The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1888-08-16
4 PRESIDENTS MOTHER,
IN JIDENTS OF THE FAMILY HIS
TORY
The Maiden Name of the GRANDMOTHER
of President Polk-Her Grave Visit
ed and Described
CharIot!s Chronicts.

Charlotte Chronicle.
In 17l0 one Of the wea]thiest mer-
chants of the city Of Leeds, England,
was Major Wilson The name Ma
ior' was not title but the baptismal
name of this gentleman. He owned
a handsome residence called Mill Hill,
and employed a French artist of note,
Parmentier, TO decorate the rooms
with historic frescoes. The work was
done SO beautifully that crowds flock
ed to see it. and this admiration Of
the public so affected the mind of the
merchants youngest son, Benjamin,
that he determined to become a pain
ter. The merchant, Major Wilson,
failed and his family we're reduced to
poverty. But Benjamin succeeded as
an artist and finally became fhvor-
lite Of the royal family. A son Of Ben
lamin Wilson the artist, became one
Of the most distinguished military men
OF his age, and is known in history
as General Sir Robert Wilson. An
other grandson of the merchant Major
Wilson emigrated to America and
settled near The Cataw ba river. He
then married Miss Mary Winslow, a
sister OF the Hon Moses Winsiow,
whose name is seen i'll ali the earlier
histories of Jnis section. Samuel Will
son, by this marriage, had two daugh-
| ters and several sons. One OF The
daughters, Mary, married Ezekiel
Polk, and it Is her tombstone which
ona Of your correspondents describes
in recent number of the Chronicle
! Yesterday / decided to make q vls-
it to the old family burying grounG.
Alter passing the pump seven milea
south ot Charlotte. we came to tile
dwelling ii miie or Two beyond Of
Ms Jefferson Thrower Here conn
| try road turns OFT To the right, and
after driving some half il mile we ex-
pected to tIuG the grave yard. But
the uuaergroW.h Was so thick that
nothing else was 90 De seen and wa,
about t. give 8p the search whom three
bFight-eyed little bcvs appeared 81
the scene ant On being asked if they
they could show Is the grave yard al
swafed chertuily ooh, yeI ia Push.
ing aside the undergrowth, they punt
ed out one tombstone after another
but not tlat of Mrs. Polk ths on.
We were booking for Al last one dea
little leii.w WHO saw my d,sappoint
ment, sad i'ne blgge., one Is oi
the other side. Following him Will
difficulty, came To the massive saa.
stone slah ailh its lengthy description
from the Latin gnol.'t;on7 snpnos
this cpitapn Was oumppsl,! by Mrs
Polk f,asrpl. hev James " ali,
who succeeded one Eer William
Richardson. uncle and gUardian .
General William Richardson Davi
of historic fame rs pastor OF Pfovi
dence Church Mrs Polk's name
Mary. is here i.atinized into Maria.
Here, unalarmed at deaths !;lz
stroke
Lies Ii this tomb Maria Polk
Ezekiel Polk probably knew moth
ing Of Latin. Has grandson, the Pre-.
idant, @as college, bred ci;,n an
also was his dephew the RI Re,
Leonidas, Bishop OF louisiana Bu
the Folks Of colcnia! times seem I
, have cared little ior education. Man
oi the young men Of this region wer
sent to Princeton y !. for educatio
al that day, but there are no Polk
oa The record Col. Thomas Poll
the reader Of the MeckIenhurg De-
iafAtion. WAS the brother Of Ezekie
, and his two SOFAS IN law, Dr. Epi
Brevard and Gov. Nat AlexaEde
were both graduates OF Princeton. SIR
polk's sister. Nioles Wilson, tnarrie
, Mai .Iohn Davidson, and we hof
inst her numerous defendants wi
, i.ot l,t ii. interesting old grave h
lost II N. T.