His reputation was dented by a fraud conviction, and when he was subsequently elected onto the city council once more, five councillors resigned in protest.

[7] His wife was the daughter of John and Isabella Williams, who arrived in Lyttelton with their seven children in December 1850 on one of the First Four Ships, the Randolph.

John Williams was found dead four days after arrival, having possibly died from heat exhaustion.

[6] Her mother Isabella worked as a draper and had a shop on Colombo Street, Christchurch.

[9] Next, he owned the block of land bounded by Cashel, Madras, Lichfield and Manchester streets; this was later known as Bedford Row and is its name to the present day.

[4] In 1876 Wilson was accused of fraud and as it was usual in those days, the court proceedings of well-known people were reported in fine detail in the newspapers.

[13][14] He lost the case on all counts and this brought to an end Wilson's public life, with him resigning from his various roles.

Thomson moved that Wilson be elected as the first mayor of Christchurch, and Tombs seconded the motion.

[2] Although Canterbury was an Anglican settlement, the first three mayors were all Presbyterian Scotsmen; Wilson in 1868, followed by John Anderson in 1869 and Andrew Duncan in 1870.

[26] Three positions were available contested by eight candidates, and James Gapes, Wilson, and Aaron Ayers were returned.

[3] After he split from his wife, he tried to break into her house, but was stopped by Dr John Frankish, his brother-in-law.