Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Wilson, John (1800-1849)
WILSON, JOHN (1800–1849), Scottish vocalist, son of John Wilson, coach-driver, was born in Edinburgh on 25 Dec. 1800. At the age of ten he was apprenticed to a printing firm, and was subsequently engaged with the Ballantynes, where he helped to set up the ‘Waverley Novels.’ During the building of Abbotsford he was often chosen as one of the armed messengers who had to ride weekly to Tweedside with money to pay the workmen. He conceived an early liking for music, studied under John Mather and Benjamin Gleadhill of Edinburgh, and was a member of the choir of Duddingston parish church during the ministry of John Thomson (1778–1840) [q. v.], the painter. For some time he was precentor of Roxburgh Place relief church, where his fine tenor voice drew great crowds, and from 1825 to 1830 he held the same post at St. Mary's Church, Edinburgh. After this he devoted himself entirely to music teaching and concert giving. He studied singing in Edinburgh under Finlay Dun [q. v.], and afterwards in London under Gesualdo Lanza [q. v.] and Crivelli, taking harmony and counterpoint lessons from George Aspull [q. v.] In March 1830 he appeared in Edinburgh as Harry Bertram in ‘Guy Mannering,’ and was subsequently engaged in other operas—notably in Balfe's, in some of which he created the principal part—at Covent Garden and Drury Lane. His acting was, however, somewhat stiff, and he abandoned the stage to become an exponent of Scottish song; in that character he appeared before the queen at Taymouth Castle in 1842. His Scottish song entertainments, both in this country and in America, were an immense success, and brought him a large fortune. He died of cholera at Quebec on 8 July 1849. David Kennedy [q. v.], the Scottish vocalist, restored his tomb there, and made a bequest for its permanent preservation. Wilson published an edition of ‘The Songs of Scotland, as sung by him at his Entertainments on Scottish Music and Song,’ London, 1842, 3 vols.; and ‘A Selection of Psalm Tunes, for the use of the Congregation of St. Mary's Church, Edinburgh’ (1825), in which appears the popular tune ‘Howard,’ generally attributed to him, although it is anonymous. He composed several songs, notably ‘Love wakes and sleeps,’ and at his entertainments introduced many which, though unclaimed, are understood to be his own.
[Love's Scottish Church Music; Baptie's Musical Scotland; Dibdin's Annals of the Edinburgh Stage; Grove's Dict. of Music; Hadden's George Thomson, the Friend of Burns, p. 249; Baird's John Thomson of Duddingston; Records of Canongate Parish, Edinburgh; information from the late James Stillie, Edinburgh.]