William and Mary Wilson Family

William B Wilson and Mary Polly Huff Family

William B. Wilson Family Birth Record

The above record was written on a piece of paper by William's daughter-in-law, Minnie Pearl Hatfield Wilson, and tucked in her family bible. She was incorrect about William's middle name -- all other documents record his middle name as "B" or "Benton". This is the only source we have for the birthdates of all of the children in the William B. Wilson family. The birthdates for the family match with other sources such as census records, court records, death records, obituaries, etc.

Below is the information I have gathered so far for the WILLIAM B. WILSON FAMILY:
He died in 3 Jul 1920 in Orr, Love, Oklahoma. He was buried in July 1920 in Reck Cemetery, Carter, Oklahoma.

Marriage Record for William B Wilson and Mary Huff

William had married Mary "Polly" Huff, daughter of Matthew B. Huff and Theodota Day, on 7 Dec 1858 in Collin County, Texas.  Mary was born on 15 Jun 1840 in Grayson County, Virginia. She died about 1899 in Greever Canyon, Woods, Oklahoma. She was buried in Chester Cemetery, Woods, Oklahoma.

Mary was most often called "Polly" - a popular nickname for Mary.  She had beautiful red hair.  Family tradition says that Polly was a very loving, kindhearted, gentle woman.  She never got mad and was very patient.

Polly became blind in middle age--so she never able to "see" her son, Charles Bee Wilson.  Pardon papers for her husband, W.B. Wilson, refer to Polly several times as being blind.  One pardon request, ca 1889, stated that Polly had been blind for seven (7) years.  It is not known what caused her blindness or if she could partially see or if she was totally blind.
To see a small hymn book that belonged to Polly, click here.  She gave it to her son, Charles to carry with him when he worked as a cattle drover.

In the 1870 Census (Collin County, Texas, Weston Twp) Mary Polly is living with her in-laws, James and Martha Wilson. (James, 55 yrs, TN; Martha, 54 yrs, SC; Mary, 30, VA; William, 8 yrs, TX; James, 4 yrs, TX; Laura, 2 yrs, TX.) This census would fit with the scenario that Maymie Wilson Martin gave of her grandfather: That after he returned from fighting in the civil war, he was never able to settle down to farming and he would go off gambling for months at a time leaving Polly to care for the children on her own.

William joined the Civil War on 12 Feb 1862 in Weston, Texas.  He was in Company "K" 6th Texas Calvary, CSA and served for over three years or until the end of the war. Since he was living in Oklahoma, William received a small confederate pension from the State of Oklahoma.

Below are notes from interviews with some of William's grandchildren:

•  Telephone interview 25 Jul 1986 with Granddaughter, Margaret Means Williams:  "Grandpa Wilson was in the Civil War for 4 years. When I asked him if he killed any Yankees he said, 'I killed as many Yankees as they killed me.' Grandpa Wilson is buried at Reck Cemetery, there is no headstone."
• Telephone interview 14 Aug 1986 with Grandson, Joe Baily Means:  "Grandpa Wilson received a Civil War pension. He fought in 4 or 5 major battles. He never got shot at all. He lived in Georgia and Tennessee before Texas. Grandpa was called Willie."
• Letter from Grandson Champ Means, 29 Nov 1979:  "Grandpa did fight in the Civil War in the Cavalry. He furnished his own horse which ran away in the first battle through enemy lines and back through without injury to him or the horse. After the war he was discharged and received small pension. Died of high blood pressure - stroke. Lived about a year after."
• Granddaughter Maymie Wilson Martin said that her grandparents lived in Greever Canyon, which is east and a little north of Estelle, Oklahoma. Estelle no longer exists. That part of Woods County became Major County in 1907.  After William came home from the war, he never settled down to farming. He would go off gambling drinking for months at a time. He also liked horse racing. He told stories to his grandchildren of Sam Bass and the Denton Mare.

On 20 Feb 1888, W. B. Wilson was convicted of Horse Theft (a serious crime in Texas) in Collin County, Texas and sentenced to five (5) years in the Texas State Penitentiary. He was incarcerated in Rusk Penitentiary. An application for pardon was started in behalf of W. B. Wilson in the spring of 1889 by concerned citizens of Collin County. There were numerous letters requesting the pardon -- from the sheriff, judge, county attorney, etc. Also a petition signed by over 200 residents of Collin. The application states a hardship case for William B. Wilson's family -- His wife, Polly, was blind and had a large family to care for. William also had an aged father to help care for. William escaped in January 1890 before the pardon was granted in May of 1890.

William and Polly Wilson Children 

1. William David Wilson was born on 29 Sep 1862 in Collin County, Texas.  It is not known when or where he died.  William was two years old when his father returned from the Civil War. He left home as a teenager and worked as a cattle drover on cattle drives. He also supposedly worked on the 101 Ranch.

Family Legends about "Outlaw Bill":

From niece Margaret Means Williams: "Bill was an outlaw.  He knew the Youngers and James gangs.  Later he went to Mexico and was never heard of again.  The family thought the Mexicans had killed him."

Great-Niece Maymie Wilson Martin: "He was an outlaw -- killed first man when he was 12 yrs old. Had 22 or 23 notches in his gun.  He liked to gamble and never settled down and never married that anyone knew of."

