Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/346

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

ly less desirable, that of culture and refine- ment, which pioneer peoples are so apt to lack, for the Huguenots were almost with- out exception students and men of thought, the product of a long period of controversy and religious discussion.

The Wilson family, upon their first ar- ri\al in this country, settled in Pennsyl- vania, the date of this occurrence being doubtful, however, though of one thing we are certain that they were pioneers in that region. The taste for a border life, the ex- citements and strong romai.tic environment of the frontier, seems to have run in the Wilson family in quite an unusual degree, for when the Pennsylvania home began to take on the circumstances of civilization, they straightway left it and moved to the --till unsettled parts of Chesterfield county. X'irginia.

(I) Daniel Wilson, the paternal grand- father of Benjamin Watkins Wilson, of this sketch, was the first member of the family to settle in \'irginia. He was a pioneer of Chesterfield county, and did very valuable work in 6])ening up the country thereabouts. Daniel Wilson was engaged in this work when the revolution broke out. With char- acteristic readiness and hardihood, he turned from reclaiming the wilderness to the scarcely less perilous or arduous task of destroying the English tyranny, entering the Continental army and distinguishing himself in the service. In 1810, after the war was over and the United States had passed from a dream to a reality, Mr. Wil- son, finding X'irginia no longer ofifered enough of the pioneer life for his bold spirit, removed still farther into the great unknown West, making his home this time in the sparcely inhabitated region of Kentucky. He returned, however, to Chesterfield county, Virginia, and was there living in 1816. at the time of the birth of his son, George Nicholas Wilson, of whom there appears an account below. Daniel Wilson married Elizabeth I'lankenship, of Chesterfield county, \'irginia. and by her had a family of six children, among whom was George Nicholas, of whom further.

(II) George Nicholas Wilson, third child of Daniel and Elizabeth (I'lankenship) Wil- son, was born in Chesterfield county, Vir- ginia, in 1816. He passed his childhood in his native place, but later in life removed thence to Richmond. X'irginia, and there en-

gaged in the hardware business. In this enterprise he prospered greatly and became a man of large substance, and a very promi- nent figure in the community. His hard- ware establishment became very well known and bore so high a reputation for capable and square dealing that at the time of the civil war the Confederate government em- ployed it to manufacture torpedoes for use in the navy. It was in connection with this business that the life of a son of Mr. Wilson was lost. The young man. Bernard Wilson, by name, was engaged in setting one of the torpedoes in the Potomac river, when the fatal accident occurred. George Nicholas Wilson married Mary Ellen W^atkins, a native of Powhatan county, Virginia, where she was born November 29, 1837. Mrs. Wilson is the daughter of Dr. Jabez Wat- kins, of Powhatan, Virginia. Dr. Watkins married Julia Ann Taylor, and by her had two children, both of whom are now liv- ing. Besides Mrs. Wilson, there is Nannie, now the widow of George D. Thaxton, a very prominent dry goods merchant of Rich- mond, Virginia. Mrs. Wilson is descended on her mother's side of the house from Bar- tholomew Dupuy, a field marshal of France. To Mr. and Mrs. George Nicholas Wilson were born five children, of whom three are now living. Children are as follows ; Charles Upshaw, deceased ; Julia May, now Mrs. Richard M. Anderson, of Richmond; George Nicholas Jr., a resident of Richmond; Ben- jamin Watkins, of whom further ; Nannie, who died in infancy.

(HI) Benjamin Watkins Wilson, fourth child of George Nicholas and Mary Ellen (Watkins) Wilson, was born June 18, 1877, in Richmond, Virginia. He received his education in the public schools of that city, and at the age of eighteen years, having completed his studies, he began his business career. In the year 1904 Mr. Wilson estab- lished his present great business, the "B. W. Wilson Paper Company." At the outset this concern was of very small dimensions, but through the great business capacity of Mr. Wilson, coupled with unimpeachable in- tegrity, it has grown from these small begin- ings to its present huge proportions, being now known as one of the largest paper com- panies in America. Throughout the trade circles it is recognized as a model establish- ment, and this reputation is one of its se- curest assets. Upon Mr. Wilson's great

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