John Wilson (black)
There were three John Wilson families in the Llandinam register in the years around 1600, usually distinguished as “Wilson white”, “Wilson black”, and “Wilson goch”/”Wilson red”.
Events
Date of Birth: unknown.
Place of Birth: unknown.
John Wilson, aged 44, of Llandinam was a witness in a 1578 case (Chapman, p. 120). He testified that he had known John Thornhill since the latter had moved to Montgomeryshire from Derbyshire in 1576. Another witness was a John Wilson of Llanidloes, aged 40. There appear to be about three John Wilsons in the Llandinam registers with children who were married in the 1590s: John Wilson black, John Wilson white, and John Wilson red/goch.
Date of Burial: 2 December 1610.
Place of Burial: Llandinam, Montgomeryshire.
The burial is recorded in the parish register.
Relationships
Father: unknown.
Mother: unknown.
A Richard Wilson and a John Wilson are recorded in the 1574 Muster Roll in the Llanidloes Hundred as pickmen.
Nephews: Robert and Humphrey Wilson.
John mentions the sons of his brother in his will. Robert left a 1625 will and Humphrey seems to have left a 1672 will. Robert mentions his cousin Hugh Wilson in his will.
Spouse: Ellen.
John names his wife Ellen in his will.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project. The children are from the first marriage.)
John Wilson probably was married 7 July 1596 in Llandinam.
Robert Wilson married Margaret Wilson 31 January 1599/1600 in Llandinam.
Reynald Wilson
Margaret Wilson married Owen Cadwaladr.
Anne Wilson (buried 11 September 1641 in Llandinam) married Edward Bennett.
Margery Wilson (buried 12 May 1639 in Llandinam) married Thomas Kinsey. Thomas left a will in 1622/3.
Joan Wilson married Edward Whilding.
Evidence
from the Llandinam parish register:
Matrimonium solemnizati inter Johem Wilsone black et [blank] Septimo die Julij Anno predco [1596]
Johannes Wilson blacke sepul: secundo die mensis pr’dci [December] an’o pr’dco [1610]
[blank] uxor Joh’s Wilson blacke sepulta fuit vicesimo nono die Septembris an’o predico [1613]
John’s will:
In the name of God Amen I The foure and twentieth daie of October Anno Dni one thousand sixe hundred and nyne in the yeare of the raigne of our Soveraigne Lord James by the grace of god Kinge of England Scotland France and Ireland defender of the faithe vizt Anglie Francie et Hib’nie septimo et Scotie quadragesimo tertio I John Wilson the elder of the parish of Llandinam and Com’ of Montgomery & Dyoces of Bangor husbandman sicke and feeble in bodie but in p[er]fect minde and memorie laud and praise be unto Almightie god Doe make this my last will and testament in manner and forme followinge First and principallie I doe commend my soule unto Almightie god my maker Savior and Redeemer, and my bodie to be buryed in the parishe Churche or Churchyard of Llandinam foresaide, and for the disposicon and distributinge of my goodes cattells Chatteles ymplements of housholde landes and hereditaments First I doe give and bequeathe unto my ghostlye Father in god the vicar of Llandinam foresaide towardes my buriall twoe shillinges Item I doe geve and bequeathe unto Ellene my wedded wife, a featherbed and that that belongeth to the same and Thirtye poundes of money towardes the maynteyninge of the saide Ellene my wife yf the saide Ellene doth mislike of her keepinge of my twoe sonnes John and Reynald and to have her choice whether she likes better to have her maintenance and her keepinge of my saide twoe sonnes John and Reynald or ells them to paie her the saide thirtye poundes for her to bestowe the same at her demand and pleasure Item I doe geve and bequeathe to Owen Caddr my sonne in lawe five poundes Item I doe geve and bequeathe fortie shillinges to my sonne Robert Item I doe give and bequeathe Fortie shillinges to my daughter and [sic] the wife of Edward Benet Item I doe geve and bequeathe to my daughter Margarett the wife of the saide Owen Caddr fortie shillinges Item I doe give and bequeathe to my daughter Margerie the wief of Thomas Kinsie fortie shillinges Item I doe give and bequeathe to my daughter Joane the wief of Edward Whildinge fortie shilllinges