John Wilson was born on 18 May 1785 in Paisley, near Glasgow, to John Wilson, a wealthy gauze manufacturer, and Margaret Sym Wilson, a woman known for her elegance and extraordinary beauty. Wilson, the first son, had three elder sisters and seven younger brothers and sisters, among whom James, the youngest, became a noted naturalist and ornithologist. After two years of primary education in Paisley, John was sent for more rigorous schooling at the manse in the nearby parish of Mearnes, a rural setting of extraordinary beauty. It is likely that Wilson's lifelong love of nature had its beginnings at Mearnes, where he remained until 1796, when he was called home on the death of his father. Shortly after, he entered Glasgow University, as was common at the time, to continue his secondary-school education.

At Glasgow he resided with George Jardine, professor of logic and rhetoric, who found Wilson a bright...