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siastical constitutions which were so much approved, that 
lord chancellor King said of them, that “ if the ancient dis¬ 
cipline of the church were lost, it might be found in all its 
purity in the Isle of Man.” Bishop Wilson, chiefly with a 
view to the interest of religion and morality, was anxious to 
maintain a due regard to episcopal authority, and this anxiety 
led him in two instances to exceed the bounds of prudence 
and propriety. When some copies of the “ Independent 
Whig” had found their way into the island, he ordered them 
to be seized, apprehending that they inculcated sentiments 
hostile to Christianity and the established church. He also 
involved himself iu difficulties and incurred reproach by ex¬ 
cluding from the communion the wife of the governor, on 
account of an act of defamation, for which she refused to ask 
pardon of the injured party. This led to a serious alterca¬ 
tion with the governor, who fined both the bishop and his 
two vicars-general, for suspending his chaplain for disobe¬ 
dience in admitting the wife to communion, and who ar¬ 
rested them for refusing to pay the fine. Accordingly they 
were kept close prisoners in the castle for nine weeks, till the 
bishop, by application to the council in England, obtained 
their release. The pious and mild-tempered bishop after¬ 
wards declined prosecuting the governor for damages. From 
his piety and attachment to the church, he was honoured in 
1707, with the degree of D.D. from the university of Oxford, 
in full convocation, and in which he was afterwards aggre¬ 
gated at Cambridge. 
Such was the bishop’s zeal for doing good, that he would 
not quit the sphere assigned him for this purpose, though he 
was offered an English bishopric; in reference to which cir¬ 
cumstance queen Caroline, directing her attention to Wilson, 
among a number of other prelates who happened to be at 
court at the same time with him, said to them, “ Here, my 
lords, comes a bishop whose errand is not to apply for a 
translation, nor would he part with his spouse because she 
is poor.” His character was in such estimation with the 
French minister, that he procured an order that no French 
privateer should commit ravages on the Isle of Man. In this 
retired situation his life was prolonged to his 93d year, when 
he calmly expired in March, 1755, leaving one surviving 
son, known in the political world as rector of St. Stephen’s, 
Walbrook, and patron of the celebrated historian, Mrs. Ma- 
cauly. After his death a collection of his works was pub¬ 
lished in two vols. 4to. 1781. His notes to Crutwell’s Bible, 
which was published under the bishop’s name, in three vols. 
4to. 1785, are of little value. The translation of the New 
Testament into the Manks language, which he had under¬ 
taken, was completed by his successor. Dr. Mark Hillesley. 
— Biog. Brit. Life prefixed to his Works. Gen. Biog. 
WILSON (Dr. John), a native of Feversbam, in Kent, 
was a gentleman of Charles the First’s chapel, and servant in 
ordinary to his majesty, in the character of chamber-musi¬ 
cian. His instrument was the lute, upon which he is said 
to have excelled all the Englishmen of his time; and, ac¬ 
cording to Ant. Wood, his royal master was so pleased with 
his talents, and had even such a personal regard for him, 
that he not only listened to him with the greatest attention, 
but frequently condescended to lean or lay his hand on his 
shoulder, while he was playing. 
The compositions of Dr. Wilson will certainly not bear 
a severe scrutiny either as to genius or knowledge. It is, 
however, not easy to account for the ignorance in counter¬ 
point which is discoverable in many lutenists of these times; 
for having harmony under their fingers, as much as the per¬ 
formers on keyed instruments, it facilitates their study, and 
should render them deeper contrapuntists than the genera¬ 
lity of flute-players, whose flimsy compositions are prover¬ 
bial. 
