HomeMy WebLinkAboutReverend James Wilson REVEREND JAMES WILSON
Reverend James Wilson was born in Tatty Keel, County Tyrone, Ireland, in February 1821 (as
self - reported by him to Princeton Theological Seminary, although his headstone says 1819). He came to
the United States in 1842, and graduated from Lafayette College, Boston, PA, in 1847. He then graduated
from Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ, in 1850, and was licensed as a minister of the
Gospel by the Presbytery of Philadelphia on April 5, 1850. He was then ordained as an evangelist by the
Presbytery of Mississippi on October 23, 1852, where he served as a missionary to the slaves around
Natchez, MS, from 1850 -1856 (Alumni of Princeton Theological Seminary, 1871- 1905).
He was then sent to Texas in 1856, as a missionary to the "Godless West," and settled near what
is now Edge Community, in northeastern Brazos County. During his 53 year ministry, he served as a
circuit preacher or "stated supply" (a term used by the Presbyterians for a circuit preacher or interim
preacher) and organizer for many small Brazos Valley Presbyterian congregations fom 1856 -1904.
Because many of the Brazos Valley's early immigrant residents were Irish Presbyterian farmers, he
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established congregations at Bethel and Concord (near Edge Community, Brazos County) and served
them continuously "but for two short intervals" 1856 -1894; the church at Concord became the Brazos •
Presbyterian Church (near Edge Community), where he served 1872 -1903. He established a congregation
at Wheelock (southern Robertson County, not far from Edge Community) in 1858, and served them
simultaneously until 1872 and again 1879 -1903; he also taught in a small private school near Wheelock
1858 -1864. He served as stated supply also for a church at Centerville (Leon County) 1866 -1872 and
again 1873-1877, and established churces i Sand P ;airie (no th °,astern. Brae County) date unknown,
Elmwood date unknown, and Lebanon (1888) (Alumni of Princeton Theological Seminary, 1871 -1905;
Princeton Theological Seminary, 1905; Brazos Presbytery, 1905). Although most of those communities
listed were at one time thriving little towns, with stores, cotton gins, blacksmith shops, a post office and
churches, Wheelock and Centerville are the only towns that still exist; none of them still have an active
Presbyterian congregation (Hare, 1995; Rice, 1995).
With the Reverend J.R. Hutchinson, Reverend Wilson helped found the First Presbyterian
Church, Bryan, on the "fourth Sabbath of November. 1867," with 24 charter members (Wilcox. 1952;
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Monroe, 1993). The First Presbyterian Church, Bryan, was the only surviving Presbyterian congregation
of those that Reverend Wilson organized. One can only surmise that with the growth of other
denominations and the increased mobility of the population in the late 1800's and early 1900's, many of
those early Presbyterians either changed denominations or decided to make the 20 -odd mile trek into
Bryan to worship with a larger, growing congregation.
Because Reverend Wilson had served in Mississippi as a missionary to the slaves, one can also
surmise that he also ministered to slaves in Brazos County as well. He owned several hundred acres of
land in northeastern Brazos County after the Civil War, and no doubt hired many of his neighbors' and
church members' former slaves to help work his land. He was recorded as performing many marriages in
the 1860's to 1870's, including some of Brazos County's early freed slaves (Brazos County Marriage
Records, 1850- 1910). Reverend Wilson was also something of a writer, and published "a few" newspaper
articles in local newspapers (Princeton Theological Seminary, 1905).
Reverend Wilson married Miss Laura Barnes, from Leon County, on December 28, 1866. She
® was an accomplished poet, with several of her works published in local newspapers. They had no children
of their own, and ultimately divided their land between Samuel Huckaby (a nephew of Mrs. Wilson's) and
James Wilson, Jr. (a nephew of Reverend Wilson's and his namesake), whom they brought to help work
the land around 1870, much of which still is held by descendants of the two nephews. Mrs. Wilson
preceded him in death on December 19, 1900, and was buried in the New Church Cemetery, site of the
old Concord or Brazos Presbyterian Church congregation, near the Edge Community (off Macy Road. off
FM Hwy. #974, northeast Brazos County). The land for the cemetery and the church was donated by a
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Chapman, members of his congregation, who lived on adjacent land (Brazos County
Deed Records, Book U, p. 500) . Because the congregation had disbanded or combined with others long
before, the old church building was finally dismanteled in the early 1950's.
Reverend Wilson died on August 24. 1904, just ten days after preaching his last sermon to the
congregation at Wheelock. He was said to preach with the same zeal and vigor as in his younger years.
He was buried beside his "beloved Laura" in the New Church Cemetery (Wilson, 1904; Brazos Presbytery,
ID 1905). Although the old Brazos church no longer stands and other congregations have dissolved or been
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absorbed, Reverend Wilson's legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of generations of relatives and
friends, whose lives were touched by his Christian witness.
Written by: Thena E. Parrott, PhD, RNCS
Foster Great - Neice, 3 times removed
REFERENCES
Alumni of Princeton Theological Seminary. Notes, letters, and records on alumni, Princeton Theological
Seminary, Princeton, NJ (1871 - 1905).
Brazos Presbytery, Minutes of spring 1905 meeting, Vol. 8, p. 211 -212 (May 19, 1905).
Hare, W.L., an interview (July 16, 1995).
Monroe, H.M. & James, R. A history of the First Presbyterian Church, Bryan, Texas. Bryan, TX: First
Presbyterian Church (1993).
Princeton Theological Seminary. Necrological report. Princeton, NJ: C.S Robinson & Co., University
Printers (May 9, 1905).
Rice, Sam, an interview (July 18, 1995).
• Wilcox, L.A. The early history of Brazos County. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press (published
thesis, 1952).
Wilson, James Jr., letter to Reverend D. Tulley, Media, PA (August 26, 1904).
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