Item I doe give & bequeath unto Anne the daughter of Edward Benett a Cowe Item I doe geve and bequeathe Margarett the daughter of Thomas Kinsie a Cowe Item I doe geve & bequeath to everie childe of all my children everie one a Lambe to be delivered at midsommer after my decease Item I doe geve and bequeathe to my brothers sonne Robert Wilson my manservant Fortie shillinges Item I doe geve and bequeathe to William Lightowler my manservant Twentie shillinges eight pence Item I doe geve and bequeathe all and singular my goodes cattells Chattells ymplements of housholde heretofore not bequeathed unto my saide twoe sonnes John Wilson and Reynald Wilson to be equallie devided betweene them both exceptinge and reservinge the third p[ar]te of my houshold stuffe nowe in my possession to my saide sonne Robert Wilson Item my will is that if god of his mercye doe call either of my saide sonnes John Wilson and Reynald Wilson before the other & before they shall p[ar]te or devide my saide goodes betweene them that I lefte unbequeathed heretofore but onelie to them And if it happen one of them And if it happen one of them to dye before the other as aforesaide my will is that the p[ar]te which doe belonge unto him soe dyinge to be unto his wief his wife [sic] and children And if it happen that his wife and one of his children being livinge and the rest to dye then those to have the porcon of the father soe dyinge And if it be but one livinge whether it be his wife or one of his children then my will is that the same p[er]son whether it be the wife or one of the children shall have the moyetie or one half of the porcon of the saide goodes bequeathed unto his saide Father as the fourthe p[ar]te of my goodes bequeathed unto them my saide sonnes John and Reynald, and the other porcon to be distributed amongest all my children I doe ordaine constitute and appointe my said sonne John Wilson to be my true and sole executor to see this my will tryed and p[er]formed my legacies paide, and to receave my debtes and my funerall expences discharged wittnes present at the makinge sealinge and deliveringe of this my last will and testament Owen Caddr Edward Reedshrein, Robert Wilson Richard Lewis Senr John Houghe Debts due to the Testator Imprimis uppon William Woosuncroft fortie sixe shillinges eight pence by bill Item uppon Humfrie Mills Twentie shillinges by Bill Item uppon John Flecher Thirteene shillinges without specialtye Item uppon Merell ap David Lewis
Post Scriptum
Item I doe give and bequeathe to my manservant Edward Cownes Tenne Shillinges Item I doe give and bequeathe to my maide servant Ellene Reedferne tenne shillinges Item I doe appoint overseers of this my last will and testament Owen Caddr my sonne in lawe, Robert Wilson my sonne Humfrie Wilson my brother son Robert my brothers sonne Item my will is that my sonne Reynald Wilson shall deliver a letter of Attorney to my saide exec’ for the receavinge of the somme of seaven poundes of money by band which the saide Reynald did take in his name to my use due at Michaellmas next uppon M[er]ell David Lewis and Edward ap Hoell uppon forfaiture of fourteene poundes. memorandum that these wordes and the other porcon to be distributed amongest all my children which are enterlyned betweene the thirtie five and thirtie sixth lyne of this will was enterlyned before the sealinge and deliveringe hereof.
[Proved 31 January 1610/11 in London upon the oath of John Wilson son and executor]
The “and” I have put a sic after is presumably a misreading of “Ane” or “Ann” in the original.
References
Chapman, Murray Ll. "An English Settlement in Western Montgomeryshire during the Tudor Period" in Montgomeryshire Collections volume 87 (1999) pp. 111-137. A digital copy can be read on the National Library of Wales website.
Llandinam parish register. Digital copy at Findmypast.co.uk accessed 7 December 2019.
“Muster of Montgomeryshire Men, Horses, Etc. Made in 1574”, transcribed in Montgomeryshire Collections volume 22 (1888) pp. 119-135.
Will of John Wilson. Proved 1610 in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. Digital copy on Ancestry.com accessed 7 December 2019.