1839.
William attended the wedding of his youngest son Roger to Mary Ann Maddison on September 29th 1861 at the Parish church, Leeds, Yorkshire. At that time, William was a 'workhouse master' at Darlington, St. Cuthberts, where Mary worked as the matron.
Mary Marriner was born on December 11th 1806 at Stanwick St. John, Yorkshire and was the daughter of Matthew Marriner and Ann (surname unknown), Her father, born 1776, was the son of another Matthew, all born in Stanwick St John. Mary came from a large family of Marriners and we think, but are so far unable to prove, that Mary was the daughter of an earlier Mary Marriner, brother to Matthew, and we know that the earlier Mary was married to another William Wilson who may or may not have been connected to our William.
Roger's home address at the time of his wedding in 1861 was Wharf Street, Durham, and his occupation 'Millwright' and Mary was from Durham as well, so why they were married in Leeds is a mystery but it seems they stayed in Leeds for a while, for their first child, Mary Ann, was born in Leeds in 1861 or 1862 and was a dressmaker in Durham in the 1881 census, aged 19.
Roger and Mary had 6 other children, William, born 1866 or 67 in Durham,
Edward Maddison (my grandfather), born March 25th 1869 at North Street, Durham, Margaret Elizabeth, born 1871 or 72 at Durham, Emily, born September 21st 1873 at Sunderland, Roger George, born November 15th 1875 at Sunderland, and Thomas Henry, born July 10th 1878 at Sunderland.
Mary Ann Maddison, Roger's wife, was born in Durham in 1838 or 39. Her father, Edward Maddison was a witness at the wedding of his daughter to Roger Wilson in 1869 and was described as a 'basket-maker'. Edward was born on September 30th 1810 and was living at the time of the 1881 census at 9, Framwellgate, Durham, aged 71 and by now a 'retired' basket-maker. He was a widower at that time and we have yet to find the name of his wife. His other daughter, Elizabeth Maddison, single, and aged 38, was living with him at that time at Framwellgate, she having been born in 1843.
Edward Maddison's father was William Maddison, and his mother Ann Stones. They were married on July 9th 1808 at St. Margaret's Church, Durham. This is the same church that Marissa and I visited in 2001 while we were researching old records and is in North Street where Roger and Mary-Ann lived for a while.
Returning to Roger and Mary Ann Wilson, in the 1901 census they are living at 5 Green Terrace West, Sunderland, where Roger, now 61, is described as a 'Foreman Millwright', Mary, 62 with no occupation given, and of their children only Mary Ann and Emily are now living with them. Emily is single, aged 37 and a school-teacher, while Mary Ann had married George Alexander Forbes in 1894 but in the 1901 census she is living with, and acting as housekeeper to, her mother and father. She is still shown as married, and as George was a master mariner, we guess he spent a lot of time away from home on his ship. She has two children living with her, Alexandra Ivomy M Forbes, born late 1895 and Frederick Roland W Forbes, born September 1900. There is one other child living there described as Roger and Mary Ann's grandson, Harold Middleton Wilson born 1884. Harold was the illegitimate child of Emily and his birth certificate does not name the father. All children were born in Sunderland.
I have so far been unable to trace Roger and Mary Ann's other children, William, Roger and Thomas, but on Mary Ann and George Forbes wedding certificate the witnesses are Margaret E Wilson, Mary's sister, and Francis M Henderson, We now know THEY got married, in 1895 and we have the certificate. Margaret Elizabeth Wilson and Francis Matthew Henderson, of Clarence Street, South Hetton, Francis's occupation is given as 'craftsman' and his father is also Francis Henderson, Witnesses are Emily Wilson and R. Henderson.
Roger and Mary-Ann's OTHER child, Edward Maddison Wilson made the move down south and started the Kent branch of the Wilson family. Edward was born March 25th 1869 at North Road, Crossgate, Durham. We don't know why he moved south, nor how he ended up in Gillingham, but his first move south appears to have been to south London where he met up with and subsequently married Eliza Julia Smith marrying her on June 7th 1896 at St. Nicholas's Church, Plumstead. Eliza was born on February 23rd 1870 at Albert Grove, Bexley, Kent. and was the daughter of Edward Smith and Jane Baldry. Jane and Edward had married on October 11th 1864 in Bexley.
Returning to Edward Maddison Wilson (pictured left, circa 1925) and his wife Eliza, they apparently moved to Gillingham between their wedding date and the birth of their first child, Winifred, in 1898. This was followed by Edward (d.o.b. unknown) Roger William, (b. 29.11.1901) Thomas, Rose, Dolly and Ivy. At the time of Roger's birth the family were living in Arden Street, Gillingham.
Of their children, Winifred married a Mr Moyes
(whose first name I simply can not remember) and lived at 7 Otway Street, Gillingham. Ed married Edie (surname unknown and they lived in the Harrow area, having one son, Colin.
Edie was deaf and blind for much of her life yet took a leading part in helping
others with similar problems, even going on a lecture tour of the USA late in
her life. Thomas remained single and emigrated to Moonee Ponds, near Melbourne, Australia,
where he died relatively young in 1965. Rose married a Mr Punchard
(again, can't recall his first name - he was always "Uncle Punch' to me.) and lived at 14 Hamilton Road, Gillingham. They had a daughter Marion. Dolly married Ernest Wigley and had two daughters, Brenda and Jean. Ivy remained single and lived her life in Gillingham.
Roger William married his first cousin, Gladys May Sparks on September 16th 1934 at Plumstead.
