William Wilson (abt. 1515 - 1587)

Born about 1515 in Penrith, Cumberland, England

Descendants

Died 27 Aug 1587 at about age 72 in Windsor Castle, Berkshire, England

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Biography

This profile is part of the Wilson Name Study.

"He was of Wellsbourne, Lincolnshire, gentleman, who was buried in Saint George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, where he presumably was some sort of official, although there is no record of more than his burial there."

"William Wilson, gent., born about 1515, who removed from Penrith and settled at Welbourn, co. Lincoln. He acquired considerable estate, and on March 24, 1586, had confirmation of the following coat of arms, and grant of a crest, by William Flower, Norroy king of arms: Arms, per pale argent and azure three lion's gambs erased fessways in pale counterchanged; crest, a lion's head argent guttee de sang. He died at Windsor Castle, co. Berks (where his son William was prebendary), Aug. 27, 1587, and was buried in the chapel of St. George, Windsor Castle, where a monument was erected to his memory. (Burke's 'General Armory,' p. 1120; Ashmole's 'History and Antiquities of Berkshire,' p. 309; Register, ante, vol. xxxviii, pp. 306-307 and vol lii, p. 144; and Herleian MS. 1507, vol. 20.) The name of his wife has not been learned."

"Of Welbourn, Lincolnshire. He held some position of sufficient importance that he was termed 'gentleman' and was buried in St. George's Chapel, Windsor.

"In Harleian MS. 1507, I found the following on lead 20 (in pencil): A confirmacon of ye Armes & Guifte of ye Crest of Wm Wilson of Welborne in ye County of Lincoln, son of William Wilson of ye Town of Perith (Penrith?) in ye County of Cumberland, to all his Issue & offspring for ever under yehand & seale of Wm fflower also Clarenc' King of Armes dated ye 24 of March 1586 ye 19th of Queen elizabeth. Now, 1594, borne by _____ Wilson of ye prebends of Windsor sonn of ye Aforesd Wm Wilson of Wilborne. Against this was a tricking of the Arms and Crest in pencil: ___Per pale ar and az, three lions gambs erased, feeways, in pale, counterchanged. ____ Crest: A lion's head ar guttee d sang. In the same MS. (leaf 180, in pencil) I found a copy of a grant or confirmation of the arms of Woodhall and Brindall (Grindall) quartered.

"Wilson's father has been called 'a man of deep erudition, a scholar and a courtier . . . we must suppose him to have been a persona grata in the eyes of Queen Elizabeth.'

"The father of the Rev. William Wilson of Windsor (and grandfather of our John Wilson of Boston) was, as we have found, a William Wilson of Wellsbourne, in Lincolnshire, who died in Windsor Castle and was buried there in 1587. In Harleian MS. 1507, I found the following on lead 20 (in pencil): A confirmacon of ye Armes & guifte of ye Crest of Wm Wilson of Welborne in ye County of Lincoln, son of William Wilson of ye Town of Perith (Penrith?) in ye County of Cumberland, to all his Issue & offspring for ever under ye hand & scale of Wm fflower als Clarenc' King of Armes dated ye 24 of March 1586 ye 19th of Queen Elizabeth. Now, 1594, borne by ____ Wilson of ye prebends of Windsor sonn of ye Aforesd Wim Wilson of Wilborne. Against this was a tricking of the Arms and Crest in pencil: ___Per pale ar and az, three lions gambs, erased, fessways, in pale, counterchanged. ___ Crest: A lion's head ar guttee de sang. In the same Ms. (leaf 180, in pencil) I found a copy of a grant or confirmation of the arms of Woodhall and Brindall (Grindall) quartered.

"There was once a brass plate on a gravestone to his memory near the north corner of the church. It is now long gone but Ashmole made a record of it: 'William Wilson, late of Wellsbourne in the County of Lincolne, Gent. departed this lyfe, within the Castle of Windsor, in the Yeare of our Lord 1587, the 27th Day of August, and lyeth buried in this Place.' ^[1][2]

Sources

1. ↑ Threlfall, John. The Ancestry of Reverend Henry Whitfield (1590-1657) and His Wife Dorothy Sheafe (159?-1669) of Guilford, Connecticut (Madison, Wisconsin, 1989)
2. ↑ The antiquities of Berkshire. By Elias Ashmole, ... v.3. Ashmole, Elias, 1617-1692, page 164.

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 9 March 2021), memorial page for William Wilson (1515–27 Aug 1587), Find A Grave: Memorial #117733064, citing St George's Chapel, Windsor, Windsor and Maidenhead Royal Borough, Berkshire, England ; Maintained by Anonymous (contributor 47882760) .