William Courthorpe Townshend Wilson born 1895, Birkenhead

[ChrisWd]

I would appreciate help finding some further information about this man and his family.

William Courthorpe Townshend Wilson was born 1865 in Birkenhead, son of Richard Duff Wilson and Catherine Dora Townshend.

William Wilson was a barrister at law (Grays Inn), member of the Northern Ireland Parliament, Vice Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster and was awarded KC knight bachelor in the 1930 New Year's honours.

He married Catherine Amelia MacDonald on 8th July 1892 at the Wesleyan chapel, Amhurst Park in London.  Catherine was the daughter of James Alexander MacDonald, Wesleyan minister.  The 1891 census shows Catherine Amelia to be 28 years old, Matron of the Bootle Borough hospital.

William and Catherine had 5 children, the first three born in Birkenhead between 1893 and 1897, the last two born in Formby, Lancashire:

1. Dorothy Frances Harriet Wilson (1893) became only the second woman to be ordained as a minister of religion (Congregational church).  I believe she was trained at Mansfield College, Oxford and, because of ill health, served a series of short term ministries until she died in 1956 in South Africa.

2. MacDonald Wilson (1895) became a Lt Colonel in the British Army, possibly the Loyal North Lancs regiment.  He married Dorothy Emily Scull in 1919 and they had two children: John Macdonald Courthorpe Wilson (1920-1943) and Shirley Wilson (1923).

3. Roderick James Wilson (1897) – no information beyond the 1911 census.

4. Catherine Townshend Wilson (1899) – she may possibly have married a man called Alexander Hart.

5. Barrington Wilson – no information beyond the 1911 census, likely died 1980 in Knowsley, Merseyside.  William Wilson's probate calendar entry describes Barrington Wilson as a 'manufacturer'.

Catherine Amelia Wilson died 1940 in Liverpool.  William Wilson died four years later at 'Belmont', Great North Road, London N2.

Any information or suggestions greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Chris

[heatherjulie]

Hi

There is a marriage for
Barrington Wilson and Irene M Crosthwaite/Walton in 1945 at Prescot Register Office or Registrar attended.

Heather

[mosiefish]

There is a WW1 medal card for a Lieut. Roderick James Wilson of the Royal North Lancs Regiment.  He applied for his medals in 1925 giving his address as 11 Oakfield Avenue, Glasgow.

Mo

[mosiefish]

Using the free index on Scotlands People a Roderick James Wilson born 1897 died in 1956.  It won`t accept Macdonald for mothers maiden name, but not all have been indexed and included as yet.  It is work in progress.

Mo

[mosiefish]

pressed quote instead of modify to add to previous message so just ignore this as i cant delete it.

[lizdb]

 You mention Williams probate index entry. Have you got a copy of his Will? That could well be a useful source for clues as to what happened to his offspring, especially to find married names of daughters.

[ChrisWd]

Many thanks for the replies.

Yes, I had seen the Barrington Wilson marriage index dated 1945.  Irene Walton married Charles Crosthwaite in 1932, registered in West Derby.  I checked the BMD indexes for births subsequent to the 1945 and found nothing with mother's maiden name of Walton.  There were two Wilson births with mother's maiden name Crosthwaite in 1947 in Blackpool.

I hadn't seen the Roderick James Wilson WW1 medal card.  It's interesting he was also eligible for the Silver War Badge which had been awarded to servicemen who had been honourably discharged due to wounds or sickness.

I have not yet applied for copies of the wills but agree this may give some further clues.  Since one of the sons may have settled in Glasgow how would I go about getting a copy of his will assuming he had one and it had been registered in Scotland. 

Regards,
Chris

[garstonite]

it looks like Richard Duff Wilson and his wife Catherine were Weslyan Methodists
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F3HS-4JW
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F3HS-WD3
and they also had a son born 1870
they are living in 30 Pilgrim Street in 1881 - both Richard and Catherine Dora born in Ireland - he was 45 at the marriage in 1863 and Catherine was 33 - I wonder if either had previously married
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X314-ZF3
Caroline Sibella died aged 7 in 1875

John Barrington Wilson is not on 1881 census either -  he also died in 1875 aged 1
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F3HS-C6F

[ChrisWd]

Richard Duff Wilson and his wife Catherine Dora had four children.  Caroline Sibella and John Barrington both died in 1875 as you point out.  Richard Cecil Wilson, born 1869 in Birkenhead, was a farmer according to the census records who died 1943 at the Ashton-under-Lyne infirmary.  One of the addresses list on his probate record is 1 Percy Street, Liverpool which is also the address given for Dame Catherine Amelia Wilson on her probate record.

Richard Duff's wife, Catherine Dora Townshend, was born around 1830 and was the daughter of Cecil Wray Townshend.  The latter was a merchant who operated three merchant vessels out of Port Charlotte on Prince Edward Island.  He was Sheriff of the island for several years from 1818 but emigrated to England in the late 1820's where he married his wife Catherine Killey in 1828 in Liverpool.

Regards,
Chris