WHITE H. WILSON is a worthy representative of a pioneer family of Washington county. He is a son of James Wilson, whose father, Thomas, was a son of Thomas Wilson. The latter was of Irish birth, and in 1749 located on little Chartiers creek, Washington county, Penn. He was married to Hannah Brown, who died in 1830; he died in 1833. Thomas Wilson, son of Thomas and Harriet (Brown) Wilson, was born in 1787, and was a farmer and stock dealer. In 1810 he married Esther McCorkle, who was born in eastern Pennsylvania, and they became the parents of nine children, namely: James, Mary (wife of Leonard Weaver, a resident of Beallsville, Penn.), Margaret (wife of Samuel Graves, both deceased), Hannah (wife of White F. Hopkins, both deceased), Jane (deceased), Esther (deceased wife of Samuel Thompson), Elizabeth (wife of George L. Thompson, both deceased), Thomas C. and Robert (both deceased), whereby it will be seen that James and Mary are the only survivors. The father of this family died in 1859, followed by the mother in 1864; both were members of the Presbyterian Church, and in politics he voted with the Democratic party.
James Wilson, the eldest son of Thomas and Esther (McCorkle) Wilson, was born February 26, 1811, in Washington county, Penn. He attended the schools of the neighborhood, and was reared to farming. In 1831 he was united in marriage with Mrs. Elizabeth (Horn) Falconer (who was born in 1801, in Washington county, Penn.), widow of Samuel Falconer, to whom she had borne two children: Thornton (deceased) and Eliza J. (wife of Thomas H. Howden, a farmer of West Bethlehem township). Mrs. Falconer was a daughter of David and Anna (Black) Horn, early settlers of this county. To the union of James and Elizabeth (Falconer) Wilson children were born as follows: Esther A., wife of George Kinder (deceased), who was a farmer of West Bethlehem township; Charlotte W., widow, of G. W. Campbell, since married to A. J. Buffington, of Salem Henry Co., Iowa; Jacob, a farmer of West Pike Run township; Asenath, wife of J. P. Wilson, of La Salle county, Ill.; Thomas H., a farmer of Clay county, Ind.; White H., whose name introduces this biography; David, deceased; Elizabeth, married to Valentine Crumrine, of East Bethlehem township, Washington Co., Penn.; and Margaret, married to Joseph K. Horn, living in Portage county, Ohio. The mother died May 7, 1887, at the age of eighty-six years; she was a member of the M. E. Church. The father is yet living in West Pike Run township, at the age of eighty-two years; he has always voted with the Republican party.
White H. Wilson was born October 12, 1839, on the home place in West Pike Run township, Washington Co., Penn. He attended the public schools, and was reared to agricultural pursuits. On December 24, 1863, he was married to Maria Deems, who was born in 1840 in West Pike Run township, a daughter of Mark F. and Margaret (Baker) Deems, the former of whom was a farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Deems were the parents of the following children: Joshua (a farmer in Colorado), G. W. (a resident of Beallsville, Penn.), Samuel P. (living in Nebraska), Elizabeth (wife of Joseph Hawkins, a farmer of Somerset township) and Maria (wife of White H. Wilson). The mother died in 1864, followed by the father in 1880. Both were members of the M. E. Church. To the union of White H. and Marie (Deems) Wilson four children have been born, namely: Samuel C., a grocer of Allegheny, Penn.; Clara, wife of John T. Baker (they have one child, Lewis V. ); Lelia D., wife of J. F. Yorty (they have two children, Maud E. and Paul A.), and Maggie D., still at home. Mr. Wilson in 1892 was elected a justice of the peace in West Pike Run township for the term of five years. He and his wife are members of the Oak Grove Presbyterian Church, of which he is a trustee.
Text taken from page 1270 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).Transcribed February 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project.
Published February 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.[ [Back to Beers Table of Contents] [Back to Beers Project Page]