Young Men's Christian Association (British Civilian)
Date Of Birth:
04/05/1869
Died:
20/03/1918 (Died by accident)
Age:
48
Summary
William Andrew Wilson was the oldest son of Rev Andrew James Wilson and Isabella Wilson. He was born on 4th May 1869. He was the oldest of thirteen children, born in Minterburn Manse in County Tyrone. William Wilson was educated at Queen’s College Belfast. He then went to Assembly’s College, Edinburgh and then to New College, Edinburgh. He obtained the degrees of B.A and M.A. at the Royal University of Ireland and on completion of his course was licensed by the Belfast Presbytery in May 1894. The Rev William Andrew Wilson was the Presbyterian Minister of New Row Presbyterian Church, Coleraine. The Rev William Andrew Wilson was killed in a motor accident in Paris on 20th March 1918.
Further Information
William Andrew Wilson was the oldest son of Rev Andrew James Wilson and Isabella Wilson (to be confirmed). Andrew James Wilson and Isabella Thomson were married in the district of Ards on 11th June 1868.
William Andrew Wilson was born on 4th May 1869. He was the oldest of thirteen children, most of whom were born in the Ballymagran – Minterburn area near Caledon, County Tyrone.
Known family: Andrew James Wilson, Isabella Wilson?, William Andrew Wilson (born 4th May 1869), James Wilson (born 12th February 1871), David Wilson (born 4th July 1872), Sarah Wilson (born 7th January 1874), Annie Wilson (born 21st May 1875), George Wilson (born 8th February 1877), James Wilson (born 26th December 1879), Henry Wilson (born 9th November 1881), Charles M Wilson (born 11th August 1883).
William Wilson was educated at Queen's College Belfast. He then went to Assembly's College, Edinburgh and then to New College, Edinburgh. He obtained the degrees of B.A and M.A. at the Royal University of Ireland and on completion of his course was licensed by the Belfast Presbytery in May 1894.
Rev William Wilson and Ellen Smith were married on 27th April 1898 in the district of Coleraine.
The 1901 census lists William Andrew as age 31 living with his family at house 17 in Captain Street Lower, Coleraine, Londonderry.
Known family: William Andrew Wilson, Ellen Forsyth Wilson, Frieda Wilson (born 14th February 1899, died 14th February 1899, twin,), Robert Noble Denison Wilson (born 14th February 1899, twin), Andrew Lawrence Wilson (born 16th July 1902).
The 1911 census lists William Andrew as age 41 living with his family at house 8 in Captain Street Lower, Coleraine, Londonderry.
On 31st March 1916, he was ordained minister of New Row congregation in succession to the late Robert Wallace.
Rev William Andrew Wilson was the Presbyterian Minister of New Row Presbyterian Church, Coleraine, between 1896 and 1918.
According to the history of this church by Julia Mullin, New Row: the history of New Row Presbyterian Church, Coleraine, 1727–1977 (Coleraine, 1976) Mr Wilson had given a lecture in December 1897 about his two year journey to the Holy Land. The lecture was accompanied by lantern slides taken by a companion. These slides were recovered in recent times are now known as the 'Killaloe lantern slide collection. The photographer was his brother-in-law, David Brown.
The Rev William Andrew Wilson was rendering excellent service as a YMCA worker amongst the troops 'and so acceptable was his work to the military and YMCA authorities that he was specially requested to return to the front for second and third terms'.
1918
Rev William Andrew Wilson was killed in a motor accident in Paris in 1918 while in France visiting his brother in law, the Rev Fred W S O'Neill who at that time was serving with the China Labour Corps.
From the Belfast Newsletter dated 22nd March 1918: Rev W A Wilson Killed – Motor Accident in France
The melancholy news reached Belfast yesterday that Rev W A Wilson, M.A., minister of New Row Presbyterian Church, Coleraine, had met with a fatal motor accident in France. Mr Wilson, for the third time, was patriotically working among the troops under the auspices of the YMCA, having left Coleraine in December last. His services in France were appreciated to a remarkable degree, and few men were so fully equipped and qualified for the work he carried on in soldiers’ clubs and hospitals. The news was received in Coleraine by Mr Andrew Clarke, J.P., Ballyvally, Coleraine, from Miss Taylor, formerly of Millburn, who is doing duty in France, stating that Mr Wilson had met with a motor accident in the vicinity of Havre, and had expired two hours later. Mr Wilson was a son of Rev A J Wilson, D.D., Malone, Belfast. He came as a licentiate to Coleraine in 1894 as assistant to the Rev Robert Wallace, New Row Church, and so acceptable were his ministrations that in March 1896, he was installed as Mr Wallace’s successor. As a pastor and preacher, he endeared himself to his congregation, and by his ability and broadmindedness won the esteem of all classes. It is interesting to recall that Mr and Mrs Wilson and their two sons, the elder of whom is now a cadet in the army, were on a visit to France in August 1914, and only succeeded after difficulty in getting home on the outbreak of the war.
From Mid Ulster Mail dated 23rd March 1918:
Rev W A Wilson, M.A., minister of New Row Presbyterian Church, Coleraine, has been killed in a motor accident in France. The deceased was rendering excellent service as a YMCA worker amongst the troops, and so acceptable was his work to the military and YMCA authorities that he was specially requested to return to the front for second and third terms. His brother, Rev George Wilson, Ballygoney, is similarly engaged in France. The late Mr Wilson had a brilliant career at Queens College Belfast, Assembly’s College, and New College, Edinburgh. He obtained the degrees of B.A and M.A. at the Royal University of Ireland and on completion of his course was licensed by the Belfast Presbytery in May 1894. On 31st March 1916, he was ordained minister of New Row congregation in succession to the late Robert Wallace. An able and faithful minister, the deceased discharged his duties with outstanding success, and was highly revered in Coleraine. Deep sympathy will be felt for his widow and family and with the sorrowing relatives in Belfast in their great bereavement they have sustained. Mr Wilson leaves two sons, one of whom is a cadet at Queens University Officer Training Corps (O.T.C.), Belfast.
