Edward Francis Wilson
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Rev Rev or Rév may refer to: Abbreviations Rev. * Rev., an abbreviation for revolution, as in Revolutions per minute * Rev., an abbreviation for the religious style The Reverend * Rev., the abbreviation for Runtime Revolution, a development environ ...
Edward Francis Wilson (7 December 1844 – 11 May 1915) was a prominent
Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...
and clergyman in the second half of the 19th century.


Life

Edward Francis Wilson (also known as E.F. Wilson) was born in
Islington Islington () is a district in the north of Greater London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the ar ...
,
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on December 7, 1844 to Daniel Frederick Wilson and Lucy Sarah Atkins. His grandfather was Daniel Wilson the Church of England Bishop of Calcutta. Wilson was born into the British upper-middle class and was well acquainted with the Evangelical community in England. Three of his sisters married clergymen and one of his brothers also served as a member of the clergy. Wilson emigrated to Canada in 1865 with ambitions of becoming a farmer. However, upon his arrival he studied at Huron College in
London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...
with the ambition of becoming a missionary in Canada. He was ordained as a
deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...
on December 22, 1867 by the Bishop of London at the Chapel Royal in England. He returned to Huron as part of the
Church Missionary Society The Church Mission Society (CMS), formerly known as the Church Missionary Society, is a British mission society working with the Christians around the world. Founded in 1799, CMS has attracted over nine thousand men and women to serve as mission ...
. Wilson met his wife Frances (Fanny) Spooner in 1863 and they were married on June 3, 1868. They went on to have eleven children. Wilson's early missionary work under the Church Missionary Society was focused on conversion of Indigenous peoples in Southwestern Ontario to the Anglican faith. This work was with Indigenous communities in
Sarnia Sarnia is a city in Lambton County, Ontario, Canada. It had a 2021 population of 72,047, and is the largest city on Lake Huron. Sarnia is located on the eastern bank of the junction between the Upper and Lower Great Lakes where Lake Huron fl ...
, Kettle Point, and Saint Claire First Nation. He also worked with the communities at Sauble,
Cape Croker Neyaashiinigmiing 27 is a reserve within Bruce County, Ontario. It is one of the parcels of land administered by the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation. The name ''Neyaashiinigmiing'' in the Ojibwe language means "at/by the point-of-land po ...
, and
New Credit Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation ( oj, Mazina'iga-ziibing Misi-zaagiwininiwag, ''meaning: "Mississauga people at the Credit River"'') is a Mississauga Ojibwa First Nation located near Brantford in south-central Ontario, Canada. In April ...
. While working in this region Wilson established a network of Anglican catechists to help him with his work. He also established a sewing circle focused on using English fabrics and patterns. In 1871 Wilson moved to the Sault Ste. Marie and
Garden River First Nation Garden River First Nation, also known as Ketegaunseebee (''Gitigaan-ziibi Anishinaabe'' in the Ojibwe language), is an Ojibwa band located at Garden River 14 near Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. The Garden River reserve consists of two non-co ...
region. He was the founding principal of the
Shingwauk Indian Residential School Shingwauk Indian Residential School was a Canadian residential school system, Canadian residential school for First Nations in Canada, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children that operated in Canada between 1873 and 1970 in Sault Ste. Marie, Onta ...
from 1873 until 1892 when he retired from missionary work and moved to British Columbia. He was also responsible for the construction of schools in Batchawana Bay, Nipigon,
Elkhorn, Manitoba Elkhorn is an unincorporated community recognized as a local urban district in the Rural Municipality of Wallace – Woodworth within the Canadian province of Manitoba that held village status prior to January 1, 2015. It was originally incorpora ...
(Washakada Home for Girls and Kasota Home for Boys), and
Medicine Hat Medicine Hat is a city in Southern Alberta, southeast Alberta, Canada. It is located along the South Saskatchewan River. It is approximately east of Lethbridge and southeast of Calgary. This city and the adjacent Town of Redcliff, Alberta, ...
. In 1894 he moved to
Salt Spring Island Salt Spring Island or Saltspring Island is one of the Gulf Islands in the Strait of Georgia between mainland British Columbia, Canada, and Vancouver Island. The island was initially inhabited by various Salishan peoples before being settled b ...
and worked as a pastor to the white local community. He died in
Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. Th ...
in 1915. A cairn commemorating Wilson and his work with the Shingwauk Home currently sits on the front lawn of
Algoma University Algoma University, commonly shortened to Algoma U or Algoma, is a public university with its main campus located in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. With a particular focus on the needs of Northern Ontario, Algoma U is a teaching-focused and s ...
.


Publications

In addition to his missionary work Wilson was a prolific writer and was also responsible for the publication of a number of missionary journals. His work typically appeared under his own name. However, in the 1890s articles appeared in the ''Canadian Indian'' under the pen name Fair Play which are believed to have also been written by Wilson. * * * * * * '' Our Forest Children'', contributor and publisher (1887-1890) * ''
Canadian Indian First Nations (french: Premières Nations) is a term used to identify those Indigenous peoples in Canada, Indigenous Canadian peoples who are neither Inuit nor Métis. Traditionally, First Nations in Canada were peoples who lived south of the ...
'', editor and contributor (1890-1891) * '' Algoma Missionary News and Shingwauk Journal'', editor and contributor (1876-1889) * * * ''The Object of the Bible'' (1914)


Notes


External links


Edward F. Wilson fonds

Shingwauk Indian Residential School fonds
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Edward English Anglican missionaries Anglican missionaries in Canada 19th-century Canadian Anglican priests 1844 births 1915 deaths 20th-century Canadian Anglican priests