Samuel Neilson (1761 - 1803)

Born 17 Sep 1761 in Ballyroney, County Down, Ireland

Ancestors

Husband of Anne (Bryson) McClune — married Sep 1785 in Belfast, Ireland

Descendants

Died 29 Aug 1803 at age 41 in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess, New York, United States

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Biography

Samuel Neilson was born in 1761, second son of Alexander Neilson, a Presbyterian minister, and Agnes Carson.^[1][2] He married in Sept 1785 to Anne Bryson, daughter of William Bryson of Belfast.

Neilson was a founder of the Society of United Irishmen and its newspaper the Northern Star. He played a prominent role in the 1798 rebellion. Neilson was arrested and indicted for high treason, and after the suppression of the rebellion he was deported to the Netherlands. He died 29 Aug 1803 probably from yellow fever while in exile in the United States; his wife and children were still in Ireland. ^[3]

His widow remarried and embarked in business in Belfast and her five children attained respectable positions in life. She died in Nov 1811 and was buried at Newtown Breda. ^[4]

Children:

1. William Bryson
2. Anne married Mr. Maginnis. Anne died in New York at an advanced age.
3. Jane b abt 1800 married --- McAdam, resided in 1880 in Yonkers, NY ^[2]
4. Sophia married --- McAdam
5. Mary b abt 1795 married William John Hancock
6. Alexander died in infancy
7. Two unnamed still born female children died on 18th April 1794.

Research Note

The narrative at findagrave has at least 1 error - it names both his wife and his mother as Anne Bryson. Find A Grave: Memorial #117209067

Sources

1. ↑ "The United Irishmen : their lives and times, with several additional memoirs, and authentic documents, heretofore unpublished, the whole matter newly arranged and revised" by Richard R. Madden, vol 4 p 2 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.c021101800;view=1up;seq=42
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "John Mitchel, Ulster and the Great Irish Famine: Samuel Neilson and the ..." by Kenneth Dawson postscript [1]
3. ↑ http://www.historyireland.com/volume-23/a-planet-of-light-and-heat-samuel-neilson-and-the-northern-star/
4. ↑ http://www.libraryireland.com/biography/SamuelNeilsonUnitedIrishman.php

See also:

• Wikipedia: Samuel Neilson
• http://www.ulsterbiography.co.uk/
• Gravestone Inscriptions Volume 2 County Down, Compiled by R S J Clarke, Ulster Historical Foundation 1966.