Elizabeth was born 14 Mar 1800 about the time her family removed from Cabarrus County to then Rutherford County NC. Her parents are Charles and Phereby Osborne Love. Elizabeth married 18 Jan 1818 Thomas Wilson. Born 1 Dec 1795, he is the son of John Sr. and Margaret Elizabeth Wilson. Before the end of their first year of marriage, Thomas and Elizabeth were blessed with the birth of a son they named Charles Jackson Wilson. Near the divide of Rutherford and Lincoln County, Cleveland County was later formed in the area where Thomas and Elizabeth lived.
Thomas Wilson petitioned the estate of Elizabeth’s deceased father at some point in the 1830’s. The exact date on the aged document is no longer fully visible. However, this is one of a few papers surviving that marks the death of Charles Love. Dated 6 Oct 1847, Elizabeth’s brother James Love and brother-in-law William Hendrick sold land (C-137, Rutherford NC) to Thomas Wilson. Though the transaction appears in the Rutherford County deed book, the document states that all of the parties lived in the newly formed Cleveland County. James Love and William Hendrick sold their interests in "two separate tracts of land belonging to the estate of Charles Love, deceased." One tract was 102 1/2 acres and the other contained 78 acres. This transaction was witnessed by Richard Champion and D. Birchette.
The 1850 Cleveland County census enumerates members of the extended Wilson Family living next door to each other:
1850 Cleveland County Thomas Wilson 54
Elizabeth Wilson 50
Osborn Wilson 28
Aversa Wilson 23
Thomas Wilson 1/12
Moses Wilson14
Drury R. Wilson 12
Phillip D. Wilson 10
Elizabeth Wilson 08
Mary L. Wilson 041850 Cleveland County James Wilson 19
Elizabeth Wilson 18
James M. McGraw 22 (Baptist Clergy)1850 Cleveland County Elizabeth Wilson 60
Breaking from their Methodist roots, the Love family in Cleveland County held deeply to the teachings of the Baptist church. First evident in the above census, we see a young minister living next door in the home of Thomas Wilson’s son. Thomas Wilson himself died shortly after the 1860 census. Writing his last will and testament dated 20 May 1861, Thomas Wilson mentioned numerous tracts of land including mills situated on a branch of Hickory Creek. He also named his children and indicated several had already received their share of the estate. Thomas Wilson died three days after putting down on paper his last wishes. He is buried near his parents at the Wilson Family Cemetery located on Peach Street in Shelby, NC.
Elizabeth Wilson lived out her life as servant to family and community. In 1870 she is enumerated living with her daughter. She spent many hours along the ridge under a great oak where she watched over cattle in the pasture. This was her place for quiet contemplation. She and a neighbor lady were worried and sought to right wrongs growing from industry and development along nearby bottom land. Their prayers were answered when Elizabeth stepped forward and donated land for the construction of a church. And named in her honor, Elizabeth Baptist Church stands as the spiritual home for many generations raised in eastern Shelby, North Carolina. As appears at the top of this page, Elizabeth Love Wilson’s descendants donated a wonderful oval portrait that once hung in the family home. And today, each and every Sunday, the minister must pass under the protective gaze of Elizabeth as he enters the pulpit.
Recently my mother and I visited Elizabeth Baptist where a member of the staff led us to the portrait. Steeped in our own heritage and traditions, we had no idea of what we might find. I had grown up hearing stories of my mother’s grandfather who is fondly known as “good eye John E. Love.” And I had also heard of an earlier ancestor named Jonah Askew Love. He too possessed the same trait characterized by the drooping eye. So there we stood, away from home and gazing into the eyes of a relative we had never met. We did the math and realized Elizabeth was actually close kin. The feeling was good. Elizabeth’s father was the brother of Jonah Askew Love’s father. Though living far from each other, Elizabeth and Jonah were first cousins. And the comparison of the above with a portrait of Jonah Askew Love illustrates the special family trait. Can it be found in your family line?
Elizabeth Love died 23 April 1899 and is buried at Elizabeth Baptist Church. Though at rest in the Wilson family cemetery, a marker at the church also memorializes the life of Thomas Wilson. Below is a photographic collage depicting Elizabeth’s grave and the wonderful church named in her honor.
The children of Thomas and Elizabeth Love Wilson are:
A. Charles Jackson Wilson
Named for his grandfather, Charles was born December 1818. Not named in his father’s will, it appears Charles died prior to 1861.
