Maude Caney (? - 1929), the second eldest child born to Benjamin and Ellen Caney, married William Wilson (? - 1938), a Scot, and a gambler who moved from hotel to hotel depending on his gambling luck. Their youngest son, Angus (1913-1991), who was to achieve international acclaim for his literary works, depicted this rootless hotel life in his autobiographical Wild Garden (1963).

Sir Angus Wilson was born at Bexhill, Sussex, in 1913 and lived in Durban from 1920 to 1924, with his mother's relatives. The majority of his schooling was done in England, and he read medieval history at Merton College, Oxford from 1932 to1935. Angus spent 9 years working at the British Museum and later lectured at the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of Chicago, the University of London and the University of East Anglia. His many works included literary novels, plays, television scripts and letters.

In 1966 he became Chairman of the Literature Panel, Arts Council of Great Britain and in 1968 was appointed C.B.E. Honorary Fellow, Cowell College, University of California, Santa Cruz. He was awarded a knighthood in 1980.