E. J. Willson was an antiquary and architect who worked in the 19th century and wrote extensively on Gothic architecture.
The DNB records: 'Willson was the author of various pamphlets on local subjects, including a report on the state of Lincoln Castle in 1835, an opening address at the Lincolnshire Topographical Society in 1843, and a paper presented at the Archaeological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland in 1848 at a meeting in which his learning and collections were acknowledged by its council. He collected a wealth of material on the architectural history of his county and cathedral, amassing a voluminous collection of books, manuscripts, and prints, especially from the archives of the cathedral and city to which he was granted free access, and which lack of time and health prevented his putting into print' {1}.
Sources:
{1} Waterhouse, Paul, ‘Willson, Edward James (1787–1854)’, rev. Helene Furja??, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004) < http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/29612> [accessed 27 August 2007]