Rev. Samuel Blaine Wilson

Notes for SAMUEL BLAINE WILSON from History of the Early American Presbyterian Church: "He was christened merely Samuel Wilson. when a young man he added another name and thereafter signed himself Samuel B. Wilson . . . the degree of D.D. was conferred on him in 1837 by Princeton University . . . he [had] spent four preparatory years with Rev. Joseph Alexander of York District, SC, later in an academy in Spartanburg, SC, taught by Mr. JAMES GILLILAND, JR. and finally in private studies with his brother Robert in Abbeville, SC. He then entered Washington College" in Virginia.

Samuel B. Wilson preached at Fairforest in Spartanburg District: "He was licensed to preach in 1805 and did missionary work to some destitute churches on Jackson and Greenbriar Rivers. He preached at Fair Forest South Carolina" [during 1805; by January 1806 he was in Fredricksburg, Virginia].

Rev. Wilson is buried in the cemetery of the Union Theological Seminary, Hampden Sydney, Prince Edward County, Virginia FindAGrave:

"Rev. Samuel B. Wilson's labors as professor at Union Theological Seminary in Prince Edward County, Virginia, continued from November 1841 to August 1869. Such was the esteem in which he was held that in his later life, when afflicted by deafness, every proposal from him to resign his chair was kindly repelled by the Directors. His wife was Elizabeth Hanna, of one of the best families of Rockbridge County, Virginia. Of the three sons of Samuel B. Wilson, two entered the ministry. One was the Rev. James M. Wilson, who labored long at Floyd C. H. Va. and the Rev. S.B.O. Wilson who served in the Presbytery of Memphis.

Rev. Samuel B. WILSON, D.D., the tenth and youngest child of John and Mary (WRAY) WILSON, was born on upper Crowder's Creek (now Gaston Co. NC) March 17, 1783. In his father's will -- made when Samuel was 14 years old -- it was suggested that: if Samuel wished an education and his brothers agreed, the land willed him should be divided among them and its value be used in educating him. The wording is somewhat quaint but to the point: "And if he chooses to go to school and his connections think proper, they may carry him through his learning for his part and divide it among themselves provided he consents to it." All parties consented that (his brother) William Joseph (WILSON) should buy the land and that Samuel should go to school.

"Samuel was christened merely Samuel WILSON. When a young man he added another name and thereafter signed himself Samuel B. WILSON. The B. has been variously supposed to stand for Blain or Baxter - two of his teachers - but on the authority of Dr. Wilson's statement to his grandson, William Caruthers, the B. stood for Brown, in memory of Rev. Samuel Brown, in whose family Dr. Wilson lived for some time while studying theology under him. The degree of D.D. was conferred on him in 1837 by Princeton University.

On the 17th of March, 1806, Samuel Wilson married Elizabeth, the daughter of Mathew HANNA of Lexington, Va. Their children were:

1. Mary Blain Wilson, b. Oct. 24, 1807, d. Nov. 28, 1878, m. John F. CARRUTHERS
2. (Rev.) Samuel Owen Wilson, b. May 6, 1809, (later inserted a B. in his name, probably for Blain), A.M. grad. of Princeton 1828. m. Louisa S.DAVIES, dau. of Rev. John B. DAVIES, long pastor of the Presby. Chh at Fishing Creek, S.C. and President of the Board of Trustees of Davidson College at his death (1845)
3. Martha Hanna Wilson, m. John D. HOUSTON of Rockbridge Co. Va., son of Rev.Samuel HOUSTON, Revolutionary patriot.
4. John Mark Wilson, b. Jul 14, 1813, d. a Confed. prisoner of war at Point Lookout, Md, Oct. 27, 1864; m. Phebe SHIELDS CARRUTHERS, sister of John F. Carruthers, who m. John Mark Wilson's sister Mary Blain WILSON.
5. Eliza Chur Gordon m. Rev. John LeRoy DAVIES in May 1833, as his second wife.
6. James Matthew Wilson, graduate of Washington College, Lexington Va. in 1842, and of Union Theological Seminary in 1847, became Presbyterian minister. He m. Celia B. ROGERS, dau. of Rev. Thornton ROGERS of Albemarle Co., Virginia.

