Should I just give up now?

[snowyw]

Manchester School Admission Registers 1870-1916
WILSON   Wm Jas   Year of event 1866      Place: Hulme   Lancashire   

There is the transcript & image on FindMyPast.  You need to grab some of the free credits that are available.  Look at the post in the Common Room. 
   

[Marmaduke 123]

Manchester School Admission Registers 1870-1916
WILSON   Wm Jas   Year of event 1866      Place: Hulme   Lancashire   

There is the transcript & image on FindMyPast.  You need to grab some of the free credits that are available.  Look at the post in the Common Room. 

I think this should be William Jno Wilson. It's a night school register, he's 15 yrs 8mths in 1870. Sorry!

Anne

[Romilly]

Yes, - I just signed up for the offer, - opened it... and sadly it's not him.

It was worth a try though, - so thanks for looking.

Cheers, Romilly.

[alpinecottage]

Here is the link for his invention http://worldwide.espacenet.com/

Just click on advanced search on the left side, put Wilson in the inventor's name box and 1896 in the date box, and click search.  The room purifier will be about 4th in the list.  You can then click on it and then see all 3 pages of the submission.  Interesting, though doesnt get you any further forward, but it does illustrate the point I made about how much stuff is out there if only you know where to look!

[alpinecottage]

Above post has been corrected.

[Romilly]

Here is the link for his invention http://worldwide.espacenet.com/

Just click on advanced search on the left side, put Wilson in the inventor's name box and 1896 in the date box, and click search.  The room purifier will be about 4th in the list.  You can then click on it and then see all 3 pages of the submission.  Interesting, though doesnt get you any further forward, but it does illustrate the point I made about how much stuff is out there if only you know where to look!

Gosh, - thanks so much for this alpinecottage!!

I'm sure that I would never have found it by my own devices.

I was feeling so despondent about ever finding anything else on William James Wilson... As you say, it doesn't really take me any further with unearthing his origins, - but it helps to give me more of a picture of the man, as it were.

All Best Wishes for 2013,
Romilly.

[pinefamily]

Happy New Year Romilly,
Having read through this thread, I can see you have explored all of the usual avenues (births, censuses etc.) for your grandfather. In answer to your initial question, no don't give up. It's time to "think outside the square".
I gather that the earliest reference you have for him is the 1893 marriage. Having had no luck looking for him in the census records, have you tried looking for the father? Alternatively, are there any other Wilson's living in and around Swansea in 1901 or 1911 who were born in Manchester? It might pay to follow any of them back through the censuses if possible to see if they link up. Also, it might be worth your while to make up some family groups of the various Wilson families, either born in Manchester, or living there, in the earlier census years. You never know what might turn up.
And have you fully investigated Joseph Havelock Wilson's family background, if only to rule him out?
I know some of these are long shots, and/or time-consuming, but sometimes these exercises pay off.
Good luck!

[pinefamily]

Romilly,
Also, have you tried to find the father in later censuses (1901 or 1911)? Surely there can't be too many William Wilson's who were stonemasons, and of the right age bracket.

[Romilly]

Romilly,
Also, have you tried to find the father in later censuses (1901 or 1911)? Surely there can't be too many William Wilson's who were stonemasons, and of the right age bracket.

Hi pinefamily,

Thanks for your reply.

Yes, I have searched for William Wilson, (Snr) Mason in the earlier Censuses. On my Grandfather's Marriage Cert, (Swansea in 1893) he says that his father is deceased. And so William Wilson, (Mason) must have died prior to 1893.

Romilly.