Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/576

542 at his own request, on 22 Dec, 1828, after which he preached in various places, chiefly in the state of New York, and also devoted much time to lit- erature. Hamilton college gave him the degree of D. D. in 1838. Dr. Williston published " Address to Parents " (Suffield, Conn., 1799 ; Greenock, Scot- land, 1802) ; " Sermons on Doctrinal and Experi- mental Religion " (1812) ; " Five Discourses on the Sabbath " (1813) ; " Vindication of Some of the Most Essential Doctrines of the Reformation" (1817); " Sermons on the Mystery of the Incarna- tion and the Special Influences of the Spirit" (1823); "Sermons adapted to Revivals ' (1828); " Harmony of Divine Truth " (1836) ; " Discourses on the Temptations of Christ " (1837) ; " Christ's Kingdom not of This World," three discourses (1843) ; " Lectures on the Moral Imperfections of Christians " (1846) ; and " Millennial Discourses," which he sold for the benefit of missions (1848).

WILLS, James, philanthropist, b. in England about 1760; d. in Philadelphia about 1830. His father was in early life a coachman, but subse- quently amassed a fortune in business in Philadel- phia, which he bequeathed to his son. James was a member or the Society of Friends, and never married. He was well known as a grocer in Phila- delphia, where his integrity and uprightness in business gained him the esteem of the whole com- munity. He bequeathed to the " mayor and cor- poration of Philadelphia and to their successors forever" more than $122,000 to found "the Wills hospital for the relief of indigent blind and lame," giving preference to those in Philadelphia and vicin- ity. The corner-stone was laid on 2 April, 1832.

WILLSON, Forceythe, poet, b. in Little Gene- see, Alleghany co., N. Y., 10 April, 1837; d. in Alfred, N. Y., 2 Feb., 1867. He was christened Byron Forceythe, but dropped the first name in early manhood. His father, Hiram Willson, a na- tive of Vermont, had been a teacher, was afterward postmaster at Little Genesee, and was engaged in the lumber business there. In 1846 he placed his family and his household goods on a raft, and descended the Alleghany and Ohio rivers. They lived for six years at Covington, Ky., where Mr. Willson was the chief founder of the common- school system. Subsequently they removed to New Albany, Ind., where he died in 1859, leaving a comfortable fortune to his four children. For- ceythe, the eldest, studied at Antioch and at Har- vard, but failing health prevented him from finish- ing the course. He became an editorial writer for the Louisville " Journal," vigorously sustaining the National cause during the civil war, and his earli- est poems also appeared in that paper. In 1864-'6 he lived in Cambridge, Mass., to superintend the education of a younger brother. He was a firm believer in spiritualism. His best-known poem is " The Old Sergeant," originally written as a car- rier's address for the Louisville " Journal," 1 Jan., 1803. which tells a literally true story, even the names being genuine. He published a small vol- ume, containing all of his poems that he cared to preserve (Boston, 1866). — His wife, Elizabeth Conwell, b. in New Albany, Ind., 26 June, 1842; d. in Cambridge, Mass., 13 Oct., 1864, married him in 1863. Her maiden name was Smith. A volume of her poems was printed privately in 1865. See an article by John James Piatt in the " Atlantic Monthly" for March, 1875.

WILLSON, James Renwick, clergyman, b. near Pittsburg, Pa., 9 April, 1780 ; d. in Colden- ham, N. Y., 29 Sept., 1853. He was graduated at Jefferson in 1805 and licensed to preach as a Reformed Presbyterian in 1807. He then took charge of schools in Pennsylvania till 1817, when he became pastor of the Coldenham and New- burg congregations in New York, and, with the exception of a pastorate at Albany in 1830-'3, re- tained the former charge till 1840. In 1838 he had been appointed professor in the Eastern theo- logical seminary, and retained his chair after the union with the Western seminary till 1851. He received the degree of D. D. in 1828 from the western University of Pennsylvania. He edited " The Evangelical Witness " in 1822-'6, the " Chris- tian Statesman " in 1827-'8, and the " Albany Quarterly" in 1831-'3. In connection with the last he published a " History of the Church of Scoland." His other published works are " An Historical Sketch of Opinions on the Atonement " (Philadelphia, 1817) ; " Prince Messiah's Claims to Dominion over all Government" (Albany, 1832);. " The Written Law " (1840) ; and many single ser- mons and addresses. — His son, James McLeod, clergyman, b. near Elizabeth, Allegheny co., Pa.,. 17 Nov., 1809; d. in Allegheny, Pa., 31 Aug., 1866, was graduated at Union in 1829, licensed by a Reformed presbytery in 1834, and from that year till 1862 held a pastorate in Philadelphia, being elected professor in the Reformed Presby- terian theological seminary at Allegheny in 1859. From Westminster college, Pa., he received the degree of D. D. in 1865. He was chairman of the committee that published "True Psalmody"' (Philadelphia, 1859), and edited the "Covenant- er," a monthly, from 1845 till 1863, when it was- consolidated with the "Reformed Presbyterian." of which he was co-editor till his death. Dr. Will- son published " The Deacon " (Philadelphia, 1841) ; " Bible Magistracy " (1842) ; " Civil Government " (1853); "Social Religious Covenanting" (1856); and " Witnessing " (1861). — James McLeod's son, David Burt, clergyman, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 27 Sept., 1842, was graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1860 and at Jefferson medical college in 1863, serving in the medical corps of the U. S. army from that date till 1865. He was then graduated at the Allegheny seminary in 1869, ordained as a Reformed Presbyterian, and was pastor in Allegheny from 1870 till 1875, when he was chosen to his present post in the seminary there as professor of theology. Besides publish- ing occasional addresses he edited an edition of " Lyman's Historical Chart " (Philadelphia, 1867),. and since 1874 has been an editor of the " Reformed Presbyterian and Covenanter " in Pittsburg.

WILLSON, Marcius, author, b. in West Stock- bridge, Mass., 8 Dec, 1813. He was graduated at Union college in 1836 and became a teacher, but studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1839. A bronchial affection compelled him to relinquish both professions till 1849, when he became princi- pal of Canandaigua academy, and remained there four years. Among his numerous educational works are " Civil Polity and Political Economy ,r (New York, 1838); "Perspective, Architectural, and Landscape Drawing " (1839) ; series of his- tories (1845-'54) ; two series of reading-books (New York, 1860-'72; Philadelphia, 1881-'2); spellers- (1864-'70); "New Svstem of Plane Trigonome- try " (1874) ; " Mosaics of Bible History " (2 vols., 1883); "Mosaics of Grecian History " (1883); and " The Wonderful Story of Old," an illustrated work on the Bible (2 vols., Philadelphia, 1888).

WILMARTH, Lemuel Everett, artist, b. in Attleborough, Mass., 11 Nov., 1835. He studied at the academy in Munich under Wilhelm von Kaulbach in 1859-63. and under Jean L. Gerome at the Ecole des beaux arts, Paris, in 1864-'7.