B. Barbara Wilson
Born 30 Jan 1820, Barbara Wilson married 9 Dec 1841 Samuel Posten. Barbara died 26 Jun 1855. As appears in his 1861 last will and testament, Thomas Wilson expressed the following wish:. . . and my grand children, the children of Samuel Posten are to received the distributive share to which their mother Barbara Wilson would have been entitled to were she living.”
C. Christopher Osborn Wilson
Born 11 Dec 1821, Christopher was named for his great grandfather Christopher Osborn who died in the 1780’s Mecklenburg County NC. Christopher married first 3 May 1849 Arvazenia J. Cornwell. Born ca. 1830, she is the daughter of Samuel and Sallie Beam Cornwell. Sallie died 7 Jun 1869 and is buried at the Wilson family cemetery on Peach Street in Shelby. The children of Christopher and Arvezenia are:A. Samuel Thomas Wilson He was born 1 Aug 1850 and died 30 Jul 1889. Samuel married 25 Aug 1870 Amelia E. Justice. Samuel is buried at Elizabeth Baptist Church cemetery.Following the death of his frist wife Arvezenia, Christopher married 24 Oct 1869 Elizabeth Cornwell. Dated 15 Mar 1883, C. O. Wilson wrote his last will and testament. He first bequeathed to wife Elizabeth the southern half of the home tract including “my mansion house, mills & and all out houses.” He further stipulates use os the land for the benefits raising his youngest son Doctor Osborne Wilson He then names in full his remaining children. Christopher died 22 Jul1883 and is buried at the Wilson Cemetery on Peach Street.
B. Sarah Elizabeth Wilson Sarah was born 14 Dec 1851 and married Frelan Alvertus Tidwell. She died 2 Nov 1931 and he followed on 3 May 1943.
C. Emeline Parmelia Wilson Emeline was born 13 Mar 1854 and died 7 Oct 1854.
C. Matilda Alice Wilson 538. Matilda was born 5 May 1856. She married in 1873 Ephraim C. White. Ephraim died 18 Jun 1907 and Matilda died 7 May 1942.
D. Mary Ollie Wilson 539. Mary was born 31 May 1859 and married Lance Hopper. Shedied 16 Jan 1948 and is buried at New Hope Baptist, Cleveland County NC.
E. Columbus Jackson Wilson Columbus J.was born 28 Apr 1861 and married to Corline.
F. Phillip Ramseur Wilson Phillip was born 18 Jun 1863 and died soon after on 3 Jun 1865.
G. William Walker Wilson Born 8 May 1865, William married Alice Cornwell. William died 7 Jul 1935 and Alice died 22 Mar 1952. They are buried at Elizabeth Baptist church.
H. Doctor Osborne Wilson Doctor O. Wilson was born 18 Apr 1867 and died 6 Jun 1920. He married 9 Jan 1895 Lillie Putnam.
D. Sarah Wilson
Born 18 Oct 1823, Sarah married 14 Oct 1847 James Posten.
E. John Thomas Wilson
Born 17 1825, John Wilson died 28 Sep 1849.
F. Samuel Alexander Wilson
Born 20 Jun 1827.<>G. James Franklin Wilson
Born 11 Nov 1829, James served as first lieutenant in CSA Co. H, 34th Reg. NC. He died while in service ca. 1862.
H. William Maxwell Wilson
Born 7 Oct 1831, William died 12 Jan 1850.
I. Moses Wilson
Moses was born 8 Aug 1835. He was enumerated as fifteen years of age in 1850. He received from his father’s estate a tract of land known as the Warlick Place.
J. Drury Ramsour Wilson
Born 25 Jul 1837, Drury was not living at home at the time of his father’s death. Drury died 1 Jul 1862.K. Phillip Dobbins Wilson
Born 23 Dec 1839, Phillip died 2 Nov 1921.L. Elizabeth Margaret Wilson
Born 15 Mar 1842, Margaret married William D. Gaston. She died 9 Oct 1860 just prior to her father’s writing of his will. Thomas Wilson wrote: “I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth Gaston the Negro girl named Hasty and her increase to be disposed of by her husband W, Gaston as he considers fit.”
M. Mary Love Wilson
Born 17 Jan 1846, Mary Love Wilson married 27 Aug 1860 William McK Mittag. Appearing in the Yorkville SC newspaper, the announcement for their marriage reads:William McK Mittag served as first lieutenant in CSA Ca. H, 34th Reg. NC.On Tuesday 28th of August, by Joseph Mccosh, Esq., Mr. William McK. Mittag, of Lancaster Court House, S. C., and Miss Mary Love Wilson, daughter of Thomas Wilson, of Cleveland County, N. C.
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