By 1871 John and Ann had moved to 2 Fort Terrace, Bridlington Quay where they kept a lodging house; the curate of Bridlington Quay and his family were amongst their lodgers.

John and Ann had seven children:

Thomas Wilson, born in Ellerker at 3:20am on 9th March 1857, married but had no children Louisa Wilson, born in Ellerker at 10:20pm on 15th January 1859, died on 5th April 1903 in Sheffield, married (1) Charles Henry Woodhead (born in 1849, died in 1885 in Sheffield) on 28th December 1880, (2) Joseph Hall (born on 22nd March 1856 in Sheffield, died on 16th September 1937) on 21st September 1892 Henry Wilson, born in Ellerker at 7:20am on 14th November 1860, married but had no children Annie Mary Wilson, born in Ellerker at 5:45pm on 11th January 1863, married John W Oldham, they had four children Elizabeth Wilson, born in Ellerker at 10:50am on 2nd December 1864, died on 16th August 1961 in Woodbridge, Ontario, married Ernest Gibson Bellamy on 6th December 1891 Alfred Wilson, born in Bridlington at 7:45am on 26th August 1866 John Major Wilson, born in Bridlington at 12:00pm on 22nd October 1870

The 1879 Post Office Directory describes John as a 'lodging & boarding house keeper, auctioneer, licensed appraiser & agent to North British & Merchantile Fire & Life Assurance Co. of 1 & 2 Fort Terrace, Bridlington Quay' and in the 1881 Census their address was Wilson's Boarding House, Bridlington Quay. By 1891 John's auctioneers' business had moved to 5, The Promenade, Bridlington. Ann Wilson died in Spalding in 1900.

The 1909 Post Office Directory lists John Major Wilson as a private resident at 47 Trinity Road, Bridlington. This may be John senior but could possibly be his son John Major Wilson junior. The same directory has an entry for 'Wilson, John Major, auctioneer & valuer, Marshall Avenue, Bridlington' this must refer to his son who took over the business after his mother died in 1900.

Elizabeth Wilson's daughter Kathleen Allatt (nee Bellamy) noted that:

'John Major Wilson (JMW) was in business at Bridlington and had in turn, a boarding house (the name was painted on the house), a stationery shop, a rink(?), the building was known as the Wilson building until recently, but has now been pulled down, and an auctioneer's business. When he retired in about 1900 his son John Major Wilson Jr. took over the business. When Kathleen Allatt's grandmother died JMW lived with the Bellamy family in Sheffield until they emigrated to Canada. JMW then remarried a much younger woman, a widow (a nurse) with one daughter and followed the family to Canada, where his wife set up the Ellerker Private Hospital in Heyworth Crescent in the Woodbine Avenue/Kingston Road area of Toronto. JMW and his second wife are buried in St John's Norway Cemetery (Toronto).'

Sources:

Dates and times from the flyleaf of the Wilson family bible (information supplied by Kathleen Allatt) John Major Wilson's marriage certificate Louisa Wilson's birth and marriage certificates 1871 Census for Bridlington Quay (RG 10/4812 folio 30R) 1872 Post Office Directory of North and East Ridings of Yorkshire with the City of York 1879 Post Office Directory of North and East Ridings of Yorkshire with the City of York 1881 Census for Bridlington Quay (RG 11/4799 folio 88V) 1891 Census for Bridlington (RG 12/3960 folio 12R) 1892 Bulmer's History and Directory of East Yorkshire 1909 Yorkshire North and East Ridings Directory (with York and Hull) Correspondence with Kathleen Allatt (JMW's granddaughter)