Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of John Hugh Wilson

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Descendants of John Hugh Wilson

Generation No. 2

2. JOHN² WILSON (JOHN HUGH¹) was born Abt. 1720 in Londonderry, Ireland ¹, and died July 09, 1773 in Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania. He married NANCY BRACKENRIDGE. She was born in Londonderry, Ireland, and died Bef. August 23, 1769 in Letterkenny, Cumberland, PA.

Notes for JOHN WILSON:
Scots-Irish: The Scot in North Britain, North Ireland and North America, Vol. 2
Page 617, Early Presbyterian Churches in Ireland
John Wilson , about 1700 to 1729 , when he ernigrated to America
Dundalk, county Louth : John Wilson , 1700 to 1706 or later
Dunboe, county Londonderry, John Wilson-- to 1684-88

JOHN WILSON, received 8 Mo. 25, 1735, dated 3 Mo. 25, 1735, from Limerick, Ireland.
Immigration of the Irish Quakers into Pennsylvania
In Chester County. Established in 1718, from Newark or Kennett.

In Ireland 1766 Religious Census: James Wilson, Religion-Dissenters, Diocese-Armagu; Parish-Artrea; County-Londonderry

Frank Shepherd's genealogy states John and Nancy were born in Ulster

The following account is from OUR WILSONS, GASTONS, AND HUTTONS, Herman Wilson Craven, Washington D.C. 1926

JOHN WILSON, son of the defender of Londonderry, came to America and married Nancy Brackenridge, who came to this country from Londonderry when she was twelve years of age with her brother, her parents dying on the voyage over. He lived in what is now Letterkenny Township, Franklin County, in the noted Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania. It is said that he settled there as soon as white men could live there. The first settlement in Franklin county was at Falling Spring, now Chambersburg, in 1730. The early settlers in this part of the country often lived on land for years before they acquired any legal right or authority to do so. The steps procuring a complete and perfected title to land appear to have been first, the issuance of a warrant for the survey of the land; second, the survey under the warrant; third the issuance of a patent. But periods of many years often intervened between these steps, the land meanwhile being possessed and sold as if title were complete.

In Letterkenny Township in Cumberland County, PA, John Wilson owned his farm, of which his son Samuel became sole owner nineteen years after his father's death. Approximately, the tract was in the form of a parallelogram, twice as long as it was wide, the longer sides of which ran northwest and southeast.

In WILSON-BAIRD FAMILY genealogy, p. 7, the author (Mr. Shepherd) states that 4 sons and a daughter were born to them: John (II), who moved to Lincoln County, N. C., James, who went to Ohio, and Hugh who went to Georgia; Samuel, who became a Presbyterian Minister at Chambersburg PA, and a daughter who married a Doctor Sharp.

In the "Wilson-Baird Family" genealogy, p. 6, "the records at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania show a tract of 222 acres of land surveyed for John Wilson September 11, 1767, in Letter kenny Township Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, on proprietories warrant bearing date of June 5, 1766. This land lies adjacent to the Rocky Spring Presbyterian Church. The church was organized in 1767 and a log building erected and used until 1794 when a stone building was erected that still stands in good condition. (1943) John Wilson and his wife were charter members and he a ruling elder in its session."

Four miles north and one mile west of Chambersburg is the old Rocky Spring Presbyterian Church. The congregation was organized about 1737 and the present church was built in 1794. JOHN WILSON was an elder in this church.

From MAXWELL HISTORY AND GENEALOGY: (p. 83)
Records at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania show "A Draught of a tract of land situated in Letterkenny Township, in the county of Cumberland, containing two hundred and two acres, and one hundred and fifty-three perches and the usual allowance of six percent, for roads, etc., surveyed for John Wilson the 11th day of September, 1767, in Pursuance of the Honorable the Proprietaries Warrant Bearing Date the 5th Day of June, 1746."

