9 
Sir Jamb Wilson . 
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studied under Mr. Thomas Walton, the father of Mr. Walton - 
Wilson, of Sliotley Hall, Northumberland. At the age of 
eighteen, Mr. Wilson proceeded to the Royal Agricultural 
College, Cirencester, of which, at that time, Mr. Haygarth was 
Principal, and in 1855, after one and a half years’ course of 
study, he obtained a diploma in all the science subjects under 
examination, being one of the first two to obtain this distinction. 
He remained at Cirencester for a further period of six months, 
holding during that time the position of Honorary Farm 
Bailiff, the highest post of honour which it was possible for a 
student to obtain, and also acting as Curator of the Veterinary 
Department under Professor (now Sir) George Brown. 
Shortly after leaving Cirencester he went to Switzerland to 
act on a Commission for laying out an estate in that country 
on the English system. This task being successfully accom- 
plished he returned home to assist his father, who had a few 
years previously removed from Crackenthorpe Hall to Woodhorn 
Manor, a large farm near Newbiggin, on the Northumbrian 
coast. There Mr. Jacob Wilson devoted his talents and 
energy to the study of the leading principles of agricultural 
mechanics, and in 1857 his father’s harvest was cut down by 
a self-delivery reaping machine. In the following year (1858) 
he won a first prize at a great trial of reaping machines in 
N ortliumberland. 
Thirsting for still further honours, lie shortly afterwards 
proceeded to Edinburgh and submitted himself to the examina- 
tion of the Highland and Agricultural Society, in which he 
was successful in winning the first agricultural diploma ever 
awarded by that body, being the only one out of four com- 
petitors to obtain this distinction. In 1863 he gained further 
laurels at the hands of the Highland and Agricultural Society 
by winning their special prize for the best report on the 
subject of reaping by machinery. 
In the very earlv davs of steam cultivation Mr. Wilson 
recognised its possibilities, and showed his practical interest in 
this direction by purchasing the second pair of 10 horse-power 
engines that were sold by the manufacturers for agricultural 
purposes. 
In 1855 he attended his first Roval Show at Carlisle. With 
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one or two exceptions he was present at every Meeting held 
since that date. On December 5, 1860, he became a member 
of the Royal Agricultural Society, and from that period, 
in spite of his many and varied interests and his extensive 
private business, his life’s work may be said really to have 
centred around his connection with this Society. In 1863 he, 
in conjunction with the late Mr. Clare Sewell Read, acted 
as Judge of Steam Cultivation at the Worcester Meeting of 
