John Gill Wilson b. 15 Aug 1829 Green Township, Richland, Ohio, United States d. 23 Apr 1903 Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States: Oswald Family History

1829 - 1903 (73 years)

Personal Information | Notes | All | PDF

Name	John Gill Wilson
Birth	15 Aug 1829	Green Township, Richland, Ohio, United States
Christening	06 Jun 1856	Richland, Ohio, United States
Gender	Male
Death	23 Apr 1903	Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States
Burial	25 Apr 1903	Hyrum City Cemetery, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States
Person ID	I312684222074	Oswald Genealogy
Last Modified	15 Jun 2025

Father	Bradley Barlow Wilson, Jr, b. 11 Oct 1806, Milton, Chittenden, Vermont, United States d. 12 Jan 1874, Ogden, Weber, Utah, United States (Age 67 years)
Mother	Agnes Polly Hunter, b. 27 Dec 1811, Pennsylvania, United States d. 07 Feb 1886, Ogden, Weber, Utah, United States (Age 74 years)
Family ID	F3016	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Family 1 Lucy Benson, b. 31 May 1831, Clinton, Indiana, United States d. 06 Mar 1914, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 82 years)

Marriage 06 Jun 1852 Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States

Children

	1. John Barlow Wilson, b. 28 Mar 1853, Springville, Utah, Utah Territory, United States d. 29 Apr 1869, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 16 years)
	2. Alva Benson Wilson, b. 07 Feb 1855, Ogden, Weber, Utah Territory, United States d. 10 Jun 1938, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 83 years)
	3. Cecelia Deseret Wilson, b. 24 Oct 1856, Ogden, Weber, Utah Territory, United States d. 17 Sep 1896, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 39 years)
	4. Orson Moroni Wilson, b. 01 Oct 1858, Ogden, Weber, Utah Territory, United States d. 22 Jul 1945, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 86 years)
	5. Ezra James Wilson, b. 25 Nov 1860, Ogden, Weber, Utah Territory, United States d. 23 Dec 1945, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 85 years)
	6. Boletta Wilson, b. 16 Mar 1863, Hyrum, Cache, Utah Territory, United States d. 01 Apr 1952, Delta, Millard, Utah, United States (Age 89 years)
	7. Charles Henry Wilson, b. 16 Apr 1865, Hyrum, Cache, Utah Territory, United States d. 13 May 1914, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 49 years)
	8. Marrion Wilson, b. 18 Oct 1867, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States d. 07 Nov 1867, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 0 years)
	9. William Clark Wilson, b. 09 Jan 1869, Hyrum, Cache, Utah Territory, United States d. 14 Aug 1938, Shelley, Bingham, Idaho, United States (Age 69 years)

Family ID F3003 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Last Modified 15 Jun 2025

Family 2 Polly Elvira Benson, b. 28 Jan 1839, Far West, Caldwell, Missouri, United States d. 25 Nov 1928, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 89 years)

Children

	1. Alma Gill Wilson, b. 11 Nov 1858, Ogden, Weber, Utah, United States d. 24 Jan 1935, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 76 years)
	2. George Gamaliel Wilson, b. 11 Jun 1860, Ogden, Weber, Utah, United States d. 16 Oct 1954, Malad, Oneida, Idaho, United States (Age 94 years)
	3. Emma Wilson, b. 11 Mar 1863, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States d. 30 Dec 1897, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 34 years) [Father: unknown] [Mother: unknown]
	4. Cynthia Adeline Wilson, b. 16 May 1865, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States d. 21 Mar 1953, Ogden, Weber, Utah, United States (Age 87 years)
	5. Elvira Wilson, b. 18 Oct 1867, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States d. 29 Nov 1867, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 0 years)
	6. Frank John Wilson, b. 18 Dec 1869, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States d. 05 Jan 1951, Blackfoot, Bingham, Idaho, United States (Age 81 years) [Mother: unknown]
	7. Marie Wilson, b. 27 Apr 1871, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States d. 28 Apr 1871, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 0 years)
	8. Keziah Wilson, b. 27 Apr 1871, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States d. 27 Apr 1871, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 0 years)
	9. Joseph Wilson, b. 06 May 1872, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States d. 10 Sep 1960, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 88 years)
	10. Alice Wilson, b. 28 Nov 1875, Hyrum, Cache, Utah Territory, United States d. 19 Jan 1961, Providence, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 85 years) [Father: unknown] [Mother: unknown]
	11. Lycurgues Wilson, b. 23 May 1877, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States d. 25 Apr 1883, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 5 years)
	12. Isaac Jefferson Wilson, b. 23 Aug 1879, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States d. 03 May 1962, Ogden, Weber, Utah, United States (Age 82 years)

Family ID F3002 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Last Modified 15 Jun 2025

