Biographical Sketch of Harry R. WILSON (1893); Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by John Morris . *********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** 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."