A Christian missionary in Trinidad and Tobago?

[Tim Brayshaw]

There has always been this story about a lady called 'Rose Wilson' in our family that was a christian missionary in Trinidad and Tobago. We have a signed Bible within the family by this lady, and my grandmother remembers meeting her whilst she was in this country. I can not for the life of me find where she is though.

My grandmother Mavis Elizabeth Martin b1922 (Sheffield) - her mother is Florence Elizabeth Trippett b1887 (Sheffield) - Her mother is Rose Hannah Wilson b1861 (Birmingham).

At first glance when i started my research 10 years ago i thought I'd found her, but it was my Grandmother's grandmother, and she knew it definitely wasn't her. There are no other branches of Wilson's in my tree so it has to be this side.

Rose Hannah Wilson had three elder brothers;

Henry W Wilson b1852 Birmingham
Alfred Wilson b1854 Birmingham
and George Wilson b1857 Birmingham.

Now Henry W Wilson does marry a Rosina - as in the 1881 census he shows up with a Rosina b1853 and their son John Wilson b1878.

In the 1891 census Henry W Wilson and his son John Wilson are living with Henry W's parents and Rosina is no longer there. Henry W isn't marked as widowed however. Then after that census i can not find any of the three.

Could this be the Rose Wilson i am looking for? Can anyone help me at all?

[lizdb]

Approx when did granny meet her, and approx how old was Rose then?

[Tim Brayshaw]

If only my grandmother was still alive to ask her.

I've just spoken to my mother who says somewhere she has a photograph of the allusive Rose Wilson with my grandmother.

My grandmother looked primary school age, and Rose Wilson apparently looks around 45-55 at a guess. It seems it can't be Rosina Wilson after all, because she would be in her late 70s at that stage. Unless my mother is misjudging how old she looks.

[lizdb]

I would say it is highly improbable that a married woman with family responsibilites would be accepted as a missionary. More likely the Rose-who-was-the-missionary was single or widowed.

SO, if the photo was taken, say 1930ish , Rose would be born around the 1880 (give or take 10 years) sort of era.
At least that is a starting point - of sorts!

[Tim Brayshaw]

That's very true, never thought about that. Shows how religious i am.

It needs to be close enough family for them to be given a bible and for her to be at my great grandparents house for a photograph.

They don't half make it difficult