James Charles Wilson
(1816-1861)
Mier Expedition member (1842-1843)
Died aged c. 45
Wikidata WikipediaJames Charles Wilson (24 August 1816 – 7 February 1861) was an early settler of Texas and later a state legislator. Wilson was born in Yorkshire, England, on August 21, 1818. He immigrated to the Republic of Texas in 1836. In 1842 he joined in the ill-fated Somervell Expedition. Captured while serving with the company, he managed to escape on 30 July 1843. He lived in Brazoria, Texas where he became district clerk before representing Calhoun, Jackson, Matagorda, and Wharton counties in the House of Representatives of the Third and Fourth Legislatures from 1848 to 1853. In 1856 he became commissioner of the Court of Claims. In addition to his legal career, Wilson also served as a Methodist minister. He died in Gonzales on 7 February 1861. Wilson was originally buried in Askey Cemetery near Gonzales but later was moved to the Texas State Cemetery in Austin. Wilson County, Texas, is named in his honor.
DbPedia
Commemorated on 2 plaques
Texas Historical Marker #02717
James Charles Wilson. When this county was created in 1860 by the Eighth Texas Legislature, it was named for Texas patriot James Charles Wilson. A native of England, Wilson (1818-1861) left his homeland in 1836 and by 1839 had settled in Brazoria County, Texas. He studied law there under Judge John W. Harris and future Governor Elisha M. Pease, and boarded with former Provisional Governor Henry Smith. Wilson had a multifaceted career while a resident of the state. As part of the ill-fated Mier Expedition in 1842, he was held in a Mexican prison until escaping in 1843. He returned to Brazoria County, where he served as editor of the "Brazos Planter" and a district clerk. After obtaining his law license in 1844, Wilson had a successful law practice, was elected to the Texas Senate, and became Commissioner of Claims to settle problems arising from land grants given under the colonization laws of Spain and Mexico. During the last years of his life, James C. Wilson moved his family to a homestead near Gonzales, where he continued to practice law and was licensed to preach in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Upon his death in 1861, Wilson was buried in the family cemetery near Gonzales but was later reinterred in the State Cemetery in Austin. (1985) #2717
1420 Third Street, Floresville, TX, United States where they lived near
Texas Historical Marker #05855
Wilson County. Wilson County created February 13, 1860; organized August 6, 1860; named in honor of James Charles Wilson 1816-1861; member of the Mier Expedition; district clerk of Brazoria County, 1844; Senator from Matagorda County; Floresville, the county seat. #5855
1420 Third Street, Floresville, TX, United States where they lived near