THE HALLOWES GENEALOGY


LORTON ALEXANDER WILSON

M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P.


  Lorton Wilson was born at Skipton in Craven, on the 10th. August 1879. His father was John Forsythe Wilson, M.D., at that time a doctor in Skipton; and his mother was Mary Jane, daughter of the Rev. John Hanna, The Presbyterian Minister of Carntall. His brother Charles also became a doctor and eventually was personal physician to Winston Churchill, being raised to the peerage as 1st. Lord Moran of Manton in 1943 (the subject of at least two biographies, he also wrote an account of his ministration, “The Anatomy of Courage").
  Wilson was educated as a scholar at Epsom College, then went to Owen's College, Manchester University: he qualified MRCS, LRCP in 1907. His own notes state that he was a Medical Referee with the Ministry of Pensions, 1919-46; Hon. Sec. Barrow Panel Committee 1913-15 and 1919-46; a Member of Barrow Insurance Committee 1914-15 and 1919-46; Hon. Sec. Furness Div., B.M.A., 1922-46, and Chairman 1930. President , North Lancs. and S. Westmorland Br., 1931. He was a Governor and Hon. M.O. of the Barrow War Memorial Convalescent Home from its inception until 1941.
  At the outbreak of the Great War he was Civil Surgeon in the Barrow Garrison. He joined the R.A.M.C.(T.A.) as a Lieutenant (1/3/1915) att. 2/5th. Border Regt, and was promoted Captain 10/10/1915. During Feb-Mar 1917 he was in France as M.O. 2/6th. King's (Liverpool) Regt. After the was he was att. 4th. King's Own (Royal Lancaster) Regt. until 1922 when he retired on reaching the age limit. In WW2 he was Deputy Chairman, Barrow Recruiting Board 1939-46, and M.O. i/c Troops and C.R.S. Barrow for about three years during the course of the war. He also served in the Home Guard (1st. County of Lancaster (Barrow) Bn) as Major and M.O.1. He retired again with the hon. rank of Major 31.12.1945.
  He was a Fellow of the Society of Genealogists, and a Fellow and Founder Member of the Irish Genealogical Research Society.
  Lorton Alexander Wilson was one of the most industrious private genealogists of the Twentieth Century. His collected papers fill more than twenty loose-leaf binders; this writer has found examples of his distinctive handwriting and almost equally distinctive Typewriter in archives all over England, the main depositories being the Irish Genealogical Research Sociery and the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. Most of the material in this database down to the late 50's is copied from these archives.

A far more comprehensive biography, including family pictures, is now on line at

The Berry Website


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latest updates 4/2/2007