Inscription on gravestone:

• S. B. Wilson, D.D., Professor of Theology 28 years in U.T.Seminary, Pr. Ed. Co. Va. Born March 17, 1783; Died August 1, 1869.

Some of the families to whom Rev. Wilson preached at Fair Forest named sons after him. SAMUEL WILSON STOREY, b Jul 18 1805 at Fair Forest, Union District (Spartanburg), South Carolina, was one. His younger cousin, Mary Ann Storey Lavender, grew up knowing Samuel (who was called Wilson) Storey, in the Pickens/Green Co. area of Alabama. (Mary Ann also had an uncle -- William Williamson Storey -- who had been named for a previous Fair Forest pastor in 1797; Mary Ann knew him in Alabama as well.)

"Wilson," usually, but not always, as a middle name, was carried through succeeding generations in several allied families (Storey, Pridmore, Morrow, and eventually Lavender) to the present day. Mary Ann Storey brought it into the Lavender line when she named her son John Wilson Lavender in 1858.

Rev. Samuel B. Wilson's labors as professor at Union Theological Seminary in Prince Edward County, Virginia, continued from November 1841 to August 1869. Such was the esteem in which he was held that in his later life, when afflicted by deafness, every proposal from him to resign his chair was kindly repelled by the Directors. His wife was Elizabeth Hanna, of one of the best families of Rockbridge County, Virginia. Of the three sons of Samuel B. Wilson, two entered the ministry. One was the Rev. James M. Wilson, who labored long at Floyd C. H. Va. and the Rev. S.B.O. Wilson who served in the Presbytery of Memphis. Rev. Samuel B. WILSON, D.D.,tenth and youngest child of John and Mary (WRAY) WILSON, was born on upper Crowder's Creek (now Gaston Co. NC) March 17, 1783. In his father's will -- made when Samuel was 14 years old -- it was suggested that: if Samuel wished an education and his brothers agreed, the land willed him should be divided among them and its value be used in educating him. The wording is somewhat quaint but to the point: And if he chooses to go to school and his connections think proper, they may carry him through his learning for his part and divide it among themselves provided he consents to it. 'All parties consented that (his brother) William Joseph (WILSON) should buy the land and that Samuel should go to school." ... "He was christened merely Samuel WILSON. When a young man he added another name and thereafter signed himself Samuel B. WILSON. The B. has been variously supposed to stand for Blain or Baxter - two of his teachers - but on the authority of Dr. Wilson's statement to his grandson, William Caruthers, the B. stood for Brown, in memory of Rev. Samuel Brown, in whose family Dr. Wilson lived for some time while studying theology under him. The degree of D.D. was conferred on him in 1837 by Princeton University. On the 17th of March, 1806, he married Elizabeth, the daughter of Mathew HANNA of Lexington, Va. Their children were: 1. Mary Blain Wilson, b. Oct. 24, 1807, d. Nov. 28, 1878, m. John F. CARRUTHERS 2. Samuel Owen Wilson, b. May 6, 1809, (later inserted a B. in his name, prob.for Blain), A.M. grad. of Princeton 1828. m. Louisa S.DAVIES, dau. of Rev. John B. DAVIES, long pastor of the Presby. Chh at Fishing Creek, S.C. and Presid. of the Board of Trustees of Davidson College at his death (1845) 3. Martha Hanna Wilson, m. John D. HOUSTON of Rockbridge Co. Va., son of Rev.Samuel HOUSTON, Revolutionary patriot. 4. John Mark Wilson, b. Jul 14, 1813, d. a Confed. prisoner of war at Point Lookout, Md, Oct. 27, 1864; m. Phebe SHIELDS CARRUTHERS, sister of John F., who m. his sister Mary Blain WILSON. 5. Eliza Chur Gordon m. Rev. John LeRoy DAVIES in May 1833, as his second wife. 6. James Matthew Wilson, grad. of Washington College, Lexington Va. in 1842, and of Union Theological Seminary in 1847, became Presby.minister. He m. Celia B. ROGERS, dau. of Rev. Thornton ROGERS of Albemarle Co., Va* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Apr 14 2020, 14:54:00 UTC