William Wilson occupied Malta House between 1844 and 1848.[1] He was born in Edinburgh on 29 July 1802, son of William Wilson, a blacksmith, and Mary Ann Glover.[2] He was described as a clerk in Post Office Directories, in the record of his first marriage in 1828[3] and in the 1841 census.[4] In 1849 he was described as a jeweller and the next three censuses as a jewellery salesman. About 1872, William Wilson established his own jewellery shop in Princes Street.[5] He retired in 1880 and was described as a ‘retired jeweller’ living at 77 Lothian Road in the 1881 census.[6] He died later that year, on 24 November 1881, at 1 Summerhall Square.[7]
William Wilson’s son, also named William, succeeded his father in the jewellery business in May 1880[8] but soon fell into trouble. The business went into sequestration at the beginning of 1882 and later that year William Wilson junior appeared at the High Court charged with theft, falsehood, fraud, falsifying books and breaching the Debtors Act of 1880. He was found guilty of all but one charge and sentenced to eighteen months in prison.[9] The sentence was reduced on appeal and William Wilson junior was released after serving six months.[10]
William Wilson senior married Jane (or Jean) Bain on 09 October 1828, in Edinburgh.[11] She died at Malta House on 17 February 1848 aged 41 years.[12] She was born on 15 March 1806, the first child of Donald (or Daniel) Bain, a weaver in Anderston, and Isobel Struthers.[13]
William Wilson married his second wife, Jessie Cochrane, at Leith on 21 August 1849.[14] He was widowed a second time when she died on 11 February 1879.[15]
Isabella Struthers Wilson, the daughter of William Wilson and his first wife Jane Bain, would have been aged 11 when the family entered Malta House. She was born in Edinburgh on 23 November 1833,[16] and married David Shannon, a Liverpool copper merchant, on 18 January 1858.[17] They lived at Everton, Liverpool in 1861.[18] By 1868 Isabella S. Wilson or Shannon had returned to Edinburgh[19] and was recorded in the 1871 census at 3 Grange Road.[20] David Shannon’s occupation was now tea merchant.[21] About 1885, the family moved to 115 Dalkeith Road.[22] Isabella S. Wilson was widowed before April 1891[23] and died at Liberton on 10 October 1912.[24]
[1] PO Directories 1844-45, 1845-46, 1846-47 and 1847-48.
[2] Baptisms index (OPR) Scotland. Edinburgh. 29 July 1802. WILSON, William. 685/1 400/ 141. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 26 October 2024.
[3] Marriages (OPR) Scotland. Edinburgh. 09 October 1828. WILSON, William and BAIN, Jean. 685/1 640/ 86. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 26 October 2024.
[4] Census records. Scotland. St Cuthbert’s, Edinburgh. 06 June 1841. WILSON, William. 685/2 94/ 04. Ancestry collection ‘1841 Scotland Census.’ https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 26 October 2024.
[5] PO Directory 1872-73.
[6] Census records. Scotland. Edinburgh. 03 April 1881. WILSON, William (Head). 685/1 21/ 11. Ancestry collection ‘1881 Scotland Census.’ https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 07 March 2024.
[7] Deaths (SR) Scotland. Edinburgh. 24 November 1881. WILSON, William. 685/5 871. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 07 March 2024.
[8] ‘A Bankrupt Edinburgh Jeweller.’ Edinburgh Evening News. 26 January 1882. p. 3, col. 3. https://britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk: accessed 26 October 2024.
[9] ‘Conviction of Edinburgh Jeweller for Fraud.’ Daily Review (Edinburgh). 27 July 1882. p. 6, col. 4. https://britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk: accessed 26 October 2024.
[10] ‘Release of Edinburgh Jeweller.’ Edinburgh Evening News. 01 February 1883. p. 2, col. 2. https://britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk: accessed 26 October 2024.
[11] Marriages (OPR) Scotland. Edinburgh. 09 October 1828. WILSON, William and BAIN, Jean. 685/1 640/ 86. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 26 October 2024.
[12] Burials (OPR) Scotland. St Cuthbert’s, Edinburgh. 17 February 1848. BAIN, Jane. 685/2 610/ 158. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 26 October 2024.
[13] Baptisms (OPR) Scotland. Barony, Lanarkshire. 30 March 1806. BAIN, Jean. 622/ 40/ 427. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 26 October 2024.
[14] Marriages (OPR) Scotland. Edinburgh. 21 August 1849. WILSON, William and COCHRANE, Jessie. 685/1 690/ 254. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 26 October 2024.
[15] Death announcements. Scotland. Daily Review (Edinburgh). 12 February 1879. WILSON. p. 1, col. 1. https://britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk: accessed 26 October 2024.
[16] Baptisms index (OPR) Scotland. Edinburgh. 23 November 1833. WILSON, Isabella Struthers. 685/1 600/ 46. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 27 October 2024.
[17] Marriage announcements. Scotland. Caledonian Mercury. 20 January 1858. SHANNON, David and WILSON, Isabella Struthers. p. 3, col. 6. https://britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk: accessed 27 October 2024.
[18] Census records. England. Everton, Liverpool. 07 April 1861. SHANNON, David (Head).
[19] PO Directory 1868-69.
[20] Census records. Scotland. Newington, Edinburgh. 02 April 1871. SHANNON, Isabella. 685/5 86/ 01. Ancestry collection ‘1871 Scotland Census.’ https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 09 March 2024.
[21] PO Directory 1874-75.
[22] Electoral register 1885-86.
[23] Census records. Scotland. Newington, Edinburgh. 05 April 1891. SHANNON, Isabella S. (Head). 685/5 83/ 05. Find My Past collection ‘1891 England, Wales & Scotland Census.’ https://findmypast.co.uk: accessed 09 March 2024.
[24] Monumental inscriptions.