From the Tyrone Courier and Dungannon News dated Thursday 28 March 1918: Killed in France
We regret to announce that a telegram has been received conveying the sad news that Rev W A Wilson, M.A., minister of New Row Presbyterian Church, Coleraine, son of Mr A J Wilson, D.D., Malone, Belfast and brother of Mrs David Brown, Donaghmore, has been killed in a motor accident in France. The deceased was rendering excellent service as a YMCA worker amongst the troops and so acceptable was his work to the military and YMCA authorities that he was specially requested to return to the front for second and third terms. His brother, Rev George Wilson, Ballygawley, is similarly engaged in France. The late Mr Wilson had a brilliant career at Queens College Belfast, Assembly's College, and New College, Edinburgh. He obtained the degrees of B.A and M.A. at the Royal University of Ireland and on completion of his course was licensed by the Belfast Presbytery in May 1894. On 31st March 1916, he was ordained minister of New Row congregation in succession to the late Robert Wallace.
From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 6th April 1918: How Rev William Wilson Died
The Coleraine Chronicle this week gives details of this distressing accident. The late Mr Wilson had spent Wednesday morning in Abbeville, visiting several of the huts there, and set out with Colonel Austin for Le Trepot, a small town on the coast, intending to visit his brother-in-law, Rev F W S O’Neill, M.A., and his brother, Rev George Wilson, B.A. (both workers with the YMCA) later on in the day.
The motor, a heavy duty closed-body Daimler car, was travelling slowly round a gentle curve and down a light incline when it suddenly swerved to the left owing to one of the front wheels having come off and to avoid running into a high bank on that side, the chauffer turned the car towards the right, and then the damaged axle must have ceased to respond , for the car went over the edge of an embankment which formed the right side of the roadway and crashed into a ploughed field some sixteen feet below. It was completely overturned. The chauffeur was killed instantly. Mr Wilson and Colonel Austin were both thrown clear out of the car. The latter escaped without any injury, but some part of the car must have struck Mr Wilson severely on the forehead. Colonel Austin immediately hurried up to the road for help, and meeting a medical officer, he was sent in to hospital at Le Treport in his car, while assistance was speedily despatched to the scene of the accident.
In the meantime Mr Wilson was being attended to by some Belgian soldiers from a small neighbouring camp. They had fetched rugs from the car and had laid him down at the foot of the embankment. He was wonderfully cheery; and when the doctors, who arrived very soon, first saw him, they thought that the wound might be a surface one only. They dressed it hurriedly and when they had the stretcher brought down, Mr Wilson at first refused to be placed on it, saying that if they would help him he would walk up to the road.
In the ambulance on the way to the hospital serious symptoms started to appear. He was taken to No 3 General Hospital (British), and everything was done that was within the power of both doctor and nurse, but he had sustained a fracture at the base of the skull, and he passed peacefully away, with scarcely any suffering, two hours after his admission to hospital.
News was at once sent to Rev George Wilson and Rev F W S O’Neill, also to his younger brother, Captain Charles M Wilson, of the Army Ordinance Department, who hurried to Le Treport. They accompanied his remains, which were conveyed to Harve by motor ambulance. The body rested that night in the hospital on the Quai d’Escale, where he had worked so often among the wounded soldiers coming off the hospital trains and waiting to be taken on board hospital ships for England.
The funeral was a military one, with full honours for the rank of captain, the commission held by all chaplains. A service was held in the Military Chapel in the convalescent camp where he had been a worker on his first visit to France, Captain Mitchell, the Presbyterian chaplain, and professor Paul, of McCrea-Magee College, were the officiating clergy.
The funeral took place in in the Convalescent Camp Cemetery. It was headed by the bands of the Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery. Then followed the general service wagon bearing the coffin, covered with a Union Jack, and with many flowers, the tributes of numerous relatives and friends. The chief mourners were the Rev George Wilson and Captain Charles M Wilson, brothers of the late Mr Wilson; Rev F W S O’Neill, M.A., of Manchuria, his brother-in-law, Miss Violet Taylor and Miss Florence Taylor, cousins of Mr Wilson. Among the others who were present were Colonel Austin, the Chaplain General to the Forces in Harve, the Assistant Chaplain General, Mr McCowan (Chief Secretary of the YMCA in France), Mr Arthur Reade, and many other YMCA workers and friends.
Rev William Andrew Wilson was the brother in law of David Brown. He was a soap and candle manufacturer from Donaghmore, County Tyrone. With his twin brother Robert, David Brown ran the Donaghmore soapworks, then the largest such business in Ireland and famous for their McClinton and Colleen Soap brands.
Memorials
Rev William Andrew Wilson is buried in Ste Marie Cemetery in Le Havre, France. His inscription reads: MINISTER, NEW ROW COLERAINE, IRELAND 1894 - 1918 A MAN GREATLY BELOVED
Rev William Andrew Wilson is commemorated on Coleraine War Memorial.
The CWGC record Rev William Andrew Wilson M.A. as being born at Minterburn, County Tyrone in 1869. He is recorded as the son of the Rev A J Wilson, D.D., Belfast. He is also recorded as the husband of Ellen F Wilson, of Ashbrook, Coleraine, County Londonderry. Finally, he is listed as the Presbyterian Minister of New Row, Coleraine from 1896-1918.
There is lots more information available which is not included in this brief biography.
