East New Market

Notable People and Families

Ambrose Augustus Wilson

From - The History of Preston: Dora Mitchell, pp 185-6

Jacob Charles Wilson died at his home on March 27, 1851 and was buried in the East New Market Cemetery with his second wife.  In his will he named Turpin Wright to be his executor and the guardian of his son, Ambrose.  Jacob left his home and farm on Painter's Range and his farm in Talbot County to his only living daughter, Mary Virginia P. Wilson; a farm near Vienna in Dorchester County and two lots in Easton to his son, Ambrose; and bank stock and money to his wife and other three sons, James Henry, Jacob Charles and Oscar. Wilson directed that his mills and other properties be sold.  One record states that the son, James Henry Wilson, was dead by 1857.

Shortly after Wilson's death, his widow, Clara (called Clarey) and probably the two small children, moved to Milford, Delaware.  By 1860 Clarey and the two sons were living in East New Market very near Ambrose.  Clarey elected to take her dower rights rather than the provisions in Jacob's will. She sold the Bull's Eye house in Easton to Perry Stevens of Talbot County, formerly of Caroline. See page 52.  She sold her dower rights in the Upper Hunting Creek Mills to Job D. A. Robinson and in the Hog Creek Mill to Joseph Mowbray. Clara M. Wilson died on February 3, 191? and was buried in Milford, Delaware. Her son, Jacob C. Wilson, married Sarah McCoy in 1873. They are both buried in Milford.

Ambrose Augustus Wilson inherited a farm near Vienna and the two lots on the southeast corner of Washington and Dover Streets in Easton where his father's store stood. The buildings on these lots were destroyed during the fire of 1855 and the land was later sold to Henry H. Goldsborough.

Ambrose Wilson moved to Dorchester County and taught school in Linkwood.  He married Sophia L . Houston, daughter of John T. and Mary Houston, of East New Market.  The Houstons had at least five other children: Elizabeth, who married George Stapleford; Clementine, who married Henry Waggaman; Theodore F. Houston ; Joseph Houston; and John T. Houston, Jr., who died young.

The 1860 Dorchester County Census lists Ambrose as a farmer and shows him and his family living in East New Market and several of Sophia's brothers and sisters living in the household. Ambrose and Sophia Wilson had five children:

1. Edna married a Matthews and one of their granddaughters is Mrs. Eglseder of St. Michaels.

2. Mary married a Collison.

3. Lillian married John Vincent, the station-agent for the railroad at Linkwood.

4. Louise married Winfield M. Brohawn.

5. Elizabeth married Edgar S. Gore. One of their daughters married Leland Bradley, son of William Carl and Laura Virginia Williams Bradley of Hurlock and a descendant of John Bradley of Linchester.

Ambrose A. Wilson was shot and killed by Francis (Frank) L . Thomas at the railroad station in Linkwood on June 20, 1896; his wife died on December 19, 1905, and both are buried in the East New Market Cemetery.