James Wilson

The following appears on AO's GS2987 (Mrge image 19)
See First Church Marriages, #179
By license in Dumfries
October 18, 1844
James Willson and Mary Jamieson, both of Dumfries
Witnesses Alex Wilson, John Jamieson

It also appears in a transcription of the Gore District Marriage Register - The Marriage Registers of Upper Canada/Canada West, Vol 13, Gore District, 1842-1856.

James' surname, Wilson, is rendered with a double LL. The witness, Alex Wilson, has his name with one L.

See page 58, Vol 13, Gore Dist Mrge Register
Alex'r Willson to Agnes Brown both of Dumfries 22 Jan 1847 by license
Rev Strang. Wit. James Willson and John Brown

So, what have we above in terms of marriage date and registrations? A conflict of information, or a totally different marriage of similarly named groom and bride? Or was there a strained reading of poor handwriting? The latter should not be discounted.

For the moment, a date or place of marriage for James Wilson and Mary Jane Mills has not been found. 1855 is shown here as a very approximate year for their marriage based on the names and ages of the children as they appear in the 1851 and 1861 Canada West censuses. We may now with confidence show James' first wife as Mary Jamieson.

The 1851 census (begun in January of 1852) shows James and Mary with children Daniel, age 5; James L.,age 4; and Alexander, age 3. These are probably the sons of Mary Jamieson. Note that in the same household appears a Levina Jamieson, age 13, almost certainly Mary's sister.

The 1861 census shows James and again Mary - Mary who we may reasonably believe to be Mary Jane Mills. They have with them, again Donald (Daniel), age 14; James, age 13; and Alexander, 12. The next child is George, age 6; followed by Mary, age 3.

We cannot be sure that all children from this era survived, but it would appear that with the age spread between sons Alexander and George, Mary Jamieson was no longer living, and that George and Mary are almost certainly Mary Jane Mills children.

Considering the era, if the marriage of James Wilson and Mary Jane Mills was indeed approximately in 1854, then the only hope of a reasonable marriage record is that of a church. The Mills family, from the time of the 1851 census in Brantford Township, is shown as Congregationalist, and James and Mary Jane's marriage was probably conducted in that church.

By the way, a transcription of the Dumfries Reformer as presented by the Waterloo Region branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society, shows Levina Jamieson to have died of consumption (tuberculosis) in 1858. The death notice from the newspaper is probably abbreviated in the transcription. See notes for Mary Jamieson.

On a further note:

While we do not have a direct date for the marriage of James Wilson and Mary Jane Mills, it may have been as early as 1854, but rather more likely at some date in 1855. See publication #354 of the Brant County branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society. This has some records of the First Congregational Church in Brantford. Image 151 of this transcription shows a record dated October 30, 1855. This records the request for a 'dismission' to the Presbyterian Church in Galt by Mr. Wilson and the late Miss Mills. This was unanimously granted. Since other records for the George Mills family do appear in this publication, we must believe that this is a reference to the marriage of James and Mary Jane. It does appear in such later records that we have that James and Mary were associated with St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Galt.