James Wilson
Michael Seery > Winifred Seery > James Wilson
James Wilson is not one of my direct ancestors however I did some research on him in an attempt to trace his father, William Wilson.
James Wilson was born on 7 February 1859 at "Devil's Hole Creek via Mudgee" (NSW BDM 9833/1859). His birth was registered in Mudgee on 12 March 1859.
James was the son of Winifred (nee Seery) and William Wilson, an American who had come to New South Wales around 1851 to dig for gold. He was the brother of my great-grandmother, Catherine Wilson (later Withers).
Devil's Hole Creek was a thriving mining community in the 1850s and 1860s, with three pubs, two churches, a butcher, baker and several other businesses. It was later renamed Clarke's Creek and, as the miners moved away, the houses and other buildings fell into disrepair and disappeared. Clarke's Creek now consists of just a small number of houses in fairly rough country a few kilometres on from Windeyer.
Note that Winifred, James's mother, was still married to her first husband, John Manton, when she married William Wilson in Devil's Hole Creek in 1856. The couple married two months before the birth of their first child, Edward, which was obviously the reason for the marriage. Neither William nor Winifred gave their parents' names for inclusion on their marriage certificate and Winifred's name is recorded as "Winford Seymour". I'm guessing this was done deliberately to avoid anyone linking her to her first marriage.
We know that James moved with his parents to the area around Woodhouselee, Taralga and Tarlo in the late 1860s however I lose track of him after that. Note that the James Wilson who married Mary Ann Friend in 1886, lived in Gunning and died in 1912 is not my James Wilson.
James's mother, Winifred, died in 1871.
James Wilson was born on 7 February 1859 at "Devil's Hole Creek via Mudgee" (NSW BDM 9833/1859). His birth was registered in Mudgee on 12 March 1859.
James was the son of Winifred (nee Seery) and William Wilson, an American who had come to New South Wales around 1851 to dig for gold. He was the brother of my great-grandmother, Catherine Wilson (later Withers).
Devil's Hole Creek was a thriving mining community in the 1850s and 1860s, with three pubs, two churches, a butcher, baker and several other businesses. It was later renamed Clarke's Creek and, as the miners moved away, the houses and other buildings fell into disrepair and disappeared. Clarke's Creek now consists of just a small number of houses in fairly rough country a few kilometres on from Windeyer.
Note that Winifred, James's mother, was still married to her first husband, John Manton, when she married William Wilson in Devil's Hole Creek in 1856. The couple married two months before the birth of their first child, Edward, which was obviously the reason for the marriage. Neither William nor Winifred gave their parents' names for inclusion on their marriage certificate and Winifred's name is recorded as "Winford Seymour". I'm guessing this was done deliberately to avoid anyone linking her to her first marriage.
We know that James moved with his parents to the area around Woodhouselee, Taralga and Tarlo in the late 1860s however I lose track of him after that. Note that the James Wilson who married Mary Ann Friend in 1886, lived in Gunning and died in 1912 is not my James Wilson.
James's mother, Winifred, died in 1871.
Purchases Land
In January 1878, James was living in Pejar when he took up 40 acres of land in the County of Argyle in the Goulburn area under the Conditional Purchase scheme. He erected a hut and lived there with his brother, Edward, and two of his sisters - possibly Catherine and Bridget - for a year before transferring the land to his brother who continued living on the property.