Son of James Wilson and Elleander Shelfer

Married Edna Sargent Pender, 16 November 1821, Montgomery, Tennessee. She died June 1829, Edwards County, Illinois. Children - Ervin Riley Wilson, Alfred Gideon Wilson, Mary Elizabeth Wilson, Palace Ann Wilson.

Married Martha Kelly, 12 December 1830, Edwards County, Illinois. Children - Mary Catherine Wilson, Eleanor Wilson, Sarah Ann Wilson, Melvina Wilson, Sylvester Wilson, Thomas Wilson, Elijah Nicholas Wilson, Francis Marion Wilson, Martha Jane Wilson, Jeanette Wilson, Harriet Wilson, Elias Wilson, Hyrum Wilson, James Henry Wilson.

History - Elijah Wilson was born in Jones Co. North Carolina 14 Feb 1801. Son of James and Eleanor (Eleanor Nelly) Shelfer.

Soon after his birth, the family moved to Tennessee, in what was then known as Rutherford Co., in 1807. In 1807 they moved into Bedford Co., Tennessee. In February 1830 they sold their land in Bedford and moved into the State of Illinois, where Elijah married his second wife, Martha Kelly Lynch, on 12 December 1830 in Edwards Co.

His 1st wife died in 1829 following the birth of her 4th child. Elijah and Edna Pender were married about 1822 in Bedford County, Tennessee.

This left Elijah with 3 small children, Ervin 7, Alfred 5, and Elizabeth age 2. A year later, on 12 December 1830, he married Martha Kelley, the widow of Daniel Lynch, who had one child, Milton Lynch born on 28 October 1828.

Elijah and Martha joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the same time. Their baptism date was recorded as 1835.

Elijah Wilson was made a bodyguard of the Prophet Joseph Smith and was active as such during the mobbings and persecutions of the Saints in Missouri and Illinois. With the Saints, they were driven from Jackson Co. to Clay Co., and from there to Nauvoo. Elijah was with the Prophet Joseph Smith when the prophet was murdered, and Elijah assisted in the burial of Joseph and Hyrum Smith.

Most of the first 8 children of Elijah and Martha were born in Nauvoo, one being born in Edwards County, Illinois, and one in Davis County, Mo. Their expulsion from Nauvoo followed the birth of Frances in 1844. Their next four children were born on the plains in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. These were four little girls; Martha and Mary - twins, Janet and Harriet. Here we find the family listed in the 1850 census of Iowa.

Elijah later became a captain of a company that he led across the plains to Utah. The family was sent to help settle the town of Grantsville, Tooele County, 1852, where they lived at the time of the war with the crickets. Here their 13th child Elias, was born 17 December 1852. Three years later their last and 14th child, James Henry, was born on 9 April 1855. James Henry was 5 years old when his father died, on 15 January 1860.

When James Henry was born, "Uncle Nick", Elijah Nicholas, was living with the Indians, returning one year later. For a good description of their pioneer life in Grantsville, read Uncle Nick's book, "The White Indian Boy, Uncle Nick Among the Shoshones."

The family was large and the living conditions were very hard. Despite the hardships, their father was a good, religious man, faithful in the priesthood, attaining the office of a High Priest, on 6 April 1849, according to the family records of Thomas L. Craghead and his wife Harriet, daughter of Elijah.