and Miss Belford were wards of chancery and under age, and the marriage ceremony, with the consent of both families, took place on 8 July 1797 at Gretna Green and again on 10 March 1798 at St. George's, Hanover Square, London. They had a family of seven sons and six daughters. Of the latter, Jemima married, as his second wife, Admiral Sir Provo William Parry Wallis [q. v.]
There are several engraved portraits of Wilson; one by Ward, from a painting by Pickersgill, represents him in uniform with all his orders; another is by Cooper after Wivell. A miniature was painted by Cosway and engraved by William Holl, and is reproduced for the frontispiece of Randolph's ‘Life.’ He also figures in the well-known painting of the death of Abercromby.
The following are works by Wilson not mentioned above: 1. ‘An Account of the Campaign in 1801 between the French Army of the East and the English and Turkish Forces in Egypt,’ translated by Wilson from the French of General Regnier, with observations, London, 1802, 8vo. 2. ‘Narrative of Events during the Invasion of Russia by Napoleon Bonaparte and the Retreat of the French Army,’ 1812, edited by Wilson's nephew and son-in-law the Rev. Herbert Randolph, London, 1860, 8vo. The introduction gives a brief memoir of Wilson up to 1814; 2nd edit. the same year. 3. ‘Private Diary of Travels, Personal Services, and Public Events during Missions and Employment with the European Armies in the Campaigns of 1812, 1813, and 1814, from the Invasion of Russia to the Capture of Paris,’ edited by the same, London, 1861, 2 vols. 8vo. 4. ‘Life from Autobiographical Memoirs, Journals, Narratives, Correspondence,’ &c., edited by the same, London, 1863, 2 vols. 8vo. This work was never completed, and stops at the end of 1807.
[Besides the materials for a biography supplied by Wilson himself in his works, and in election and other pamphlets, see especially A Letter in reply to Wilson's Enquiry, 1804; Forgues's Guerre de Russie en 1812, 1861; Dupin's Procès des trois Anglais, 1816; Nightingale's Trial of Sir R. Wilson, &c., 1816; see also War Office Records; Despatches; Alison's History of Europe (frequent allusions); Alison's Lives of Lord Castlereagh and Sir Charles Stewart (frequent allusions); Quarterly Review, vols. v. xiii. xvi. xvii. and xix.; Gent. Mag. 1816, 1822, and 1849; Ann. Reg. 1816, 1822, 1830, 1849; Blackwood's Mag. vols. viii. xiv. xvi. xxi. xxii. and xxviii.; Hall's Atlantic Monthly, April 1865; Mayne's Narrative of the Campaigns of the Loyal Lusitanian Legion under Sir R. Wilson, &c., 1812, 8vo; Public Characters, 1806–7, vol. ix.; Burke's Celebrated Naval and Military Trials; Royal Military Calendar, 1820; Royal Military Chronicle, vols. iii. and v.; Notes and Queries, 4th ser. vols. viii. and ix. 5th ser. vols. i. ii. iii. and v.; Tait's Edinburgh Mag. 1849 (obituary notice); Lavalette's Memoires et Souvenirs; London Times, 10 May 1849; Cathcart's Commentaries on the War in Russia and Germany, 1812–13; Londonderry's Narrative of the War in Germany and France, 1813–14; Odleben's Campaign in Saxony, 1813, translated by Kempe; Phillippart's Northern Campaign, 1812–13; Porter's Campaign in Russia in 1812; Walsh's Campaign in Egypt, 1801; Anderson's Journal of the Expedition to Egypt, 1801; Gleig's Leipsic Campaign.]
WILSON, ROWLAND (1613–1650), parliamentarian, born in 1613, and descended from a family established at Gresegarth in the parish of Kendal, Westmorland, was son of Rowland Wilson (d. 16 May 1654) of Gresegarth and London, by Mary, daughter of John Tiffin of London (Visitation of London, 1633–5; Smyth, Obituary, p. 37). The elder Wilson was a wealthy merchant, elected sheriff in 1630, but excused on payment of a fine of 500l. (Remembrancia, p. 18). The younger Wilson was lieutenant-colonel of the orange regiment of the London trained bands, and commanded it in October 1643, joining the army of the Earl of Essex after the first battle of Newbury, and taking part in the occupation of Newport Pagnell. ‘This gentleman,’ says Whitelocke, ‘was the only son of his wealthy father, heir to a large estate of 2,000l. per annum in land, and partner with his father in a great personal estate employed in merchandise; yet in conscience he held himself obliged to undertake this journey, as persuaded that the honour and service of God, and the flourishing of the gospel of Christ and the true protestant religion, might in some measure be promoted by this service, and that his example in the city might be a means the more to persuade others not to decline it. Upon these grounds he cheerfully marched forth’ (Whitelocke, Memorials, 1853, i. 223; Dillon, List of Officers of the London Trained Bands).
Wilson was colonel of the orange regiment in 1646, and in June of that year he was elected member for Calne. Being an independent, he was left out of the committee of the militia for the city of London when that body was renewed in April 1647 (Whitelocke, ii. 136). On 28 Nov. 1648 Wilson, who was a member of the Vintners' Company, was elected alderman of Bridge Within (Remembrancia, p. 18n.) A month later he was nominated one of the commissioners for the trial of Charles I, but refused to act
