Mary Ann Adams

Mary Ann ADAMS was my great great grandmother. Documentation of her birth/baptism or marriage to Patrick WILSON has not yet been found. The first official record of Mary Ann is the birth of their daughter Margaret WILSON on 9 Mar 1864 on Mill Street, Newtownards, County Down. No baptism record has been found. Sadly, Margaret died 15 Apr 1872 (age 8) at the Newtownards Workhouse. There is also a birth record for Margaret's brother, my great grandfather John WILSON, who was born 18 Aug 1866 on John Street, Newtownards. John's record of baptism on 30 Dec 1866 shows that he was baptized at "Newtownards Mission" by the minister of 2nd Newtownards Presbyterian Church.

Newtownards Mission would become Greenwell Street Presbyterian shortly after John's baptism. Greenwell Presbyterian was one of many churches formed because of the 1859 Ulster Revival (Christian, largely Presbyterian). Some of the townspeople had invited William McILWRATH to Newtownards to relate the progress of the Revival as seen by the people of its town of origin, Ballymena, Antrim. McILWRATH was appointed to the Town Mission in Newtownards and initially attended church at 2nd Newtownards Presbyterian. He was a driving force in the building of an additional presbyterian church on Greenwell Street.

After their daughter’s death in 1872, there are no further records for Patrick and Mary Ann until the 3 Apr 1881 Scotland Census where they appear in Kirkintilloch, Dunbarton at 13 Hillhead Street. This record is likely the closest estimate of the birth years for Patrick and Mary Ann, because the age of son John as 14 is proven correct. There were no other family members or boarders living with them to give estimated ages, and it was most likely Mary Ann who gave the information to the enumerator. In this census, all three are listed as born in Ireland; Patrick age 58 (b 1823) and Mary Ann age 54 (b 1827).

Ten years later, on the 5 Apr 1891 Scotland Census, still living at 13 Hillhead, Patrick and Mary Ann’s birthplace is still given as Ireland, and they now have boarders living with them. These are likely the people who estimated their ages. Patrick’s age is given as 58 (again!) (b 1833), and Mary Ann’s age 48 (b 1843). These ages and birth years are likely incorrect.

Patrick and Mary Ann both died at 13 Hillhead, Patrick 25 Feb 1893 of acute enteritis, and Mary Ann on 23 Nov 1899 of chronic bronchitis. Both are interred at Kirkintilloch’s “Auld Kirk Cemetery”.

As the informant on their death registrations, their son John gave Mary Ann’s parents names as Samuel ADAMS and Agnes MARTIN.

FAMILY LORE

There are two stories that were passed down through the family over the years, both unproven.

1. Patrick was Mary Ann’s second husband. Her first was a soldier who died in conflict, name unknown. They had a son named Andrew, known to John WILSON’s children as Uncle Andy, who moved (from Ireland?) to the U.S. at some point.
2. Mary Ann was 2nd cousin to U.S. President Woodrow WILSON through his paternal grandmother Ann (or some say Mary Ann) ADAMS.

WOODROW WILSON

Woodrow’s family was known to be of Scots Irish descent, and his paternal grandfather James WILSON is said to have emigrated to the U.S. from his home in Dergalt, Strabane, Tyrone in 1807 at age 20. He married Ann ADAMS, also of Scots Irish origin, 1 Nov 1808 in Philadelphia. Information from the WILSON Ancestral Home (Historic House and associate with the Ulster American Folk Park) in Dergalt says that Ann ADAMS was born 19 Dec 1791 in County Antrim, although the location is disputed, and no official record of birth or baptism has yet been found.

From the book by the Woodrow Wilson Birthplace Foundation, Virginia in 1966 entitled President Woodrow Wilson’s Irish and Scottish Heritage:

“Anne ADAMS told her children that she lived on the coast, so near that they could see the linen drying on the lines in Scotland.”

If the story of Anne being able to see across the North Channel from her home in Ireland to Scotland was true, she could have lived anywhere along the coast from Torr to Islandmagee in Antrim, or from Donaghadee to Portavogie in Down.