wilkinson became a fellow of king's college in 1836 and graduated from cambridge university with a bachelor of arts degree in 1837, which converted to a master of arts in 1841. in 1841 also, he was ordained in the church of england as a deacon, becoming a priest the following year. from 1843 to 1865, he was the domestic chaplain to ernest augustus, king of hanover and to his successor, george v of hanover, the kingship of hanover having separated from that of the united kingdom at the death of william iv in 1837, when queen victoria succeeded to the uk throne. returning to england in 1865, he was vicar of sixhills, lincolnshire and rector of nearby south willingham to 1879, and then rector of boxworth and of childerley in cambridgeshire to his death in 1889. he wrote a book about his experiences at the court of hanover.