Thomas Wilkinson was born in Albion, Edwards County, Illinois, October 18, 1823. His parents, William and Margaret (Kershaw) Wilkinson, immigrated from England to this country and were among the early settlers of Albion. The subject of this memoir was reared on a farm and received a common school education . In 1884 he went to St. Louis, where he learned the trade of bricklayer. He was engaged in this employment, in connection with building and con tracting, for a number of years in St. Louis. In the fall of 1854 he came to Davenport, Iowa, where he engaged in the same occupation until 1857, continuing a partnership previously formed with William McManus. From this time until his death, which occurred December 24, 1876, Mr. Wilkinson was engaged in no active business, his attention being given almost exclusively to the management of his place, which is a part of the well-known Rose Hill farm (the oldest in Scott County), originally owned by Alexander MacGregor.
On the sixth of January, 1853, Mr. Wilkinson was married to Ellen McManus, who was born in Mystic, Connecticut, and is a daughter of the late Hon. James McManus. Their children are: Mrs. Marcius Curtis Smith and Thomas L. Wilkinson. In politics Mr. Wilkinson was non-partisan. He was an independent thinker, and appreciated the fine distinctions which may sometimes be drawn between principles of right and justice and principles of party. In his death Davenport lost one of her most prominent and highly esteemed citizens.
BIOGRAPHIES