Edward Francis Wilson was born in the Islington borough of London, England in 1844. he is the son of Daniel Wilson and Lucy Sarah Atkins. He was born into a family prominent in evangelical circles in England. His patternal grandfather was the bishop of Calcutta.
Instead of following in the clergy footsteps of his family, Wilson opted to study farming. Wilson emigrated to Canada in 1865 with ambitions of becoming a farmer. However, upon his arrival he studied at Huron College in London, Ontario with the goal of becoming a missionary in Canada. He was ordained as a deacon on December 22, 1867 by the Bishop of London at the Chapel Royal in England. He returned to Huron as part of the Church Missionary Society. Wilson met his wife Frances (Fanny) Spooner in 1863 and they were married on June 3, 1868. They had eleven children
Wilson's early missionary work under the Church Missionary Society was focused on conversion of Indigenous peoples in Southwestern Ontario to the Anglican faith. This work was with Indigenous communities in Sarnia, Kettle Point, and Saint Claire First Nation. He also worked with the communities at Sauble, Cape Croker, and New Credit.
In 1871 Wilson moved to the Sault Ste. Marie and Garden River First Nation region. He was the founding principal of the Shingwauk Indian Residential School from 1873 until 1892 when he retired from missionary work and moved to Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. He was also responsible for the construction of schools in Batchawana Bay, Nipigon, Elkhorn, Manitoba (Washakada Home for Girls and Kasota Home for Boys), and Medicine Hat.
Wilson wrote and published extensively, including the following works:
Wilson's writing can also be found in the Shingwauk Principal letter books, which include his outgoing correspondence from his time as Principal at the Shingwauk Residential School in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
