hegnauer.family
H0200 The study's number for this person. Cite it and it will always lead here, whatever the spelling.
· A life in the study

Richard Wilson

Born at Tennessee in 1834 and last recorded at Ball Township in 1880.

born about 1834 at Tennessee, United States died after 1 Jun 1880

Also written Richard S. Wilson

Richard Wilson was born in Tennessee about 1834, the son of Tennessee-born parents.1–2 He and his wife Martha, also from Tennessee, had settled in Arkansas by the late 1850s, and all their known children were born there.1

In 1870 Richard was farming in Flint Township, in Benton County, in the northwest corner of Arkansas, with land worth $400. He and Martha had four sons at home: James, 12; William, 11; Elijah, recorded as "Eiga", 9; and Richard, 7.1 Ten years later the family was in Ball Township of the same county. Richard, now "Richard S." on the census, was farming with his sons James A., Elija D. and Richard A.2 A year later Elijah married Ella Chandler and started a family of his own in Benton County.

What we know

Proven

  • Birth at Tennessee, 1834
  • Marriage to Martha, 1858
  • Death, 1880
  • 2 homes, from the census and other records

What's still open

  • Death. When and where he died is not yet known.
  • Ages. 36 in 1870, but 48 in the 1880 index; the 1880 age has not been checked on the image.
  • Parents. Not yet identified.

Sources

Sources 1–2

1 1870 U.S. Federal Census, Flint Township

1870 U.S. Federal Census, Flint Township, Benton County, Arkansas, post office Hico, p. 233B, dwelling 175, family 180 [reading]: "Eiga" [Eliga; indexed "Eiza"] Wilson (9, male, born Arkansas) in the household of Richard Wilson (36, farmer, real estate $400, personal estate $200, born Tennessee), with Martha (34, keeping house, born Tennessee), James (12), William (11) and Richard (7), all born Arkansas; NARA M593, roll 47; image 4259242_00461; database with images, Ancestry.com.

2 1880 U.S. Federal Census, Ball Township

1880 U.S. Federal Census, Ball Township, Benton County, Arkansas, E.D. 9, p. 336A, dwelling 150, family 160, enumerated [8?] June 1880: Elija D. [indexed "Elisa D."] Wilson (son, 19, farm labor, born Arkansas, father and mother born Tennessee; attended school during the year; cannot write) in the household of Richard S. Wilson (head, 48 [index], farming, born Tennessee, parents born Tennessee), with Martha (wife, 43 [index], keeping house, born Tennessee, parents born South Carolina), James A. (son, 23) and Richard A. (son, 15), both farm laborers born Arkansas; NARA T9, roll 38; image 4239799-00679; database with images, Ancestry.com.

Life in time

about 1834

Birth , Tennessee, United States

proven Sources 1, 2

How we know

Aged 36 in June 1870 (born about 1834) and 48 in the 1880 index (about 1832); born in Tennessee, of Tennessee-born parents, by both censuses. The FamilySearch tree gives 1834. The 1880 age has not been checked on the image.

  1. 1834 Birth about 1834 · Tennessee, United States · proven

    Aged 36 in June 1870 (born about 1834) and 48 in the 1880 index (about 1832); born in Tennessee, of Tennessee-born parents, by both censuses. The FamilySearch tree gives 1834. The 1880 age has not been checked on the image.

    Sources 1, 2

  2. 1858 Marriage, with Martha before 1858 · proven

    Place and date not found. Their eldest son James was born about 1857–58. The FamilySearch tree gives 1855 at "Benton, Saline, Arkansas" without a source seen.

    Richard and Martha are husband and wife in the 1880 census, and in both 1870 and 1880 they head a household of sons born in Arkansas, the eldest, James, about 1857–58 (12 in 1870, 23 in 1880). The marriage is placed before about 1858 on that basis only.

    Sources 1, 2

  3. 1861 Son born: Elijah Daniel Wilson family event

    Their page →

  4. 1870 Residence Flint Township, Benton · proven

    Post office Hico. A farmer with real estate worth $400 and personal property worth $200; with his wife Martha and their sons James (12), William (11), "Eiga" [Elijah] (9) and Richard (7).

    His own line of the 1870 census (image read).

    Source 1

  5. 1880 Residence Ball Township, Benton · proven

    Head, 48 [index], farming; with his wife Martha and their sons James A. (23), Elija D. (19) and Richard A. (15), all farm laborers.

    His wife Martha and three of the sons of the 1870 household, with his Tennessee birth, identify him. Image read.

    Source 2

  6. 1880 Death after 1 Jun 1880 · proven

    Living at the census of June 1880. His death has not been found. The FamilySearch tree and a member tree give 1914, without a source seen.

