Caledonia

NEILSON, James & John

Biographical Note for James NEILSON

Vermont Historical Magazine, No. XI, October 1867, p 381
(extracted from a section on the history of Ryegate, Caledonia County, 
Vermont)

James NEILSON, son of William NEILSON, was born in June 1779. He possessed, 
in a high degree, the confidence of his townsmen. He represented the town 
[Ryegate, Caledonia County, Vermont] five successive years, was justice of 
the peace many years, and held other offices. In 1808 James NEILSON married 
[Miss?] Agnes GIBSON; they had eleven children. His son, Dr. William 
NEILSON, now deceased, was an eminent physician. (From page 380: Dr. 
William NEILSON was a "distinguished physician and surgeon in Cambridge 
[Washington County], New York.") In early life he became a member of the 
Associate [Presbyterian] Church. As a professor he was exemplary. He [James 
NEILSON] died in June 1840, in his sixty-first year. [William NEILSON was 
born in Erskine Parish, Renfrewshire, Scotland, and came to Ryegate, 
Caledonia County, Vermont, in October 1774.]



Biographical Note on John NEILSON [brother of the above James?]

Vermont Historical Magazine, No. XI, October 1867, p 382
(extracted from a section on the history of Ryegate, Caledonia County, 
Vermont; authored by Rev. James M'ARTHUR)

John NEILSON, Esq., died 06 September (1853?) [05 September 1854?] in Ryegate 
[Caledonia County, Vermont], in the seventy-ninth year of his age; he was 
born in the year of the Declaration of Independence [1776]; was the second 
male child born in the town of Ryegate, and therefore intimately acquainted 
with its early history. He was born of religious parents, brought up in the 
fear of the Lord; educated in the principles of the Associate Presbyterian 
church. These principles he espoused some forty years since, in connection 
with the Associate congregation of Ryegate, and maintained them with an 
unwavering faith unto the last. He was an active member of the congregation 
in the weakness of its early history, and in its struggles of a later day 
stood firm in its cause; was liberal in his support of the gospel, and not 
only sound but strong in the faith.

He was ever modest and humble, but under afflictive providences, and in times 
of danger, when others were alarmed and disturbed, calmly and peacefully he 
would say, "We are in the hands of a good providence," and therefore neither 
unduly feared nor murmured. He further manifested his faith by a truly 
Christian deportment in all his relations of life. As a husband, ever tender 
and affectionate; as a parent, maintaining that kindness and intimacy that 
ever endears; as a friend and neighbor, peaceable and obliging; possessing in 
an unusual degree that Christian courtesy and politeness proceeding from a 
kind and generous heart.

Through his long life he was of almost uninterrupted good health, yet he had 
acquired in a high degree the patience of the saints, which is usually 
through much tribulation. This he ever indicated as occasion offered, but 
especially in sickness, a severe attack of which brought him near to the 
gates of death about four years since, and which seemed to have been 
specially designed to discipline his mind and heart preparatory to his last 
illness, which in a few weeks reduced the strong man to the extremity of 
death.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly