Re: Mary McLin m. James Johnston Wilson
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In reply to:
Mary McLin m. James Johnston Wilson
Lauren Bryant 12/05/99
Wow, we just created this forum and already have a connection! I have info for you and a picture.
Anyway, I am collaborating with other McLin researchers on a family history. Mary is a daughter of Alexander McLin and his wife Ann Laird Blair (called "Nancy") The following is what we have so far on Mary:
"Mary McLin, called Polly in her father’s will, was born 29 Oct 1776 in Adams Co., PA. After moving to the Watauga region, she married James Johnston Wilson on 29 Oct 1798. James was born 16 Jan 1774 in Lancaster Co., PA. toAlexander and Agnes Johnston Wilson. The Alexander Wilson family moved to the Watauga region in 1782 or 1783, along with Agnes’ parents, James and Abagail Johnston, with a colony of Presbyterians from Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania. These settlers formed the Mt. Bethel Presbyterian Church and settled along the Nollichucky River. Perhaps the Wilsons, Johnstons, Blairs, and McLins knew each other in Pennsylvania, but we do not know that. There is more information about the Wilsons is included in [a different section of the book].
James and Mary Wilson originally lived in the Watauga region along with most of their relatives. In 1828, when Indian landin southeast Tennessee opened to white settlement, James and Mary moved their family south to that portion of McMinn County that later became Bradley County, Tennessee.
James and Mary’s third child, James Witherspoon Wilson, was named for a prominent Presbyterian preacher of Greene and Washington County, TN - James Witherspoon. Like his namesake, James W. Wilson was an Elder in the Presbyterian Church. He later became a preacher in the Baptist Church in Bradley County and was a member of the Ocoee Baptist Association for many years. Minutes of the Association show his participation in the meetings including a meeting in the Cookson Creek Church in Polk County, TN in September 1865, where he called the meeting to order. Evidence shows that his wife, Kate (Catherine Shamblin), fully supported his church work. He took a church in North Alabama for a short while, but returned to Tennessee. No doubt the influence of the large number of peachers in the McLin and Blair families had rubbed off on James W. Wilson!
James and Mary must have eventually moved back to Northeastern Tennessee because both died there; she died June 1849 in Rogersville, and he died 8 April 1853 in Greene Co. Their children mostly stayed in the vicinity of Bradley County TN. Later descendants drifted on across the state line into Whitfield County, GA. Many of them became farmers in the red clay of North Georgia. An exception was Robert Harvey Wilson who ended up in Alabama as a lawyer. A grandson of Robert became a preacher.
We are very fortunate to have a picture. The following portrait was contributed by Bob Bailey, a descendant. This photo is of an oil painting owned by a lady in Atlanta, Ga. "A friend of a friend traveled from North Ga into Atlanta with a photographer to get the picture," he said. The scanned color is not as detailed as the photo, so it doesn’t show the pale blue color of her eyes. As soon as I saw it, I noticed she had the same eye color my grandfather, Carl McLin, and many of his siblings had. That color must run in the family (although I and my children don’t have it). As this book will show, we are fortunate to have so many pictures of our ancestors, but most of them are black and white. It is so nice to have this portrait in color."
"Mary McLin, called Polly in her father’s will, was born 29 Oct 1776 in Adams Co., PA. After moving to the Watauga region, she married James Johnston Wilson on 29 Oct 1798. James was born 16 Jan 1774 in Lancaster Co., PA. toAlexander and Agnes Johnston Wilson. The Alexander Wilson family moved to the Watauga region in 1782 or 1783, along with Agnes’ parents, James and Abagail Johnston, with a colony of Presbyterians from Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania. These settlers formed the Mt. Bethel Presbyterian Church and settled along the Nollichucky River. Perhaps the Wilsons, Johnstons, Blairs, and McLins knew each other in Pennsylvania, but we do not know that. There is more information about the Wilsons is included in [a different section of the book].
James and Mary Wilson originally lived in the Watauga region along with most of their relatives. In 1828, when Indian landin southeast Tennessee opened to white settlement, James and Mary moved their family south to that portion of McMinn County that later became Bradley County, Tennessee.
James and Mary’s third child, James Witherspoon Wilson, was named for a prominent Presbyterian preacher of Greene and Washington County, TN - James Witherspoon. Like his namesake, James W. Wilson was an Elder in the Presbyterian Church. He later became a preacher in the Baptist Church in Bradley County and was a member of the Ocoee Baptist Association for many years. Minutes of the Association show his participation in the meetings including a meeting in the Cookson Creek Church in Polk County, TN in September 1865, where he called the meeting to order. Evidence shows that his wife, Kate (Catherine Shamblin), fully supported his church work. He took a church in North Alabama for a short while, but returned to Tennessee. No doubt the influence of the large number of peachers in the McLin and Blair families had rubbed off on James W. Wilson!
James and Mary must have eventually moved back to Northeastern Tennessee because both died there; she died June 1849 in Rogersville, and he died 8 April 1853 in Greene Co. Their children mostly stayed in the vicinity of Bradley County TN. Later descendants drifted on across the state line into Whitfield County, GA. Many of them became farmers in the red clay of North Georgia. An exception was Robert Harvey Wilson who ended up in Alabama as a lawyer. A grandson of Robert became a preacher.
We are very fortunate to have a picture. The following portrait was contributed by Bob Bailey, a descendant. This photo is of an oil painting owned by a lady in Atlanta, Ga. "A friend of a friend traveled from North Ga into Atlanta with a photographer to get the picture," he said. The scanned color is not as detailed as the photo, so it doesn’t show the pale blue color of her eyes. As soon as I saw it, I noticed she had the same eye color my grandfather, Carl McLin, and many of his siblings had. That color must run in the family (although I and my children don’t have it). As this book will show, we are fortunate to have so many pictures of our ancestors, but most of them are black and white. It is so nice to have this portrait in color."
I can send you a scanned version of the portrait. Let me know your e-mail address.
I can send you a scanned version of the portrait. Let me know your e-mail address.There is much more about her parents, etc., that we are collecting. Just what are you looking for?More Replies:
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Re: Mary McLin m. James Johnston Wilson
chris burnette 7/29/06
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Re: Mary McLin m. James Johnston Wilson
Don Gardner 1/29/06
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Re: Mary McLin m. James Johnston Wilson
Sheila Endres 2/12/06
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Re: Mary McLin m. James Johnston Wilson
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James McLin/Elizabeth Johnston
Wynn Strahle 12/22/04
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Re: Mary McLin m. James Johnston Wilson
Lauren Bryant 1/28/00