Ann (WILSON) WESTABY (1822 - 1902)

Source: Westaby, Ann Wilson. Photograph. Date unknown (c. 1870s - 1880s?). Original photograph believed to be in the possession of David Eden, Bushnell, Illinois. 2008.

Ann WILSON was my husband's 3rd-great-grandmother, and of all our English ancestors, one of the most recent immigrant ones. She was born 22 October 1822 (her family Bible says October 21st), probably in Holton Le More, Lincolnshire, England, the seventh of ten or eleven children born to William WILSON and his wife Maria [--?--]. Ann married George Rice WESTABY of Barrow-Upon-Humber, Glanford Brigg, Lincolnshire 12 April 1850 in Glanford Brigg. I've blogged before about how Ann, George, George's brother Charles, a number of WILSONs and some possible relatives, the MILLTHORPEs, arrived in New York City on 22 May 1822 on the Western World. The WESTABYs made their way to Jo Daviess Co., Illinois, where they lived in the Apple River and Woodbine communities.

Ann and George had seven children: Stephen, Thomas William, Wilson, Mary Maria, George Rice (my husband's ancestor, who always went by his middle name), a child who apparently died young, and James. Only four--Stephen, Tom, Wilson, and Rice--survived childhood. However, they raised Ann's grandnephew, Thomas WILSON, born 28 August 1864, whom Ann brought with her to Illinois after a visit to relatives in England sometime before 1878. Thomas' grandfather is not named in The History of Jo Daviess County, Illinois (published 1878 by H.F. Kett & Co., Chicago); he would have had to have been one of Ann's brothers who survived childhood: Thomas, William, or Robert--although, I suppose it's always likely that Ann's grandnephew was the grandson of one of Ann's sisters, perhaps unmarried: Mary, Sarah, Elizabeth, or Maria (who may have been a niece, not a sister of Ann).

I have another digital copy of a photograph of Ann, taken during her elder years. Not a particularly attractive woman to begin with, this photo shows she suffered from female baldness, whether from genetics or ill health:

Source: Westaby, Ann Wilson. Photograph. Date unknown (c. 1890s - 1902?). Original photograph believed to be in the possession of David Eden, Bushnell, Illinois. 2008.

What Ann did leave behind to her son Stephen when she passed away on 10 March 1902 was her family Bible. Recently, a descendant of hers contacted me after seeing family tree information online, which I had posted. He generously scanned the Bible and sent the scans to me on discs. This was a treasure, because it confirmed and/or corrected written family records that had been handed down without citation through the generations to my husband's maternal grandmother. In addition, it provided a residence for Ann's parents (Holton Le More) which we did not have previously.

Source: Westaby, Ann Wilson, Family Bible Records, 1802 - 1878. The New Testament of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. New York: American Bible Society, unknown date. Privately held by David Eden, Bushnell, Illinois. 2008.



Source: Tombstone of Ann (Wilson) Westaby. Thompson Cemetery, Jo Daviess Co., Illinois. Digital photograph taken by Find A Grave photo volunteer Bonnie Sellig. Digital copy in the possession of Miriam Robbins Midkiff, Spokane, Washington. 2001.