Joshua Wilson (1824-1898), a Leeds Wesleyan worsted cloth manufacturer was born at Ossett, West Riding, on 30 November 1824, one of twelve children of John Wilson (d.1851). On their father's death the five oldest sons carried on the family business. Joshua went into partnership with his brother James at Northfield Mills, Ossett, until 1861; then set up on his own, went bankrupt in 1869, but by 1885 had paid his creditors in full. Moving to Leeds, in 1864 he set up in business at Bean Ing Mills, Wellington Street, a very early example of an integrated woollen mill. Here, as Joshua Wilson & Co Ltd, worsted spinners and worsted coating cloth manufactures, the business continued until 1963. He lived at Balks House, Wortley and attended the Greenside W.M. chapel. He was elected Liberal councillor for the Armley & Wortley Ward in 1881 but about 1883 moved to Harrogate, as would a number of his children, where the family was connected with Trinity W.M. A Governor of Yorkshire College (later the University of Leeds) he died on 1 September 1898.
A number of Joshua's sons continued the business. John William Wilson (1852-1916), born at Ossett on 12 June 1852, became the Managing Director following his father's death. He moved to Harrogate from Wortley in 1857 and as a Liberal briefly represented the town on the West Riding County Council. He also was a magistrate and a member of the Royal Bath Hospital Committee. He died on 26 January 1916. Joshua Wilson Jnr (1849-1898), born in Ossett on 27 April 1849, originally lived in Headingley and later at Gledhow, Leeds, where he attended Chapel Allerton W.M; a Liberal and senior partner, he died at Scarborough on 10 June 1898. A further son, Sam Wilson (1851-1918), born at Ossett on 14 January 1851, became the company chairman and was a member at Chapel Allerton W.M. At Rutland Lodge, Potternewton he built up an extensive art collection. bequeathed in 1915 to Leeds City Art Gallery. It includes works by Frank Brangwyn (1867-1956), George Clausen (1852-1944) and William Orphen (1878-1931). He died on 12 December 1918.
Other family members were also involved in the cloth manufacturing business, including two sons of Joshua Wilson Jnr., both born in Leeds; Clifford Wilson (1883-1926) who died in Switzerland when recuperating from TB and Arnold Percy Wilson (b.1889). They established a worsted cloth manufacturing business at Moorside Mills, Eccleshill, Bradford, in 1908 but the business went into bankruptcy in 1929, probably not recovering from Clifford Wilson's early death. They were regarded as benevolent employers. In 1970 the Bradford City Council acquired the mill, which is now the Bradford Industrial Museum. Members of the Wilson family were also in business at Charlestown Mills, Shipley.