusually interesting figure in the background, and we have delved deep into hidden archives that we might bring him forth into the limelight for the inspiration of his innumerable descendants of today.
JOHN WILSON I, was the fifth child of WILLIAM and ELIZABETH BLACKBURN WILSON, the founders of the family in Virginia. He was born on April 12, 1756, in Shanandoah (Hardy) County, Virginia, but principally spent his life at Beverly, Randolph County, where he served as clerk of the count court for a number of years, and was otherwise honorable and useful. He was engaged in a desperate fight with the Indians at a place called the Narrows, near Wheeling, during the Revolutionary War, under the command of Captain Foreman, of the United States Service; and was struck by a ball in the right arm, which disabled him for life. He drew a pension from the state of Virginia, from January 1813-1827 for his disability. He was made a trustee of the Randolph Academy, by an act of the Virginia Assembly on December 31, 1787, which was later established at Clarksburg and by a legislative act of October 15, 1790, he was made one of the trustees for the establishment of the town of Beverly, which had already been laid out on twenty acres of land belonging to James Westfall. He was also the first clerk of the circuit court of Randolph County, 1789, and he and his brother, COLONEL BEN WILSON, were both delegates to the Richmond Convention that ratified the Constitution of the United States. He not only served in the American Revolution, but was active in Indian Warfare, as well and high tribute has been submitted to record in these pension deposition as to his personal character.
JOHN WILSON I was first married in his young manhood to a widow, Mrs. (MARY) WESTFALL, who had a son Joel Westfall, who grew up as the step-son of John Wilson, and who was the ancestor of the Smithville Family of Westfall's, as given in an earlier chapter. Joel Westfall testified in a pension deposition, 1856, when he was seventy seven, that he had known John Wilson from infancy; that he had married his, Joel Westfall's mother. So this marriage must have taken place shortly after the American Revolution for Joel Westfall was born in 1779, but there is no record of any children by this first marriage.
However, John Wilson was married a second time on August 2, 1796, to Miss MARY WARTHEN, daughter of John Warthern, who had removed from Montgomery County, Maryland to Randolph County in 1795. John Wilson was now a man of forty, and his bride was but a little [sic] seventeen, just about the age of his stepson. The marriage was solemnized by the Reverend Matthew Ryan, at the home of Robert Green, near Beverly, and Barton Hudkins who later became the head of a Ritchie County family, was one of the witnesses who testified to his knowledge of the marriage in a disposition. Richard Reader was a witness.
JOHN WILSON died in Harrison County on April 12, 1827; and MARY WARTHERN WILSON came to this county, later in life and made her home with her eldest son, ARCHIBALD WILSON, but she died 1874, at the age of ninety five at the home of her daughter, MRS. G.W.SHINN in Doddridge County, and she rests in the Piggott plot, about six miles form West Union in an unmarked grave. She applied for a pension of the American Revolution under the act of 1853 but failed to obtain the pension owing to some technicality. These papers are on file in the Pension Bureau in Washington, D.C. under File number R-11676, Virginia Troops
-JOHN WILSON-WIDOW MA RY WILSON, have already been the means of establishing the right of membership of his descendants to the Sons of the American Revolution and to the daughters of the American Revolution, which makes all eligible to these patriotic societies on his record. (The Piggott Cemetery is situated on Arnold's Creek, below Central Station, Doddridge County, WV)
ELIZABETH FRIEND, daughter of Jonas Friend and Sarah Skidmore, born abt. 1763 died abt. 1795.
Friend researchers state Elizabeth Friend married John Wilson and had two children, John (born 1793) and Mary Polly Wilson (born 3 Nov 1795)
Looking at the timeframe for the above biography of John Wilson, my question is: Did Elizabeth married THIS John Wilson?
Was Elizabeth Friend actually John Wilson’s second wife and Mary Warthern his third wife?
Does anyone have further information on John and Mary Polly Wilson, said children of John Wilson and Elizabeth Friend?
JOHN WILSON I, was the fifth child of WILLIAM and ELIZABETH BLACKBURN WILSON, the founders of the family in Virginia. He was born on April 12, 1756, in Shanandoah (Hardy) County, Virginia, but principally spent his life at Beverly, Randolph County, where he served as clerk of the count court for a number of years, and was otherwise honorable and useful. He was engaged in a desperate fight with the Indians at a place called the Narrows, near Wheeling, during the Revolutionary War, under the command of Captain Foreman, of the United States Service; and was struck by a ball in the right arm, which disabled him for life. He drew a pension from the state of Virginia, from January 1813-1827 for his disability. He was made a trustee of the Randolph Academy, by an act of the Virginia Assembly on December 31, 1787, which was later established at Clarksburg and by a legislative act of October 15, 1790, he was made one of the trustees for the establishment of the town of Beverly, which had already been laid out on twenty acres of land belonging to James Westfall. He was also the first clerk of the circuit court of Randolph County, 1789, and he and his brother, COLONEL BEN WILSON, were both delegates to the Richmond Convention that ratified the Constitution of the United States. He not only served in the American Revolution, but was active in Indian Warfare, as well and high tribute has been submitted to record in these pension deposition as to his personal character.
JOHN WILSON I was first married in his young manhood to a widow, Mrs. (MARY) WESTFALL, who had a son Joel Westfall, who grew up as the step-son of John Wilson, and who was the ancestor of the Smithville Family of Westfall's, as given in an earlier chapter. Joel Westfall testified in a pension deposition, 1856, when he was seventy seven, that he had known John Wilson from infancy; that he had married his, Joel Westfall's mother. So this marriage must have taken place shortly after the American Revolution for Joel Westfall was born in 1779, but there is no record of any children by this first marriage.
However, John Wilson was married a second time on August 2, 1796, to Miss MARY WARTHEN, daughter of John Warthern, who had removed from Montgomery County, Maryland to Randolph County in 1795. John Wilson was now a man of forty, and his bride was but a little [sic] seventeen, just about the age of his stepson. The marriage was solemnized by the Reverend Matthew Ryan, at the home of Robert Green, near Beverly, and Barton Hudkins who later became the head of a Ritchie County family, was one of the witnesses who testified to his knowledge of the marriage in a disposition. Richard Reader was a witness.
JOHN WILSON died in Harrison County on April 12, 1827; and MARY WARTHERN WILSON came to this county, later in life and made her home with her eldest son, ARCHIBALD WILSON, but she died 1874, at the age of ninety five at the home of her daughter, MRS. G.W.SHINN in Doddridge County, and she rests in the Piggott plot, about six miles form West Union in an unmarked grave. She applied for a pension of the American Revolution under the act of 1853 but failed to obtain the pension owing to some technicality. These papers are on file in the Pension Bureau in Washington, D.C. under File number R-11676, Virginia Troops
-JOHN WILSON-WIDOW MA RY WILSON, have already been the means of establishing the right of membership of his descendants to the Sons of the American Revolution and to the daughters of the American Revolution, which makes all eligible to these patriotic societies on his record. (The Piggott Cemetery is situated on Arnold's Creek, below Central Station, Doddridge County, WV)
ELIZABETH FRIEND, daughter of Jonas Friend and Sarah Skidmore, born abt. 1763 died abt. 1795.
Friend researchers state Elizabeth Friend married John Wilson and had two children, John (born 1793) and Mary Polly Wilson (born 3 Nov 1795)
Looking at the timeframe for the above biography of John Wilson, my question is: Did Elizabeth married THIS John Wilson?
Was Elizabeth Friend actually John Wilson’s second wife and Mary Warthern his third wife?
Does anyone have further information on John and Mary Polly Wilson, said children of John Wilson and Elizabeth Friend?