John Willson

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John Willson, born 1650, Ayr, Scotland

John Willson, born 1650, Ayr, was a strict Covenanter who was married to Jennet Brown, a conspicuous beauty of the time. He was a refugee from Scotland and settled at Birney Hill in the Parish of Skerry or Braid, near Ballymena, and took landing there of William, III. His sister Margaret Wilson, at the age of 18, suffered death in the Solway (Firth) at the hands of the Lairds Lagg, Winram, Strachan and Graham and their three troops of dragoons, rather than subscribe to the hated prelacy. A younger sister, Agnes, was spared since she was only thirteen and her father, Gilbert Willson, paid one hundred pounds sterling to obtain her release. An older woman. Margaret MacLaughlin suffered the same fate as Margaret Wilson. Margaret Wilson is buried in the Churchyard at Wigtown and her grave is marked.


One of the Covenanters Monuments in New Cumnock is to three Covenanters captured when they were returning from a conventicle at Dalmellington - one of these three was Joseph Wilson but it is uncertain whether he was a native of New Cumnock . What is known is that James Wilson tenant in the old castle of Cumnock (the site of which is actually the town centre of modern-day New Cumnock) appeared in a proclamation of outlaws in 1684. ( a William Lambie in Polquhays farm also appeared in the proclamation). Ref Bob Guthrie e-mail JASCAM@aol.com

SOURCE: The Scotch-Irish or The Scot in North Britain, North Ireland, and North America, Charles A. Hanna, Gen. Pub. Co., 1968, Chap XXXI, pp. 461-462, "Scotland, Charles, II, the Bishops", p. 461-462.

SOURCE: Ibid., Appendix "R", p. 270.

SOURCE: Chart of the Wilson, Chesney, and Kirkpatrick Families, Public Records Office, Belfast, Ireland. Same Charts, LDS, FHC, Salt Lake City, Utah.

SOURCE: "The Journal of Alexander Chesney," a South Carolina Loyalist in the Revolution and After, edited by E. Alfred Jones, with an introduction by Professor Wilbur H. Siebert. 1921, reprinted 1981.

John and Jennet had a son John Wilson, Jr. born January 23, 1677/78 Lisburn, County Antrim, Ireland died abt 1745 Newville, Cumberland Co., Pennsylvania. He married Sarah Reid in Ireland John, Jr. is buried in Rock Springs Cemetery

Other sources:

Cooke County History, past and present, The Cooke County History Book Committee, "The Wilson Family of Freemound", Family #906, Bill Wilson wrote: "The Major (David Carroll Wilson) was born in Cumberland Pennsylvania, in 1742. He was the son of Zaccheus Wilson, Sr., who was the son of John Wilson and Sarah Reid. John Wilson was the son of another John Wilson who was the son of Gilbert Wilson from New Cumnock, Nithsdale, Ayr, Scotland. this Wilson family is descended from William Gunn, fifth son of George Gunn, the Crowner of Caithness who died in battle in 1264. The line has been traced to the year 712. We are Ulster-Scots of Scots-Irish...."George known as "Gun Cruiner Ghall" The line has been traced to the year 712 Gunnis, son of Gunni of Norse

"A Family History, Zacheus Wilson" (1805-1843), Capt. Republic of Texas Army. His Ancestors and Descendants" by Col. William Wood Cole. According to Mr. Cole's book, Zaccheus Wilson, born 1712, d. 1796, was the son of John Wilson b. 23 Jan, 1678 in Lisburn, County Antrim, Ireland, d. abt 1745 in Newville PA, and buried in Rock Springs Cemetery. This John was the son of John Wilson b. 1650 Lanarkshire, Scotland, d. after 1684 in Newville PA. This John was the son of Gilbert Wilson b. abt 1620 Lanarkshire, Scotland, died after 1671.

Thanks to Jean Wilson for contributing this.

E-Mail Jean at Jean Wilson - New Mexico

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