JOHN WILSON survived his wife at least seven years, and died July 9, 1773. The following is his will:

In the name of God, Amen. The twenty-third day of August in the Year of our Lord God One Thousand Seven Hundered and Sixty-eight. I John Wilson of the province of Pennsylvania, Cumberland County and Letterkenny Township, YEOMAN being of perfect mind and Memory, Thanks be given unto God therefore calling unto mind the mortality of my body and knowing it is appointed for all men once to die, do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament.

That is to say principally and first of all I give and recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it, and as for my body I recommend it to the earth to be buried in a Christian and decent manner at the discretion of my executors nothing doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall receive the same again by the Mighty power of God: And as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to help me in this life I give, bequeath and dispose of the same in the following manner and form:

Imprimis. I give and bequeath to my well beloved son John the sum of five pounds good and lawful money of this province to be raised and levied out of my estate within two years after my decease and to be paid to him by my executors. And in like manner, I give and bequeath my well beloved son Hugh the full sum of five pounds lawful money of Pennsylvania to be levied out of my estate within two years after my decease, and to be paid to him by my executors.

ITEM: I give my well-beloved sons James, Samuel and William all three which I make and ordain my sole executors of this my last will and testament all and singular my land, messauge and tennement by them to be possessed and enjoyed equally them and their heirs and addigns forever or if they incline any or all of them to sell the price is to be equally divided between the above aaid James, Samuel and William I give my son James, mmoreover, my wagon and waggon gears, my gray horse and my bauld horse and my two year old colt and my bed and bed clothes that belongs to it and my chest. And all other my goods, chattels and movables I allow to be sold and the money to be equally divided betwixt my said sons James, Samuel and William and likewise all my money and debts is to be equally divided them the said James, Samuel and William, and I so give them authority either to sell or keep in their own possession the above land and tennement them their heirs and assigns and likewise the gods and chattels belonging to me that is not here particularily mentioned give to each of the above said James, Samuel and William equally to be divided and I do hereby utterly disallow, revoke and disannul all and every former testament, wills and legacies bequests and executors by me in any wise before this time named willed and bequeathed ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament in wittness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year written above. Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said John Wilson as his last will and testament. In the presence of us the subscriber JOHN WILSON.
Alexn. McConnel
George Shields
John Fleming

1883 White Co. History Biography of Joseph R. Wilson
"...was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, October 28, 1832, and is the eighth of the eleven children born to Hugh and Nancy (Story) Wilson, both natives of Pennsylvania and of Scotch Irish and English descent. Hugh Wilson was a farmer and in April 1869, on the same farm on which he was born, he died, a member of the Presbyterian Church. Joseph R. Wilson worked on the home farm till he was thirty-five years old when he moved to Harrison County, Iowa, bought a farm of 1,250 acres, and engaged in farming and stock-raising until 1875, when he sold out and came to Reynolds where he has ever since been extensively engaged in the lumber trade and the sale of agricultural implements. November 22, 1872, he married Clara Frame, a native of Trumbull County, Ohio. In politics, Mr. Wilson is a Republican."

Notes for NANCY BRACKENRIDGE:
Nancy Brackenridge came to this country from Londonderry when she was twelve years of age with her brother, her parents dying on the voyage over.

More About NANCY BRACKENRIDGE:
Died 2: Abt. 1761

Children of JOHN WILSON and NANCY BRACKENRIDGE are:

3.	i.		HUGH³ WILSON, d. Unknown, Louisville, Georgia.
	ii.		WILLIAM WILSON, d. 1778 ².

Notes for WILLIAM WILSON:
William never married. He was a Revolutionary soldier, contracted camp fever, and came home and died in 1778. He is probably buried in the Rocky Spring Graveyard.

4.	iii.	JOHN WILSON, b. 1742, Northern Ireland; d. January 04, 1799, Gaston County, North Carolina.
5.	iv.	JAMES WILSON, b. July 13, 1743, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania; d. June 08, 1799, Ross County, Ohio.
6.	v.	SAMUEL WILSON, b. 1754, Letterkenny Township, Cumberland Valley, PA; d. March 04, 1799, Newville, Pennsylvania.

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