Walter Gordon Wilson - credited with inventing the tank.
Wilson Family of Dunardagh, Blackrock
George Orr Wilson born circa 1830 the 3rd son of William Wilson and Rebecca Dupre MacKay of
Daramona and Larkhill Rathmines. He graduated Trinity and was called to the Bar in 1857. He
married Annie Shaw eldest daughter of Lieut Colonel Ponsonby Shaw late of the Madras Army.
They lived firstly at Monkstown before moving to Dunardagh, Temple Road in 1865. George
died on 13.08.1902 at Middlesex and left 42K in personal estate. Anne died 11.05.1917 at
Charton Farningham, the residence of her son Walter.
George Orr Wilson married 24.03.1863 Anne Shaw
born 25.12.1830 Monkstown Church born circa 1848
died 13.08.1902 11.05.1917
Middlesex Kent
1 Hugh Ponsonby Wilson eldest son born 09.02.1864 at Bloomsbury, Monkstown married
Louisa Barbara eldest daughter of Edward Rotherham of Crossdrum, Co Meath on
04.04.1894 at Killeagh Church, Co Meath. Hugh was living at Coolure, Coole, Westmeath.
1 Kathleen Helen Wilson born circa 1895.
2 Gertrude L Wilson born 1897.
3 George E Wilson born circa 1898.
2 William Percival Wilson born 17.02.1866 at Dundardagh fl 1915.
3 Baby girl Wilson born 08.12.1866 prematurely at Dunardagh who only lived a few hours.
4 Helen Dupré Wilson born 22.03.1868 at Dunardagh married Charles Andrew son of Andrew
Johnes Rouse Boughton-Knight a JP and DL of Downton Castle Ludlow on 30.04.1902 at All
Saints Church, Blackrock. They lived at Downton Castle. Helen died at the Queen’s Hotel,
Birmingham on 22.11.1926 and Charles died 21.10.1947 at Downton Castle.
5 Annie Eveline Wilson younger daughter born 22.06.1869 at Dunardagh married Captain
Archibald John son of John Edward Chapman of Monkstown on 28.12.1895 at All Saints
Church, Blackrock. Annie died 08.03.1962 aged 93 years.
6 George Ernest Wilson born 15.06.1870 at Dunardagh.
7 Herbert Stanley Wilson 4th son born 26.03.1873 at Dunardagh enlisted with the Royal Garrison
Artillery and died of wounds13 May 1915.
8 Walter Gordon Wilson born 21.04.1874 at Dunardagh. He was educated as a naval cadel on the
HMS Britannia and at King's College Cambridge. He married Ethel Crommelin Gray at St
Margaret's Westminster on 1 Jun 1904. Ethel was the youngest daughter of Samuel Octavius
Gray of Rudgwick, Sussex. He was a consulting engineer for automobile gas and oil engines.
During WW1 he served in the Tank Corps and was chief of the Design Mechanical Warfare
Department, experimenting on building a trench crossing machine. In 1918 is received the CMG
(order of SS Michael George for important non military service in a foreign country). In 1919 he
and his partner Sir William Tritton, head of the William Foster & Co, a Lincoln firm which
constructed the tanks used at the Somme, applied for and were awarded 15K by the Royal
Commission for War Inventions. He invented the Wilson self-changing gearbox and was the
founder and a director of the Coventry arm of Self Changing Gears Ltd. He died at his home in
Itchen Abbas, Winchester on 30.06.1957.
1 Andrew Gordon Wilson born circa 1906 in Newcastle.
2 Edward Brian Wilson born circa 1908 in Newcastle.
9 Frederick Dunbar Wilson born 21.08.1876 at Dunardagh.
George’s nephew James Mackey Wilson eldest son of his brother James Wilson of Currygrane
Longford married Constant Grace Martha Hughes of The Grove, Stillorgan.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - November 2017
George Orr Wilson born circa 1830 the 3rd son of William Wilson and Rebecca Dupre MacKay of
Daramona and Larkhill Rathmines. He graduated Trinity and was called to the Bar in 1857. He
married Annie Shaw eldest daughter of Lieut Colonel Ponsonby Shaw late of the Madras Army.
They lived firstly at Monkstown before moving to Dunardagh, Temple Road in 1865. George
died on 13.08.1902 at Middlesex and left 42K in personal estate. Anne died 11.05.1917 at
Charton Farningham, the residence of her son Walter.
George Orr Wilson married 24.03.1863 Anne Shaw
born 25.12.1830 Monkstown Church born circa 1848
died 13.08.1902 11.05.1917
Middlesex Kent
1 Hugh Ponsonby Wilson eldest son born 09.02.1864 at Bloomsbury, Monkstown married
Louisa Barbara eldest daughter of Edward Rotherham of Crossdrum, Co Meath on
04.04.1894 at Killeagh Church, Co Meath. Hugh was living at Coolure, Coole, Westmeath.
1 Kathleen Helen Wilson born circa 1895.
2 Gertrude L Wilson born 1897.
3 George E Wilson born circa 1898.
2 William Percival Wilson born 17.02.1866 at Dundardagh fl 1915.
3 Baby girl Wilson born 08.12.1866 prematurely at Dunardagh who only lived a few hours.
4 Helen Dupré Wilson born 22.03.1868 at Dunardagh married Charles Andrew son of Andrew
Johnes Rouse Boughton-Knight a JP and DL of Downton Castle Ludlow on 30.04.1902 at All
Saints Church, Blackrock. They lived at Downton Castle. Helen died at the Queen’s Hotel,
Birmingham on 22.11.1926 and Charles died 21.10.1947 at Downton Castle.
5 Annie Eveline Wilson younger daughter born 22.06.1869 at Dunardagh married Captain
Archibald John son of John Edward Chapman of Monkstown on 28.12.1895 at All Saints
Church, Blackrock. Annie died 08.03.1962 aged 93 years.
6 George Ernest Wilson born 15.06.1870 at Dunardagh.
7 Herbert Stanley Wilson 4th son born 26.03.1873 at Dunardagh enlisted with the Royal Garrison
Artillery and died of wounds13 May 1915.
8 Walter Gordon Wilson born 21.04.1874 at Dunardagh. He was educated as a naval cadel on the
HMS Britannia and at King's College Cambridge. He married Ethel Crommelin Gray at St
Margaret's Westminster on 1 Jun 1904. Ethel was the youngest daughter of Samuel Octavius
Gray of Rudgwick, Sussex. He was a consulting engineer for automobile gas and oil engines.
During WW1 he served in the Tank Corps and was chief of the Design Mechanical Warfare
Department, experimenting on building a trench crossing machine. In 1918 is received the CMG
(order of SS Michael George for important non military service in a foreign country). In 1919 he
and his partner Sir William Tritton, head of the William Foster & Co, a Lincoln firm which
constructed the tanks used at the Somme, applied for and were awarded 15K by the Royal
Commission for War Inventions. He invented the Wilson self-changing gearbox and was the
founder and a director of the Coventry arm of Self Changing Gears Ltd. He died at his home in
Itchen Abbas, Winchester on 30.06.1957.
1 Andrew Gordon Wilson born circa 1906 in Newcastle.
2 Edward Brian Wilson born circa 1908 in Newcastle.
9 Frederick Dunbar Wilson born 21.08.1876 at Dunardagh.
George’s nephew James Mackey Wilson eldest son of his brother James Wilson of Currygrane
Longford married Constant Grace Martha Hughes of The Grove, Stillorgan.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - November 2017