William Wilson, the pioneer ancestor of this family, emigrated from Stewardstown, County of Tyrone, Ireland, in 1732, when 19 years of age. The Town of Stewardstown is in the parish of Donagheny in the province of Ulster and eighty-two miles northwest of Dublin, long noted for its very superior linen cloth.
Nancy East, living in Middletown, Ohio, reflects on her past as a slave on a Virginia plantation. Her parents, both from Virginia, experienced relatively kind treatment from their masters, the Lett and Mosley families. She fondly recalls the security of her childhood, contrasting it with her current concerns about the behavior and opportunities available to today’s youth. Despite her modest home equipped with modern conveniences, Nancy longs for the values and work ethics of her past, lamenting the decline of discipline and responsibility among younger generations.