Wilson records

George Steel, son of William and Jane Steel, was born on 16 Jan 1839 in Lanark, Scotland and was christened in Lanark Scotland. George died in 1905, age 67 at Cathcart, Lanark, Scotland.

1851 Census George was aged 12 living with his parents William and Jane Steel, both age 35 at 19 Old Darmanock Rd., Bridgeton Lanarkshire. George was a student, siblings Robert (17), Janet (8) Mary (5), James (3) Andrew (11 months) 

Ann Smellie was born about 1838, daughter of William and Margaret Smellie.

1851 Census, Ann was a factory winder aged 13. As a winder, her duties include threading freshly dyed yarn into the winding machinery, checking the winding of the yarn or wool, and loading the yarn into the winding machine continually until a ball, skein, or hank is complete.  

George and Ann were married on 31 Dec 1860 in Tradeston, Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland.

1861 Census they lived at 636 Gallowgate, Bridgeton. George's occupation - Power Loom Tenter. A loom tenter would bring a loom back to running condition after a new warp beam (ie roll of thread) was tied on, checking that the cloth confirmed to the correct specification, i.e. width and cloth construction.

1871 Census George was 32, they lived at 33 Chapel St Rutherglen, he was still a Power Loom Tenter. Wife Ann, aged 33. 

Children from this marriage were:

i. Margaret (Maggie) Steel, see Gen 2 below

ii. William Steel was born on 9 Oct 1865 in Rutherglen, Glasgow Scotland.

iii. Robert Steel was born on 9 Dec 1867 in Rutherglen, Glasgow Scotland.

iv. Janet Steel was born on 7 Apr 1870 in Rutherglen, Glasgow Scotland.

v. Georgina Steel was born on 12 Nov 1874 in Rutherglen, Glasgow Scotland.

vi. Annie Steel was born on 12 Nov 1874 in Rutherglen, Glasgow Scotland.

It seems Ann died in 1874, possibly at or after the birth of twins, Georgina and Annie (12 Nov 1874)

George remarried to Mary Thomson in 1876. They had no children.

In 1886, at the time of his daughter Margaret's marriage George was aged 47, a Weaving factory Manager, they lived at 4 Mordaunt Street Glasgow (about 2 miles from Rutherglen in inner SW Glasgow). 

James Wilson, son of George Wilson and Christina Forsyth was born on 16th January 1860 in Rutherglen, Scotland. His father was a coal miner. He died on 10 Nov 1935 at his home "Rutherglen" in Cascade St Wentworth Falls, NSW.  

James Wilson’s siblings were:

• Catherine, 1852 to 1920, married Andrew Christie in 1877 and had at least three children, including a daughter Marian who married M. McAthey. Marian died in 1987, age 103, and her estate was shared with descendants of her siblings, including Walter Caspersonn and Janet Renison. 

• Janet, was born in 1851 and married James Fyfe in 1881 in Glasgow. Her daughter Elizabeth married Gerge Heeps and their daughter Jenny visited Janet and Walter in Australia. Jenny had a son George, who had a wife, Kath, and two daughters, Margo and Paula.

• Clementine was born in 1856 and never married.

• Annie, born 26 May 1850 who never married and died in Aug 1947

• John was born in 1862 and married Anna Forbes in 1913.

Margaret Steel was born 4 Sept 1861, the eldest child of George Steel and Ann Smillie, at Bridgeton, Glasgow, Scotland.  She died at Junee NSW Australia  on 15 Sept 1897 after an illness lasting two years. When she died she had been 11 to 12 years in NSW.

Margaret was listed in the 1871 Scottish Census aged 9, sister of William, Robert and Janet. The family lived 33 Chapel St Rutherglen, she was at school. 

At the 1881 Scottish Census Margaret' motherr had died (1874). She was age 19, daughter of George and step daughter of Mary T Steel. They lived at 64 Glasgow Rd Rutherglen. She was a Power Loom Weaver (Woollen). 

