John Wilson (Captain)
Encyclopedia
John Wilson was the Anglicized name of Captain Frederick Walgren, a Swedish sailor
and o-yatoi gaikokujin
(foreign professional) who was active in the development of British
-Japan
ese ties in the late 19th century.
Walgren was born in Genarp, Skåne, Sweden on July 8, 1851. He entered into British service, changing his name to Wilson. Wilson initially resided in Nagasaki, Kyūshū
, living next-door to Thomas Blake Glover
. The Wilson family subsequently resided in Nagasaki and Kobe
. He married a Japanese national on January 11, 1883 in the Christ Church of England in Yokohama, Japan. His wife (b. July 5, 1860) upon baptism Anglicised her name from Naka Yamazaki to Sophia Wilson
, and adopted her son, Nils Wilson. Their children were August, Frederick, Maria, Christina, Hilda, Hannah and John.
Sofia Wilson was a confidant and neighbor of Tsuru Glover, and together with Tsuru's friendship with the Japanese Ambassador
to Italy
, the stories of Naka and Tsuru may have been incorporated in Giacomo Puccini
`s Madam Butterfly.
. He was captain of the Sei-Kyo Maru
, a transport ship and was involved in the Battle of Yalu (Battle of the Yellow Sea on September 17, 1894, carrying Vice-Admiral Kabayama Sukenori, chief of the Naval General Staff of Japan. The Sei-Kyo Maru was hit by four 12-inch shells, lost the protection of the main body of the fleet during the engagement, and was attacked by torpedo boats. She was saved from sinking and escaped from battle due to the naval expertise of Captain Wilson. This escape from battle made history, and became famous in Japanese Naval Military lore.
at the Imperial Palace in Edo on December 25, 1895.
, Yokohama
and Tokyo
. Several descendants who retained Swedish citizenship later repatriated to Sweden after World War II
, where they resided in Göthenburg
, Sweden and the United States.
Wilson died August 5, 1899 of stomach cancer in Yokohama. Wilson and his wife are buried in the Yokohama Foreign Cemetery on Yokohama Bluff, a gaijin bochi, which lies in a residential area for the gaijin
, or foreigners (外人), within Yokohama, where his granddaughter, Vivienne Joy Wilson Vaughn is also buried. His gravestone is marked with the compass and angle, a traditional mark of Freemasonry
.
in Tokyo; his daughter Christina married the military attaché
of the Russian Embassy Wsevolov Schalfeiyeff. His youngest son, John Wilson Jr. (professor)
was a professor of commerce and business in Tokyo, Japan.
A great-granddaughter of Captain John Wilson, Marianne Wilson (born Mary Ann Vaughn
) was the subject of a highly controversial and widely-reported case in international family law
, Sweden v. Yamaguchi
, decided in the Tokyo High Court
in 1956. (See Judicial system of Japan, Kasumigaseki
District of Tokyo)
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
and o-yatoi gaikokujin
O-yatoi gaikokujin
The Foreign government advisors in Meiji Japan, known in Japanese as oyatoi gaikokujin , were those foreign advisors hired by the Japanese government for their specialized knowledge to assist in the modernization of Japan at the end of the Bakufu and during the Meiji era. The term is sometimes...
(foreign professional) who was active in the development of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese ties in the late 19th century.
Walgren was born in Genarp, Skåne, Sweden on July 8, 1851. He entered into British service, changing his name to Wilson. Wilson initially resided in Nagasaki, Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
, living next-door to Thomas Blake Glover
Thomas Blake Glover
Thomas Blake Glover, Order of the Rising Sun was a Scottish merchant in Bakumatsu and Meiji period Japan.-Early life :...
. The Wilson family subsequently resided in Nagasaki and Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
. He married a Japanese national on January 11, 1883 in the Christ Church of England in Yokohama, Japan. His wife (b. July 5, 1860) upon baptism Anglicised her name from Naka Yamazaki to Sophia Wilson
Sophia Wilson
Sophia Wilson was a Japanese courtesan who married Captain John Wilson. She anglicised her name from Naka Yamazaki to Sophia Wilson, and adopted her son, Nils Wilson...
, and adopted her son, Nils Wilson. Their children were August, Frederick, Maria, Christina, Hilda, Hannah and John.
Sofia Wilson was a confidant and neighbor of Tsuru Glover, and together with Tsuru's friendship with the Japanese Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the stories of Naka and Tsuru may have been incorporated in Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...
`s Madam Butterfly.
