framemaker, carver and gilder, was born in Yorkshire on 6 November 1810. In 1832, William Wilson, joiner, married Mary Megson at Christ Church, Sculcoates, Yorks. For about six years from 1835 he lived and worked in Castle Street, Kingston-upon-Hull as a carver and gilder or cabinetmaker. His emigration to Tasmania in 1841 or 1842 may have owned something to George Peck , also from Hull, who had emigrated in 1833, returned to exhibit his Hobart Town model 'to encourage emigrants’ in 1839 and lived in Hull in the 1840s.
Wilson produced decorative gilt frames in Launceston from his arrival in about 1842 until the mid-1850s. He worked as a carver, gilder, looking glass, picture frame and composition ornament manufacturer, upholsterer etc from his home in St John Street, then Welman Street for four years (an advertisement in the Cornwall Chronicle 2 November 1844 mentions his removal and states that orders could be left with Mr Couzens, Chemist, St John Street). He moved back to the business area of Launceston – Charles Street – in 1849. In 1852 he returned to Welman Street and no longer advertised as a carver and gilder but as a 'Wholesale Dealer in Wines’ and wine merchant in 1854-55, though in the latter year William Wilson Junior was listed as a carver and gilder. William Wilson junior exhibited 5 oil paintings in the 1860 Launceston exhibition (no artists’ name or title of works given). As well as his son William Wilson junior, his apprentices included Charles Allen, a family friend and later a relation by marriage. Both young men ceased making frames in their mid-20s.
In the late 1850s William Wilson senior moved to Cressy and became licensee of the Cressy Hotel. By 1861, however, he had returned to his Welman Street home in Launceston, where he died on 5 July 1869, aged 58. He and Mary had 9 children, five born in Launceston.
- Writers:
- Staff Writer
- Date written:
- 1999
- Last updated:
- 2011