At the 1871 Census, James was aged 11, at school, living with his parents and four older sisters in Cathcard Rd Rutherglen, Scotland. At the 1881 census he was aged 21, living with his parents and two older sisters in occupation and location in 1881 55 Bereland'S Place Rutherglen. His occupation was iron turner

James and Margaret married on 15 Mar 1886 in Rutherglen, Glasgow Scotland. 1886 Marriage cert shows Margaret was a Wincey (a plain or twilled fabric of wool and cotton used especially for warm shirts or skirts and pajamas) Powerloom Weaver, lived at 4 Mordaunt Street Glasgow, and her father was a weaving factory manager. James was an Iron Turner (turned iron or steel on a lathe).

They migrated to Australia due to her poor health, within 6 months of marriage but before the birth of their first child, Annie. They lived in Sydney for a while, Annie was born on 17 April 1887 at Waterloo. They moved to Junee, where they lived in Prince St while James was employed as a fitter and turner on NSW Govt Railways. While living in Junee, James  made a stationary engine which featured in a street procession in Junee. He was an alderman on Junee Municipal Council. 

Margaret died of tuberculosis in Junee on 15 Sept 1897, after an illness lasting two years. When she died she had been 11 to 12 years in NSW. She is buried in Junee cemetary. At this time James had three young children, Anne (age 10), George (8)  and Maggie (5). 

Elizabeth Janet Simpson. James took on Janet as a housekeeper. She was born in Walget NSW on 30th Dec 1873, the daughter of William Simpson and Sarah Shipton. James and Janet married five years later, on 19 May 1902 in 27 Trade Street Newtown NSW. They had no further children, but she was a fine Christian and a caring stepmother.

Walter wrote of his grandfather: 

James Wilson returned home to Scotland in 1920. In a letter he wrote to “my dear wife” dated Sept 3rd 1920 he began by saying: “a few lines to you letting you know that we are all well for which blessing we give God thanks. Last week I got four letters from you all on the same day. I don’t think the mails are very reliable yet and you will not be getting my letters either, as I would like you to.” He tells of “gatherings” with people such as Uncle James Wilson’s daughter and their families. Another statement of interest was “was glad to know the Wagga mission was a success. I trust all will go well with those that joined the church and with those that joined other churches.”

Little things I remember: he had a moustache and he liked his porridge hot. I can picture him seated at the head of the table in the kitchen at Wentworth Falls with his plate of steaming hot porridge, beside it a bowl of milk. He would take a spoonful of porridge, dip it in the milk and proceed to eat it.

James and Janet moved to Wentworth Falls with their two daughters, possibly due to Annie's illness. A sanitorium for care of TB patients had been established there in 1917. They owned a house which they named "Rutherglen". Grandchildren Walter and Janet Caspersonn visited there at different times. James died there in 1935 and was buried in Junee in the same gravesite as Annnie. Janet remained in Wentworth Falls for a time.  I (Peter) vaguely recall visiting with my parents in the early 1950's. Janet later lived with her stepdaughter, Maggie in Sans Souci and then Railway St Wagga till her death in 1957.

Annie was born on 17 April 1887 the first child of James and Maggie Wilson, at her parents' home, George St Waterloo, NSW.  James was an iron turner,age 27. Maggie was aged 26.  They had married in Glasgow, Scotland 13 months previously and emigrated to Australia.  The family moved to Junee, possibly due to her father's employment. Both Annie and her mother had poor health, Annie had Turberculosis from the age of 18. Her mother died in Junee in Sept 1897 and her father remarried a few years later. Some time after that, the family moved to Wentworth Falls, perhaps for Annie's health. TB was very contagious and an old mansion in the bush near Wentworth Falls was set up as a sanatorium. Annie never married. She painted Scottish landscapes. She died at a home in Clarke St Granville on 8th July 1923, aged 36. Cause of death was listed as "Pulminory Tuberculosis Myocarditis", which she had for 17 years.

George was born in Junee on 1st June 1889, the second child of  James and Maggie Wilson, four years after his sister Annie.  His mother was 27 when he was born, but died when he was eight years old.  George may have moved to Wentworth Falls with his parents and attended school there, but he returned to work in Junee when he was in in his 20's. 