On the surrender of the garrison of the city of Oxford, 
1646, Dr. Wilson left the university, and was received into 
the family of sir William Walter, of Sarsden, in Oxford¬ 
shire ; but, in 1656, he was constituted music-professor, and 
had lodging assigned him in Baliol college, where, being as¬ 
sisted by some of the royalists, he lived very comfortably, 
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exciting in the university, according to A. Wood, such a 
love of music, as in a great measure accounts for that flou¬ 
rishing state in which it has long subsisted there, and for 
those numerous private music-meetings, of which this writer, 
in his own life, has given such an amusing relation. At the 
Restoration, Dr. Wilson was appointed chamber-musician to 
Charles II. j and, on the death of Henry Lawes, 1662, was 
again received into the chapel-royal, when, quitting the uni¬ 
versity, he resided constantly in London, till the time of his 
decease, at near 78 years of age, in 1673.— Burney. 
WILSON, a township of the United States, in Niagara 
county. New York. 
WILSON, a county of the United States, in West Tennes¬ 
see, on the south side of the Cumberland. Population 
11,952, slaves 2297. 
WILSON, Point, a cape on the west coast of North 
America, in the gulf of Georgia. Lat. 48. 10. N. long. 237. 
31. E. 
WILSON’S PROMONTORY, a remarkable projecting 
headland, being a lofty cape of granite, about 20 miles long 
and from 5 to 14 in breadth, and the southernmost point of 
the island of New Holland. Lat. 39. 11|. S. long. 146. 
24. E. 
WILSONTOWN, a village of Scotland, in Lanarkshire, 
in the parish of Carnwath; 23J miles south-west of Edin¬ 
burgh, and 8| east of Lanark, erected by Messrs. Wilsons 
of London, to accommodate the workmen at their extensive 
iron foundry at this place. 
WILSONVILLE, a township of the United States, in 
Wayne county, Pennsylvania, in the Lexawacsein; 120 
miles north of Philadelphia. 
WILSTER, a town of Denmark, in Holstein, near the 
Elbe. It has a small trade in corn and cattle, and several 
distilleries. The surrounding district is, from it, called Wil- 
stermarsch; 34 miles north-west of Hamburg. Population 
about 1600. 
WILSTER, a river of Holstein, which is properly a 
branch of, or separation from, the river called Cudensee. 
It falls into the Stor, and is navigable for small craft. 
WILSTHORPE, a township of England, in Lincolnshire; 
5 miles north-west of- Market Deeping.—2. A hamlet in the 
East Riding of Yorkshire; 3 miles north-by-wesfc of Brid¬ 
lington. 
WILSTON, or Willesthornf., a hamlet of England, 
in Hertfordshire; 2 miles north-west of Tring. 
WILSTON, a hamlet of England, in Leicestershire; 6| 
miles north-east of Ashby-de-la-Zouch. 
WILTHEN, a large village of Germany, in Saxony, situ¬ 
ated on the borders of Lusatia, to the south of Bautzen; the 
scene of a battle between the French and allies, in May, 1813. 
WILTON, a parish of Scotland, in Roxburghshire, lying 
on the banks of the Teviot, and containing 5000 acres. 
Population 1307. 
WILTON, a borough and market town of England, in 
the county of Wilts, is situated in a broad and fertile valley, 
near the confluence of the rivers Nadder and Wily. It is a 
town of great antiquity, and is supposed by some writers to 
have been the chief seat of the British prince Carvilius, and 
afterwards to have constituted the capital of the West Saxon 
dominions. It was undoubtedly a place of consequence an¬ 
tecedent to the Norman conquest, and appears to have been 
favoured at different times by the Saxon princes. It con¬ 
tinued for many ages after the conquest, famous for its mo¬ 
nastic institutions, and particularly for its abbey, which was 
founded in 773, by Wulstan, earl of Wiltshire. This was 
dissolved by Henry VIII., and no portion of its buildings are 
now standing, though they were at one time of considerable 
extent and grandeur. At the free school 25 boys are clothed, 
educated, and allowed ten pounds when put out as appren¬ 
tices. Wilton, though decayed in extent and population, 
as well as in importance, still retains many of its ancient pri¬ 
vileges. It is a borough both by prescription and by charter, 
and is governed by a corporation of its own, consisting of a 
mayor, recorder, five aldermen, three capital burgesses, and 
eleven 