Notes

personal history
John G. Wilson was the first son of Bradley Barlow and Agnes Hunter Wilson. They were baptized May 13, 1836 in Green Township, Richland County, Ohio. They resided there until August 30, 1837 when they imigrated with the Saints to Caldwell County, Missouri, arriving there the 28th day of October 1837. On February 8, 1838 they left with the Saints expelled from Missouri. They stayed in Adams County one year before continuing their journey to Commerce (later to be named Nauvoo), arriving there in the year 1839. The lived in the same town as the Prophet Joseph Smith for nearly seven years. In a life sketch written of John Gill many interesting incidents which occured at that time are related. On one occurence, "while he and his brother Henry were driving the cows to a pasture they met the prophet. They had with them a little dog. The prophet began throwing rocks at the dog to tease it. The dog became very angry and barked at the prophet. John began to call the dog back so that it would not bite the prophet (and afterwards John said that if it had been anyone but the Prophet Joseph, he would have sent the dog after him for teasing). After a while the prophet turned to the boys saying, "You have a very plucky little dog, boys, he will stand up for his rights."
John Gill heard the Prophet Joseph speak a number of times. He related an incident of the prophet meeting Gilbert Belnap. " He sized him up and then challenged him to wrestle. The prophet learned to love Belnap from that day on. He practically took him into the family. Later when the mob was making plans to take the prophet, he asked Belnap to join the mob pretending to be one of them, and gain their confidence, then take their plans to the prophet. He acted his part well and was selected as a secretary to the group, but they found out what Belnap was up to, and as the mob pursued him, he placed his hands on the horse and prayed that it would get him safely to the prophet. His prayers were answered and he revealed the plans to Joseph Smith."
When the Prophet Joseph Smith gave his last address to the Nauvoo Legion, John G. was one of the congregation. This was the time the prophet unsheathed his sword and said, 'I will call God and the angels to witness that I have unsheathed my sword with a firm and unalterable determination that this people shall have their legal rights and be protected from mob violence or my blood shall be spilt upon the group like water and my body consigned to the silent tomb.' A few days later his blood was shed and his body and his brother Hyrum lay in state in the mansion house. John G., who was then 15 years of age, was among the thousands who passed through the house and viewed the bodies."

When the family left Nauvoo for Zion, they spent their first year at Bonaparte on the DesMoines River. While the family resided in Bonaparte, John G. worked six months on a steamboat on the Mississippi River. He was only 16 years of age then and was often abused and mistreated by the rough sailors. He later related that they were the roughest company of men he had ever been in his life, because of their swearing and taking oaths. He soon learned when to speak and when to keep silent. From his life sketch, the following incident is recorded. Some of the Wilson boys were eating dinner aboard the steamboat. On the table were some potatoes boiled with the skins on. One of the sailors while passing turned the steam on the boys, the Wilson blood boiled up and one of the boys threw a soft potato, hitting the sailor in the back. He came back swearing and threatened to kill the one who did it. But the boys would not tell which one of them had thrown the potato."

In 1847 the Wilson family moved on to Garden Grove where they resided until 1851, and then on to Council Bluffs, Iowa. At winter quarters just across the river the saints were making preparation for coming to Utah. There was plenty of time near at hand and grass for the cattle. In the winter of 1851-1852 Ezra Taft Benson was sent from Salt Lake City to rally the saints and preach immigration. He traveled from settlement to settlement preaching and planning the work. The meeting house was turned into a carpenter shop where work was provided for all the men and some of the boys in making wagons and other necessary things for the journey. Father Bradley Barlow Wilson was a cooper and wheelright by trade. Hiis son, John Gill. worked with him in this wagon shop. Here he met and courted Lucy Benson, daughter of Alva Benson and Cynthia Vail. They were married June 6, 1852 by Elder Levi Bracken and on June 28, 1852 started west crossing the Missouri River on the 29th. John G. Wilson was the first of the Wilsons to come to Utah. He came with Alva Benson. They had two light wagons, two yoke of oxen and two cows. John and Lucy had but one cow and a few articles of personal clothing. There were twelve of the Benson family in those two wagons -- traveling in Uriah Curtis' Company. Everything went well until July 12 when many in the camp were stricken with cholera. Brother Bracken and Sister Matthews died before they arrived in Pacific Springs. James Benson (sister to Lucy) and others came to meet the imigrants with provisions for the company, which were gladly received. They arrived in Salt Lake Valley September 29, 1852, all in good spirits. They then traveled south to Springville, Utah County, Utah where they were received by other relatives and friends, Clark Judy and wife, James Benson and Ira Allen.

John G. Wilson built a little cabin in Springville. The door was to the north, a window to the south and a chimney and fireplace in the east. He and his wife moved into it in December 1852. The furniture was very crude, consisting of stools made of blocks of woods, a bedstead built of poles driven into the ground and fastened to the wall. And an old chest or box which served for a table. Later, other and better furniture was added. On March 28, 1853 their first son, John Barlow as born. During the spring of 1853 a large garden was planted. Everything was going well until July when an Indian war broke out. An Indian was whipping his squaw, and a white man came to her rescue striking and killing the Indian with a shovel. This resulted in a war betrween the Indians and the pioneers. John G. and others stood guard at night and worked during the day. At one time he was called to Spanish Fork to stand guard. When harvest time came the houses were pulled into a fort. The men carrried their rifles with them out to the fields to protect themselves from the Indians. John G. used to tell a story of a white man who was working in his field in Springville at the time. Suddenly an Indian jumped up in front of him. After a short talk between them, the white man explained to the Indian that men couldn't go to the canyon to get wood and the Indian pointed out an oxen with a long crooked horn and told the white man that if he would drive the oxen and wear a straw hat he could go to the canyon to get wood and the Indians did not harm him." (Life Sketch of John G. Wilson", written & received from Jim Wilson 7/9/93)