He worked as a clerk and bookeeperfor for G H Much and Co. builders and hardware merchants Mr Mutch was a bullder responsible for many premises in Junee's business area, and Mutch's store was described as a plumbers and electrical goods shop. George never married, but for many years was a good friend of a Miss Olive Swan. He lived in a very bare room at the Junee Hotel. He was a keen tennis player and travelled on a motor bike to various places including Wentworth Falls, to visit his family moved there. He enjoyed fishing with friends in the Murrumbidgee River. 

He was often invited to join his neice Janet or his nephew Walter at their respective homes in Wagga or on day trips or holidays. On one occasion he went to a holiday home at Pambula Beach with Walter and his family, and got involved in all of the fun, including short sheeting other people's beds. After he retired, George accepted a kind invitation from Janet Renison his neice, and her husband Hilton to come live with them. He had a small flat adjacent to the carport of their home in Lake Albert Road Wagga. He later confided that these were the happiest years of his life. George died of cardiac failure on 10th July 1974 at Wagga Base Hospital, aged 85.

Maggie Steel Wilson was born on the 9th May 1892 at Junee, the third child of James Wilson, railway employee, age 32 and Maggie Steel, age 30.  Both her parents were born in Glasgow, Scotland. 

The Wilson family lived in Junee for more than 25 years, James was a fitter and turner on the railways and Junee was a major railway repair depot. It was at Junee that Maggie met Walter Caspersonn, who was employed by a large general store. They courted by mail while Walter served in the war in New Guinea. Maggie moved with her parents to Wentworth Falls during the war and when he was demobalised Maggie and Walter married at the bride's home, "Rutherglen", Wentworth Falls on 28 Jan 1920. Witnesses were her sister Annie and Walter's brother Arthur. The minister was John Clydesdale,  a minister of the Churches of Christ. This is of interest because there was no Church of Christ in Wentworth Falls and much of the family history from this time forward is connected with Churches of Christ. 

James Wilson, Maggie's father, had been a staunch Presbyterian, but he had a friend in Junee who was a member of Churches of Christ. He and  James had many debates about churches.  Apparently Mr Crossthwaite won as evidenced by the choice of marriage celebrant.  In Wentworth Falls, the family continued to attend the Presbyterian church. It was not till the 1940's when Elizabeth Wilson officially turned the key to open the new Wentworth Falls Church of Christ.

After their marriage, Walter and Maggie lived in Berry Street Wagga as Walter had a position on NSW Railways. They attended Wagga Church of Christ. Walter James was born in Wagga on 8th December 1920 and Ella Janet was born on 13th May 1922 also in Wagga. Late in 1922,  the family of four moved to The Rock, as his father was transferred there by the NSW Dept of Railways. They lived in the Presbyterian Manse for a while and then in and old bake house in Urana St. After a visit from Grandfather and Grandmother Wilson it was decided a new house was needed, so a fibro and weatherboard home was built on the western side of Day Street. 

Young Walter remembers a good life at The Rock. Walter had a secure job during the 30's depression. Housework was without modern conveniences, only a drip cooler, water had to be heated and carried, no electricity in the early days but there were plenty of simple pleasures for the children to enjoy. They remained there 14 years till 1936, attending both Presbyterian and Methodist churches in turn. Walter was promoted to goods clerk at Wagga. This was good for the children' s education as The Rock had no high school and they could not have financed the children boarding in Wagga or Albury. They attended Wagga Church of Christ, where they had friends such as the Mowsers from Junee days. 

Walter was soon transferred to Junee and they attended Junee Baptist Church, where young Walter met Maggie Wilson. Walter was soon transferred to Newtown in Sydney. The family, minus young Walter moved to Winston Ave Earlwood just before the start of WW2, and attended Earlwood Church of Christ. Walter married Edith Costa of Earlwood in May 1946 and Janet married Hilton Renison of Wagga in the same year. Janet and Hilton lived quite nearby in Earlwood while he studied for his engineering apprenticeship. 

After more than 12 years in Earlwood, Walter and Maggie moved to Sans Souci, then when her husband died in 1955, Maggie brought her step mother Elizabeth to live in Wagga. They lived in Railway Street then when Elizabeth died in 1957, Maggie moved to Ceduna Ave by herself. Walter and Edith and children  stayed with her for some months around 1962 while their new house on five acres in Kooringal Road was completed. Maggie died on 30th April 1962 of a heart attack.