My Wilson families came from the villages around Ashford, pricipally Westwell, where they were agricultural labourers. Later the family moved to Ashford where John was an Ostler. They later moved again to Folkestone by which time John was a coachman who drove a horse drawn cab between Folkestone and Sandgate.
When John Wilson married Caroline Lane in 1864 he gave his father as Stephen Wilson deceased. This is almost certainly an error on his, or the Minister′s, part. John′s father died when he was very young, under 5 years old and before the 1841 census. The census records for his family after his father died and the parish register baptisms would seem to indicate his father was in fact Henry Wilson, born about 1800, who married Mary Briggs in Westwell 1821. This can be seen if you compare the two sources below:
Dates from 1841 Census | Parish Registers Westwell |
(?Stephen) WILSON & MARY (1804 Kennington)
Henry 1827 Westwell
Celia 1829 Westwell m.George Briggs 1861
George 1831 Westwell
John 1835 Westwell m.Caroline Lane 1864
Mary Married 2)Henry Lovell m.08.04.1848 (d.1853)
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HENRY WILSON & MARY BRIGGS m.27.01.1821
Elizabeth 01.05.1822
William 04.04.1824
Henry 31.12.1826
Celia 04.04.1829
George 10.07.1831
Stephen 15.10.1833 born today
John 26.07.1835
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In compiling the family records I have used the combined information and assumed an error in the name of his father on the marriage certificate.
Further visits to the record office will be required to extend this family to earlier dates.
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