WILSON, Sir Frederick William
Frederick William Wilson was born at Scarning, Norfolk on 26 March 1844, second son of William Wilson of the Manor House, Scarning, a Liberal tenant farmer and one of the founders of the 'Norfolk News', and his wife Eliza née Turner, eldest daughter of Z. S. Turner of Scarning, who married by licence at the Independent Chapel, Dereham, Norfolk on 14 January 1840. Frederick was educated at Wymondham grammar school and indentured to Norwich printer Jacob Henry Tillett (1818-1892), Member of Parliament for Norwich 1868–80 and editor of the 'Norfolk News'. In 1861, Wilson was a 17-year-old apprentice printer, lodging at the home of George Chandler, grocer & draper, at Wensum Street, Norwich after which he went as an assistant on the 'Liverpool Daily Post'. At the age of 21, Wilson came to Ipswich as editor of 'Ipswich Express', 'Colchester Times' and 'Suffolk Mercury' then at 21 Upper Brook Street trading as F. W. Wilson & Co. and in 1874, with the financial assistance of Jeremiah James Colman (1830–1898) of Norwich, founded the 'East Anglian Daily Times'. He moved the offices to 17 Carr Street and in 1887 opened purpose–built premises further along the road at 13 Carr Street. He married at Forest Hill, Lewisham on 8 September 1870, Mary Elizabeth Capps (1847-15 December 1925), youngest daughter of Edward Capps, an architect of Park Road, Forest Hill. In 1871, Wilson was a 27-year-old journalist of Upper Brook Street, Ipswich with his 23-year-old wife Mary, born at Borham Wood, Hertfordshire. Printer & publisher of the East Anglian Daily Times 1875–1892, a position he passed to Thomas Richards Elkington as printer & publisher, with Wilson as the proprietor, still trading as F. W. Wilson & Co. In 1890, his home addresses were Altern House, Tuddenham Road, Ipswich and High Row House, Felixstowe, he also had his family home at The Dale, Scarning, Norfolk. In 1894 Wilson was elected president of the Newspaper Society of the United Kingdom, JP for Suffolk 1894, and presided at the formation of the Felixstowe Golf Club in 1880 for which he was Hon. Secretary in 1888 and of the Felixstowe Rifle Club in 1900. Liberal MP for mid–Norfolk 1895–1906 and president of the Institute of Journalists 1907 being knighted the same year. An amateur painter and a member of the Ipswich Art Club from 1878 until his death but have found no exhibits. Sir Frederick William Wilson was of Scarning, Norfolk when he died on 26 May 1924 and his wife died at Foxgrove Lane, Felixstowe, Suffolk the following year.