Aquilla Jennings Wilson

 

            My great-great-great-great grandfather was Aquilla Jennings Wilson. In 1800, he moved from Maryland to what would become Independence. According to the History of Kentucky, written in 1922, Aquilla owned about 1000 acres in Independence at the time of his death in 1842. He is buried in Independence Cemetery.

Aquilla was born March 29, 1788. He married his first cousin, Mary "Polly" Wilson. Their children were:

Willoughby
Whiting W
Warner
Emily Ann
Walker H. (my great-great-great grandfather)
Harriet J.
Mary C.
Woodford
Walter

All the boys were given names that started with "W". Upon his death, Aquilla's property was divided up amongst his wife and kids. According to the History of Kentucky (1922), the Wilson family was "a wealthy and prominent English family".

One of Aquilla's great-grandchildren was L.B. Wilson, who founded the original WCKY radio station and owned several Covington movie theaters, including The Liberty, The Lyric (a.k.a. The L.B. Wilson), The Rialto, The Strand, and The Hippodrome.

Submitted by: Jason McDaniel