Timeline
1843
- Born
1853
- Stepfather sold, family moves to Norfolk
1855
1856
- Buying his stepfather’s freedom
1858
- Hired out
1861
- Battle of Bull Run, Richmond Va.
1862
- May 20, released from jail in Richmond, 19 years old
- Body servant for A. P. Grice. who was an officer in Cohoon's Battalion C.S.A. encamped on "Dunn's Hill," near Petersburg.
- Jan. Monroe VA against my will, but I was contented.
1863
- Feb. Waiter at the Exchange hotel & Ballard House Richmond.
- “I was a slave of Geo W. Grice living temporarily — from a military standpoint — at Company shop N.C. R.R. Alamance Co N.C.”
1866
- Civil Rights bill
1867
- “I was in Cherbourg France, a lousy sailor in the US Navy”
1868
- Delegate at the first Republican state convention in Richmond
- June 9 discharged from the Navy, marries his first wife
1870
- January 5, marries second wife, Imogene
- May 10, First black man, Samuel Davis, elected to Portsmouth city council
- October 7, first child born
1871
1872
- first vote 212
- Began work in the Navy Yard, until 1884
- August 26, 1st daughter Emily born
- September 7, “the great revival began at Immanuel”
- October 12, religious conversion
1873
- Member of the City Council
1874
- Becomes a Sunday School teacher
1876
- the Virginia Guards. the first militia company ever organized in the city. was mustered in by Capt John Gibson, Jas. E. Manning was Captain. I was 1st Lieut. and Geo W. Gordon, was 2nd.
1881
- R.G.L Paige, was assistant postmaster at Norfolk, and Capt. John Gibson, was delivery clerk, both of them were colored 348
- Daughter Mary Emily Ophelia dies age 9.
1888
- John C. Asbury, was commonwealth atty. of Norfolk County the only colored man that have ever held it.
1889
- June 24, Mother dies
1893
- June, ran for election “Legislative honors” and lost
1910
- Son Jeffery Wilson Jr. moves to CA
1911
- Blanch arrives in Norfolk they are married 3 days later
1912
- Wendell Wilson is born.
1913
- Sept 23 “Educational Congress”
- Sept 24 segregation ordinance
1924
- Wilson begins opinion column for the Portsmouth Star.
1929
- Wilson is struck by a car
- Wilson dies Aug. 29th 1929