JAMES WILSON, SR., was born in Ireland, date of birth and emigration to America not being known. He left Burnt Cabins, Bedford Co., Penn., about 1780, and settled four miles east of the town on what is now the National road. Coming, later, to the town of Washington, he purchased original lot No. 291 (which is to-day the site of Smith's store, corner of Beau and Main streets), erected a log house thereon, and opened a tavern, under license granted by the first court held in the county, October 3, 1781. Some time later he purchased the certificate to lot No. 21, original town, on the east side of Main street, where the "Morgan block" now stands, deeding this new purchase to his son, Hugh, August 15, 1786, and in 1792 conveyed to him the certificate, and made the title perfect in him. The house erected on lot No. 21 was the great hall of the town, where meetings and entertainments were held, until Dr. John Julius LeMoyne opened his drug store therein; subsequently until 1815, Mrs. Baker conducted a "Female Seminary" within its walls. James Wilson, Sr., resided in his pioneer house (corner of Main and Beau streets) until his death in 1792. He bequeathed that property, with 200 acres adjoining the town, to his widow, Margaret Wilson, for her use until James, their youngest son, should become of age, when it was to be equally partitioned between John, Thomas and James Wilson. Hugh, having previously received a liberal endowment in improved and vacant property in and near the town was not named in the will; subsequently, however, he acquired title to the pioneer house (above referred to), from his youngest brother, James, and was owner for a long period. Hugh was well known as a business man, and he acquired quite a large amount of property in and near the town. Hugh Wilson was married August 18, 1788, to Rachel Leet, daughter of Isaac Leet, and sister to Maj. Daniel Leet, to which marriage four children were born: Rebecca, Margaret, Rachel and Hugh W. Mrs. Rachel Wilson died February 14, 1818, and Mr. Wilson married Mrs. Margaret Fleming, widow of Jeremiah Fleming, to whom she had been married at Newtown- Limavady, Ireland, and after whose death she emigrated to Pennsylvania with her daughter Catherine, to make her home near her sisters, Mrs. Robert Hamilton and Mrs Patterson, who had located at Washington, Penn., some years before. This daughter, Catherine, married John B. McFadden, a silversmith of Washington, and moved with him to Pittsburgh; her daughter, Ann, married Gen. Alexander Hays, a brave officer in the Mexican and Civil wars. To the marriage of Hugh Wilson and Mrs. Margaret Fleming one daughter was born, Eliza, married to Rev. Thomas Swaim, who was pastor of the Baptist Church at Washington from 1846 to 1850. On the death of Mrs. Margaret Wilson, Mr. Wilson married Eliza Spencer, a native of England, who survived her husband many years, dying without issue. In 1786 Hugh Wilson became the owner of the lot now occupied by the "Watson Building," by donation from his father, and carried on business there for many years. He died April 13, 1832. Of his children by Rachel Leet, Rebecca married James Blaine, who in 1809 opened a dry-goods store next to the house of Hugh Wilson, and a few years later they occupied the stone building inherited by his wife, Rebecca, from her father, and erected by David Bradford, of Whiskey Insurrection fame, in which they resided until death removed them from the pioneer circle. Mr. Blaine was a member of the town council in 1816, burgess in 1818-22 and again in 1839, and justice in 1817, 1840 and 1845. Margaret Wilson married John, son of Col. James Marshel (her husband was elected sheriff in 1836, but resigned to become cashier of the Franklin Bank (now the First National) before the close of his term. In 1857 he retired from banking, and ended his days at his residence near Washington). Rachel married Richard W. Harding, and in 1882 was residing at Bethlehem, Penn., with her son, who is professor of natural science in Lehigh University (her eldest daughter is Mrs. Rebecca Harding Davis, the authoress); Mrs. Harding died in 1884, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Davis, in Philadelphia. Hugh W. Wilson, fourth child of Hugh Wilson, was born in Washington, Penn., February 22, 1812, grew to manhood there, and ultimately settled on the farm which his grandfather had purchased in South Strabane township. His marriage with Frances Emma Barlow, daughter of Thomas and Frances Anica (Preble) Barlow (and niece of Commodore Preble), of Allegheny county, took place April 25, 1837, and to this union came the following named children: Edward Preble, born April 25, 1838, now residing at Cincinnati, Ohio; James B., born November 25, 1839, now residing. on the farm in South Strabane township, which was the property of his great- grandfather, and occupying the house erected thereon by his grandfather; Clara, who married A. T. Baird, a sketch of whom appears in this biographical record, and. Frances Emma, who died in infancy. Mrs. Frances E. Wilson died February 12, 1845, in her twenty-seventh year, and Mr. Wilson was remarried September 9, 1847, this time to Sarah Neville, a niece of Gen. Neville. She died September 30, 1856, leaving two children: Neville Craig, born October 30, 1850, died January 1, 1887, and Rebecca Blaine, born September 12, 1853, died February 18, 1879. Hugh W. Wilson died May 13, 1861, in his forty-ninth year. From his youth he was a farmer until the closing years of his life, when he devoted his principal attention to fruit growing, and, later, to floriculture. His sudden death was caused by internal rupture produced by rapid walking. Thomas Barlow, his father-in-law, was the secretary of his uncle, Joel Barlow, who was U. S. minister to France during the Napoleonic wars, and while in Russia during the campaign witnessed the burning of Moscow, and the terrible scenes following Napoleon's defeat; he buried his uncle, Joel, at Cracow, Poland, where he died from the effects of the excessive cold. The Leet family, into which Hugh Wilson married, date their origin in America to 1685, when the grandfather of Isaac Leet left Mansfield, England, and found a home in the New Jersey colony. In 1751 Isaac Leet removed from New Jersey to Virginia, and found his way to Washington county, Penn., in 1779, following his son Daniel, who came in 1770. To Isaac and Rebecca Leet children as follows were born: Daniel, Rachel (who married Hugh Wilson), Jonathan (who married Mary, a daughter of Dr. Thomas Moore, and died in South Strabane township), Isaac (who died in Canton township), Elizabeth, Rebecca (who married Enoch Dye) and two or three others. He located 351 acres of land, under a Virginia certificate, which was surveyed January 6, 1807, and named "Leet's Fancy." The father of this family died there, and was buried where now is the Weirich cemetery. Jonathan Leet was the father of six children, one of whom was Isaac Leet, a prominent attorney, who was State senator in 1834, and later a member of Congress until his death in 1844. He married Margaret Swearingen Cook, daughter of John Cook and granddaughter of Andrew Swearingen. Mary, a daughter of Isaac and Margaret Leet, is the wife of James B. Wilson, grandson of Hugh Wilson. Maj. Daniel Leet was born near Bordentown, N. J., November 6, 1748. He was commissioned surveyor of Augusta county, Va., April 17, 1776. He served in the Revolution as quartermaster and paymaster, and on September 21, 1778, was promoted to the rank of brigade major. During and after the Revolution he was a leader of men. At Crawford's defeat he did not act as brigade major, but as the second in command, having been elected to the position by the volunteer force. He stood high in his profession of surveyor, acting as one of the commission in fixing the county seat of Washington county, and districting it into townships; serving as deputy surveyor before the western line of the Commonwealth was established; making the survey of the Second District of the Depreciation lands; making the survey within the reserved tract where Allegheny is located; laying out and surveying the other reserved tract at the mouth of the Beaver river, etc. He was made justice of the peace and ex officio associate judge when the county was erected, and was a representative in the General Assembly in 1791 and in 1792.

Text taken from page 1423 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed January 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project. Published January 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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