 Having been published by an alleged friend the book is often assumed to be an authoritative account of Wilson's life.In actuality, the book contains numerous errors in chronology and geography and is often dramatically at odds with the historical record and with most other accounts of the Wilsons' story.For instance, it reports that William was born in 1774 and his sister in 1776, meaning that Elizabeth would have been approximately nine years old when she was hanged, and William eleven.