    Source 2

  • proven
  • family event

Hover or drag along the line, or select a point and use the arrow keys.

Places in this life

3 places, in order
1 2 3
  1. 1 Tennessee, United States Birth about 1834
  2. 2 Flint Township, Benton County Residence 1870
  3. 3 Ball Township, Benton County Residence 1880

Hollow markers are placed approximately, at the town, county or region.

Family

This page Richard Wilson c. 1834–aft. 1880
Wife · m. before 1858 Martha c. 1836–aft. 1880
Son Elijah Daniel Wilson 1861–1912
Pan, zoom and follow the family through the whole study.
Family tree Open this person's page

Loading the tree…
The evidence 5 facts with their grades, 2 sources, and the research notes

Facts

Fact Date Place Grade Sources
Birth about 1834 Tennessee, United States proven 1 , 2
Marriage with Martha before 1858 proven 1 , 2
Residence 1870 Flint Township, Benton, Arkansas, United States proven 1
Residence 1880 Ball Township, Benton, Arkansas, United States proven 2
Death after 1 Jun 1880 proven 2

Research notes

  • Sources: The two censuses were read on the images in the Ancestry survey of Elijah's family (26 September 2026). Nothing else about Richard has been examined.
  • Parent of Elijah (probable): The 1880 census names Elija D., 19, as Richard's son. The identification of that son with Elijah Daniel "Lige" Wilson rests on his name and initial, age, Arkansas birth and Tennessee-born parents, and on the county where he married in 1881. See Elijah's profile.2
  • Name: "Richard S." on the 1880 image. The FamilySearch tree (LHJP-DWK), a member tree and Ancestry's "potential parents" suggestion call him Richard Alfred Wilson (1834–1914). No record seen gives Alfred. His son Richard A. (born about 1865; Richard Alfred Jr., 1865–1943, in the trees) may be the source of the name.2
  • Ages: 36 in 1870, but 48 in the 1880 index; the 1880 age has not been checked on the image.1, 2
  • Marriage: The FamilySearch tree gives 1855 at "Benton, Saline, Arkansas". Benton is the county seat of Saline County in central Arkansas, so this may be a real marriage there or a mistaken standardization of Benton County. Not verified.
  • Children: James A. (born about 1857–58; James Martin, 1856–1906, in FamilySearch), William (born about 1859; William Arch Wilson of Robinson, Arkansas, in a family history), Elijah D. (1861), and Richard A. (born about 1865).1, 2 Only Elijah has a profile in this study.
  • Leads: Ancestry suggests an 1860 census entry (7667/12858297), his own 1880 line (6742/6059159) and a Find a Grave memorial for "Richard Alfred Wilson" (60525/29767870). None has been viewed.

Working notes

  • PROBABLE father of H0046: 1880 census Ball Twp., Benton Co., Ark. (6742/39574778, image read): 'Richard S.' Wilson, 48 [index], farming, b. Tenn., son Elija D. 19; 1870 Flint Twp., Benton Co., PO Hico (7163/12568106): farmer, 36, RE $400, sons James 12, William 11, Eiga 9, Richard 7; FS/member trees 'Richard Alfred Wilson' 1834-1914 (unsourced; 'S.' on the 1880 image); leads: 1860 census 7667/12858297, own 1880 line 6742/6059159, Find a Grave 60525/29767870 (not viewed)

Sources

  1. 1

    1870 U.S. Federal Census, Flint Township, Benton County, Arkansas, post office Hico, p. 233B, dwelling 175, family 180 [reading]: "Eiga" [Eliga; indexed "Eiza"] Wilson (9, male, born Arkansas) in the household of Richard Wilson (36, farmer, real estate $400, personal estate $200, born Tennessee), with Martha (34, keeping house, born Tennessee), James (12), William (11) and Richard (7), all born Arkansas; NARA M593, roll 47; image 4259242_00461; database with images, Ancestry.com.

    Ancestry

  2. 2

    1880 U.S. Federal Census, Ball Township, Benton County, Arkansas, E.D. 9, p. 336A, dwelling 150, family 160, enumerated [8?] June 1880: Elija D. [indexed "Elisa D."] Wilson (son, 19, farm labor, born Arkansas, father and mother born Tennessee; attended school during the year; cannot write) in the household of Richard S. Wilson (head, 48 [index], farming, born Tennessee, parents born Tennessee), with Martha (wife, 43 [index], keeping house, born Tennessee, parents born South Carolina), James A. (son, 23) and Richard A. (son, 15), both farm laborers born Arkansas; NARA T9, roll 38; image 4239799-00679; database with images, Ancestry.com.