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Subject: [PaOldC] Harry R. WILSON biography
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 2003 19:05:25 EST

Cyndie has published this biography of Harry R. WILSON at

http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/pa/chester/bios/wilson-hr.txt

John

Source: "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County,
Pennsylvania,
comprising a historical sketch of the county," by Samuel T. Wiley and edited
by
Winfield Scott Garner, Gresham Publishing Company, Philadelphia, PA, 1893,
pp.
528-9.

"HARRY R. WILSON, a prominent young farmer residing near New Centreville, is
the only surviving son of Edward S. and Sarah A. (Ritter) Wilson, and was
born
October 18, 1851, in Tredyffrin township, Chester county, Pennsylvania. The
Wilsons have resided in Chester county for several generations. Edward S.
Wilson (father) was a son of David and Eliza (Siter) Wilson, and was born
near
Strafford, Delaware county, this State, April 5, 1818. When quite young he
came with his father's family to Chester county, where he passed most of his
life, dying in Tredyffrin township June 18, 1888, at the advanced age of
seventy years. He was a farmer by occupation, and was engaged in the
cultiva-
tion of the soil during all his active life, except two years - 1850 and 1851
-
when he was in the leather business in the city of Philadelphia. Politically
he was a whig and republican, and served as school director and auditor of
his
township for a number of years. In religion he was a Presbyterian, being a
prominent member and treasurer of the Great Valley church of that
denomination
for many years. In 1845 he married Sarah A. Ritter, a daughter of William
Ritter, of Tredyffrin township, and was the father of three children, two
sons
and a daughter: William R., born June 13, 1846, who went to Wyoming in the
spring of 1869, where he was engaged for a short time in quartz crushing, but
died there in November of the same year; Harry R., the subject of this
sketch;
and Mollie L., who was born December 14, 1858. For additional facts
concerning
the Wilsons, see biography of Winfield Scott Wilson, uncle of the subject of
this sketch, which appears elsewhere in this volume.

"William Ritter, maternal grandfather, was born in the city of Philadelphia,
but removed to Tredyffrin township, this county, in 1839, where he purchased
a farm of one hundred and fifty acres, on which he resided until his death,
May 29, 1866, when in the seventy-fourth year of his age. He was a
bricklayer
in his earlier years, but confined himself to farming after coming to this
county. In politics he was a whig and republican, and was a member of the
Great Valley Presbyterian church. He married Dorothea Allberger, and had
seven children: Sarah A., born August 2, 1817; Mary, now the widow of Jacob
S.
Wonderly, residing in Philadelphia; Henry B., a retired merchant of Philadel-
phia; Harriet, living in the same city; William, died in 1864; Emily, married
John W. Davis, of Philadelphia, and they now reside in Alabama; and
Catharine,
who became the wife of Samuel Piper, and now lives in the city of Sacramento,
California.

"Harry R. Wilson was principally reared on his father's farm in Tredyffrin
township, and received his education in the Tremont seminary, at Norristown,
Montgomery county. After leaving school he engaged in farming, and has made
that the chief business of his life, being very successful from the first in
his agricultural pursuits. He follows the political and religious traditions
of his ancestors, and is a stanch republican in politics, and a prominent
member of the Great Valley Presbyterian church, in which he is now serving as
elder and treasurer, and is also a member of its board of trustees. Since
January, 1891, he has been a director of the Malvern National bank.

"On October 5, 1882, Mr. Wilson was married to Belle Esler, a daughter of
John
and Anna Esler, of Malvern, this county. Their union has been crowned by the
birth of five children, three sons and two daughters: William R., born
February
26, 1884, and died July 1, 1891; John E., born December 12, 1886; Edward S.,
born August 9, 1888; Marion D., born June 17, 1890; and Alice, born November
25, 1891."

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