John WILSON

John WILSON's Christmas 1848
by W. Bruce Wilson 16 October, 1992

Christmas, 1848, saw the Wilson family gathered in their log shanty in West Gwillembury Township, Simcoe County. John was there with his wife Frances (born Frances Kneeshaw) whom he had married 20 March 1830, in Crambe, Yorkshire County, England, before emigrating to Canada. His children, all Canadian born, were also there: Alice, aged 14, Roger 13, John 10, Elizabeth 7, Mary Ann 4, Robert 2, and baby Sarah who was just two months old. In addition, there were a couple of friends who attended him for a very special reason this Christmas Day. John Wilson was dying and it was necessary that he make his will.

This is a copy of his will, probated in 1854 in the Prerogative Court of the County of Simcoe. Comparing John's signature and the writing, the will appears to have been dictated, likely to John Thorpe, a witness.

In the name of God, Amen.

I, John Wilson, of the Township of Westgwillembury, being ill in body but sound in mind and memory, do make this as my last and only will and testament ____ in which I divide my property in the following manner ___.

In the first place, I give unto my Son Roger one hundred acres of Land being the North half of lot No.13 in the fourteenth Con, Westgwillimbury, in consideration of his paying out of Said lot one hundred Dollars for his Sister Allice and his Sister Elisabeth to be paid in to annual payments after he is of age, and that he is to remain as heretofore with the family untill he is of age.

Secondly that I give unto my Son John fifty acres of lot No. Eleven South quarter out of which he is to pay his Sister Mary Anne fifty dollars in one year after he is of age ____ and that he is to remain on the farm and assist the family untill he is of age.

I give unto my Son Robert fifty Acres of lot No. Eleven being the North quarter of South half ____ out of which he is to pay unto his sister Sarah fifty dollars in one year after he is of age and that he is to remain with and assist the family untill he is of age and further that my wife Francis is to have her support out of the entire property During her Widowhood and further that when Roger is of age he is to have one third of the st9ck that will then be on the farm and further that when John is of age, he is to have one half of the stock that will be on the farm and further that when Robert is of age he is to have the stock remaining on the farm and further that the Executors will see that children be educated in a reasonable way.
I do further appoint and authorise Robert Sawyer and Robert Nishaw (sic) as my lawful Executors as may relate to the execution of this will and testament.
Whereunto I affix my hand and seal this 25th December, 1848, in the presence of John Thorpe (signed) Robert Sawyer (signed) John Wilson (signed)

John Wilson died a month later, 22 January 1849.

The 1861 census for West Gwillembury shows:
Roger (and his wife Annie) living with Frances, Robert and Sarah on 100 acres, con 14, lot 13, value $3500,
John (and his wife Eliza) living on 50 acres, con 13, lot 11, value $2000,
Alice (and her husband, John Garbett) living with Mary Ann on con 12, lot 11,
Elizabeth (and her husband, Amos Doan) living in a log shanty on Amos' father's farm, con 10, lot 12.

The witnesses were living on con 12, lot 14 (John Thorpe) and con 14, lot 17 (Robert Sawyer).
Of the other executor, Robert Nishaw, nothing could be found but it is noted that a Robert Kneeshaw lived on 200 acres, con 13, lot 13, the farm immediately south of Roger.

John married Frances KNEESHAW, daughter of William KNEESHAW and Alice HORSLEY, on February 20, 1830 in Crambe, Bulmer, Yorkshire, England.¹⁹ (Frances KNEESHAW was born in February 1809 in Crambe, Bulmer, Yorkshire, England and died on October 15, 1894 in Greenock Twp, Bruce Co, Ontario, Canada.)