Nephew Joe Baily Means: "Was Dad's old buddy and partner in many crimes. Known as Billy Wilson.  Uncle Bill caught with Frank Younger and served 5 years in Kansas Prison. After he got out no one ever heard from him again."

Interview with Elmer L. Martin:  "Two men had a rope tied across an alley between two houses and knocked Uncle Bill off his horse when he rode into the rope. Uncle Bill killed both of them. Uncle Bill gave a handkerchief to a girl at a dance. A cowboy took it away from her and then Uncle Bill shot him."

Federal court documents have been found, where a William Wilson and John Means were convicted of Larceny and giving liquor to the Indians in Indian Territory.  

2. James Ervin Wilson was born on 17 Mar 1866 in Collin, Texas, United States. He died on 20 Nov 1941 in Ringling, Jefferson, Oklahoma. He was buried on 23 Nov 1941 in Reck Cemetery, Carter County, Oklahoma.

Family story as told by Maymie Wilson: "Jim's first marriage was while he was a young man to a woman named Rose (maiden name unknown). A traveling salesman came by and spent the night with Jim and his wife, Rose. The next day while Jim was working in the fields, the salesman stopped to say goodbye and told Jim that he had a really nice wife. Jokingly Jim told the salesman that he could have his wife for 2 bits. When he came in from the fields, Jim found that his wife Rose was gone, and that there were 2 bits lying on the table. Jim never saw or heard from his wife Rose again.

James later married Melissa King (King was her married name -- maiden was Harmon) on 2 Oct 1900 in Woods County, Oklahoma Territory. Melissa was born in 1855 in Indiana. She died on 8 Jul 1938. 

Jim and Melissa had no children of their own.  Melissa had one son from a previous marriage that Jim helped to raise.

3. Laura May Wilson was born on 10 May 1869 in Collin, Texas, United States. She died on 19 May 1938 in Ringling, Jefferson, Oklahoma. She was buried on 20 May 1938 in Reck Cemetery, Carter, Oklahoma. 

Laura married John Newton Means on 30 Dec 1890 in Tussy, Indian Territory, Oklahoma. John was born in 1853 in Alabama. He died on 1 Jan 1936 in Ringling, Jefferson, Oklahoma. He was buried in Reck Cemetery, Carter, Oklahoma.  Laura and John had seven children; five of them living to adulthood.  

4. Doris Belle Wilson was born on 5 Jun 1871 in Texas. She died in 1893/1898 in Wyoming.

Doris married John Robert Fanning, son of William H. Fanning and Mary Large, about 1890 in Chickasha Nation, Oklahoma. John was born on 16 Aug 1865 in Gainsville, Cooke, Texas. He died on 31 May 1932 in Petersburg, Wrangell-Petersburg, Alaska.

Doris and John had three children, a son and two daughters.  The son died as an infant.

5. Charles B. Wilson was born on 6 Apr 1876 in Collin County, Texas. He died on 16 Dec 1951 in Cortez, Montezuma, Colorado. He was buried on 20 Dec 1951 in the Cortez Cemetery, Montezuma County, Colorado.

Charles was called "my little Honey Bee" by his mother. The name "B" stuck and he was called that most of his life. He went by Charles "B" Wilson, except for the Family Bible entry which gives his name as Charles Venton Wilson. His mother, Mary, was started going blind from before his birth and was never able to clearly see him. 

Charles met Pearl Hatfield at a dance in Estelle, Oklahoma. She was 16 and he was 26 years old.  Charles married Minnie Pearl Hatfield daughter of Martin Monroe Hatfield and Nancy Abbagel McNeil on 14 Dec 1902 in , Woods, Oklahoma. Minnie was born on 27 Apr 1886 in Smith Center, Smith, Kansas. She died on 22 Feb 1966 in Cortez, Montezuma, Colorado. She was buried on 24 Feb 1966 in the Cortez Cemetery, Montezuma, Colorado.  

Pearl and Charles had eight children -- six of them living to adulthood.  Grandma Maymie is their oldest daughter.  They raised their family in Oklahoma and in Utah, where Charles homesteaded land.
Charles B. worked on cattle drives around Santa Fe and Santa Rose, NM until he got married. He may have been "wanted" for stealing horses. There was a wanted posted for him at one time, according to some family members.

6. Rose Lee Wilson was born on 11 Jun 1879 in Texas. She died about 1901.

Rose married Daniel Bailey Baugh. Daniel was born on 4 Apr 1874 in Dade County, Missouri. He died on 18 May 1950 in La Junta, Otero, Colorado. He was buried on 20 May 1950 in Minneapolis Cemetery, Baca, Colorado.

Rose and Daniel had one son, William Leonard Baugh.

7. Mary Lillian Wilson was born on 18 Feb 1882 in Texas. She died on 30 Nov 1915 in Oklahoma.  Mary married John L. Marrs, son of Joseph L Marrs and Delia, on 20 Mar 1898 in Estelle, Woods, Oklahoma. John was born on 16 Jan 1876 in Iowa. He died on 6 Jul 1963 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He was buried in Jul 1963 in Mtn. Pleasant Cemetery, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.  Mary and John had five children.  Her son Charles was married to Stella Barnes. 

Sources for this family can be found on Ancestry.com.  Contact me and I can send you a FREE invite to the Wilson family tree on Ancestry.com.