JOHN WILSON, a farmer of Clear Lake township, is a native of Scotland, and was born at Dumfries, February 1, 1821. His father was James Wilson, and his mother Jane (Frood) Wilson, both born in Scotland. Dumfries, the birthplace of John Wilson, will be remembered as the burial place of Robert Burns, and the elder as the burial Wilson was one of the number who attended the funeral of the great Scotch bard, who after his death became famous, as one of the world's greatest poets. They had a family of six daughters and two sons, all born in Scotland; emigrating to this country in 1844, they settled in Clear Lake township, where he bought land. Mr. Wilson died December 1, 1872, in buffalo Hart township, and Mrs. Wilson's death occurred February 3, 1861. John Wilson came with his parents to this country, when twenty-two years of age, and is therefore essentially American, both by education and adoption. He was raised on a farm, received a good education, and when quite young formed a co-partnership with his brother-in-law, in conducting a farm, and at the close of the fourth year severed the co-partnership, and to the present time has continued in agricultural pursuits. On January 30, 1851, which he well remembers as being a very cold day, Mr. Wilson was united in marriage with Miss Mary Cooper, a daughter of Merideth Cooper and Polly (Wichter) Cooper, of Williams township, this county, who were early pioneers, and came from Tennessee to St. Clair county, Illinois, as early as 1817, where mrs. Wilson was born July 28, 1822, and came with her parents to Sangamon county, in 1823. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are the parents of three children, Annie, now Mrs. Edwin H. Agee; James M. and Thomas W. James M. is a graduate of Cornell University, and at present, is attending Rush Medical college, Chicago. Mr. Wilson has held several local offices of trust, as supervisor and justice of the peace, and has been school treasurer for twenty-four years; has always acted with the Democratic party, and is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Like most of the early pioneers of a new country, mr. Wilson began with almost no capital, and with that energy and integrity so characteristic of the hardy Scotch race, from which he sprung, has accumulated a fine estate, on which himself and wife live, in comparative retirement, enjoying the fruits of their well directed efforts, surrounded by a cultured and contented family.