14. WILSON

Cory  Tree

 THOMAS WILSON (14)

 In 1538 Henry VIII ordered that every parish should keep registers of its baptisms, marriages and  burials. The parish was to provide a sure coffer with two locks, the parson having the custody of one key, the wardens the others. The entries were to be made each Sunday after the service in the presence of one of the wardens. Ringwould marriage registers have survived from 1562, the baptisms from 1569 and the burials from 1570, but some parts of the pages are hard to read. Further information is given in indices of baptisms, marriages and burials or in marriage licences.

THOMAS WILSON. We find him first in an index which gives the baptism on 26 Aug 1560 at St Nicholas, Ringwould, of his son Willm Wylson.

Since we do not know his age or the date of his marriage, other children may have been born before this. There is evidence which suggests some of their names.

From the dates we would expect that Thomas was born around the 1530s.

We do not know the name of his wife.

There is then a ten-year gap before the burial of Willm Willson son of Thomas on 14 Mar 1570/1. This is also obtained from an index. There were probably other children born during this time.

The Wilsons first appear in the parish register in 1571.

Baptism. St Nicholas, Ringwould.
1571 Dec 13  Christian Willson d of Tomas

Burial. St Nicholas, Ringwould.
1571 Dec 15  Christian d of Thomas

Baptisms. St Nicholas, Ringwould.
1571 Dec 16  Richard Willson s of Thomas

The most likely explanation of this is that Christian and Richard were twins, perhaps born prematurely. Christian was thought unlikely to live. In such cases it was customary for the child to be baptised immediately, if necessary by a layman or woman. If the child survived it was brought to the church later for the private baptism to be ratified by a clergyman. In this case, Christian died two days later. The healthier twin, Richard, was baptised in church in the normal way three days after his birth. He grew up to raise his own family in Ringwould.

 

We then have an index that give the marriage in Ringwould on 10 Nov 1572 of John Wilson and Chris(tian) Wilson. John was probably born around 1550 or earlier, which may be too early for a son of Thomas .He may be Thomas’s brother.  It is possible that Christian’s maiden was not Wilson, but that her married name is given here.

We also have the marriage in 1572 of Henry Wilson to Dorothy Claringboll. Since we have no evidence of any Wilson other than Thomas raising children in Ringwould, Henry would appear to be another of Thomas’s older sons.

Another index gives the burial on 25 Mar 1573 of Richard Willsone. Since no father is named, this is likely to be an adult, not Thomas’s son born in 1571. He could be Thomas’s  brother..

Following this we have:

Baptism. St Nicholas, Ringwould
1576 Aug 19 Nicholas s of Thomas

 

It is fourteen years later before we get the next record of Thomas Wilson. We have an index entry for the burial of Thomas Wilsone son of Thomas on 26 Sep 1592. This looks like the next generation and the child of a younger Thomas.

This implies a hitherto unknown son, Thomas junior, presumably born before the Ringwould baptism register starts in1569.

The list of Thomas’s children appears to be:

15?? John? (unless he was Thomas’s brother)
15?? Henry
15?? Thomas
1560 William
1571 Christian and Richard
1576 Nicholas

The long gap in the 1560s suggests that other children may have been born then.

 

From 1585 to 1604 there was intermittent war between England and Spain. An invasion by the Spanish fleet was expected. Watchhouses were built along the Kent coast from Dover to Deal. In 1588 the huge Spanish Armada sailed up the Channel. It was defeated off France before it could invade the English coast. Gales drove the remaining ships around the British Isles, where many were shipwrecked on the rocks.

 

We do not have a burial for Thomas.

The burial in Ringwould on 18 Jan 1605/6 of “Mother Wilson alias Arthure” may be his wife.

On 18 May 1652 there is the burial of “Thomas Wilson householder”. This is too late for Thomas senior, who was probably born in the 1530s, and is probably his son.

 

[1] https://i0.wp.com/dna-explained.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/signal-station.jpg