Naval Service of Japan
Captain Wilson was appointed Master of the First Grade to the Meiji Emperor. He was instrumental in the service of Japan during the First Sino-Japanese WarFirst Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
. He was captain of the Sei-Kyo Maru
Sei-Kyo Maru
The Sei-Kyo Maru was a Japanese cargo and transport ship involved in the Battle of Yalu River of the First Sino-Japanese War, carrying Viscount Admiral Kabeyama Sukenori, and commanded by John Wilson. See also Saikyo ....
, a transport ship and was involved in the Battle of Yalu (Battle of the Yellow Sea on September 17, 1894, carrying Vice-Admiral Kabayama Sukenori, chief of the Naval General Staff of Japan. The Sei-Kyo Maru was hit by four 12-inch shells, lost the protection of the main body of the fleet during the engagement, and was attacked by torpedo boats. She was saved from sinking and escaped from battle due to the naval expertise of Captain Wilson. This escape from battle made history, and became famous in Japanese Naval Military lore.
Recognition by Meiji Emperor
For these and other heroic naval exploits, including a daring rescue of a ship during stormy seas, John Wilson received recognition from the Meiji Emperor of Japan, and received the sixth rank of the Japanese Order of the Rising SunOrder of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
at the Imperial Palace in Edo on December 25, 1895.
Later Life in Japan
Captain Wilson was active in the formation of Westernized Japanese firms, including the NYK (Nippon Yusen Kaisha) shipping firm of Japan, and is commemorated in the NYK Maritime Museum in Yokohama. His descendants remained in Japan for several generations, residing in KobeKobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Several descendants who retained Swedish citizenship later repatriated to Sweden after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, where they resided in Göthenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden and the United States.
Wilson died August 5, 1899 of stomach cancer in Yokohama. Wilson and his wife are buried in the Yokohama Foreign Cemetery on Yokohama Bluff, a gaijin bochi, which lies in a residential area for the gaijin
Gaijin
is a Japanese word meaning "non-Japanese", or "alien". This word is a short form of gaikokujin , which literally means "person from outside of the country". The word is composed of two kanji: , meaning "outside"; and , meaning "person". Thus, the word technically means "outsider"...
, or foreigners (外人), within Yokohama, where his granddaughter, Vivienne Joy Wilson Vaughn is also buried. His gravestone is marked with the compass and angle, a traditional mark of Freemasonry
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
.
Descendants
Captain Wilson's descendants entered into both Japanese and European culture. His stepson Nils adopted the Uzuki name and became Japanized, as did August, who became Aneshama, and Frederick, who took the family name of Asakoshi. Several of his later children became Europeanized, Maria marrying van Lérberg, a correspondent for Le MondeLe Monde
Le Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
in Tokyo; his daughter Christina married the military attaché
Attaché
Attaché is a French term in diplomacy referring to a person who is assigned to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency...
of the Russian Embassy Wsevolov Schalfeiyeff. His youngest son, John Wilson Jr. (professor)
John Wilson Jr. (professor)
Youngest son of John Wilson and Sophia Wilson . He was a professor of business and commerce in Tokyo, Japan, before and during World War II. He emigrated with his family to Sweden after World War II with the assistance of Professor Trolle of the Gothenburg University of Sweden. With the...
was a professor of commerce and business in Tokyo, Japan.
A great-granddaughter of Captain John Wilson, Marianne Wilson (born Mary Ann Vaughn
Mary Ann Vaughn
Mary Ann Vaughn , citizen of Sweden, a.k.a Marianne Wilson, was the subject of a widely-publicised and highly controversial case in international family law decided in the Tokyo High Court in 1956, Sweden v. Yamaguchi...
) was the subject of a highly controversial and widely-reported case in international family law
Family law
Family law is an area of the law that deals with family-related issues and domestic relations including:*the nature of marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships;...
, Sweden v. Yamaguchi
Sweden v. Yamaguchi
Sweden v. Yamaguchi, otherwise known as in the matter of Marianne Wilson, or in the matter of Mary Ann Vaughn, is a highly complex decision in international family law which touches on questions in law still unresolved over fifty years later. The formal name of the action was Israel Karl-Gustav...
, decided in the Tokyo High Court
Tokyo High Court
is a high court in Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The Intellectual Property High Court is a special branch of Tokyo High Court....
in 1956. (See Judicial system of Japan, Kasumigaseki
Kasumigaseki
Kasumigaseki is a district in Chiyoda Ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is the location of most of Japan's cabinet ministry offices...
District of Tokyo)