Wood, William (1820-1895)
Early years
William was born on 2 March 1820 at French, nr Lilleshall, Shropshire.
He was converted at a band meeting held in a cottage near Wrockwardinewood in 1836 and became a local preacher in 1839.
Ministry
William’s obituary records that he was of a very timid nature, but fired with divine love, and being impelled by a sense of duty he triumphed over his fear.
In summing up his time in the Oswestry circuit in the mid 1840’s, William recorded that his journeys extended into 5 counties. He walked 4650 miles, visited 4544 homes, preached 936 sermons and witnessed many conversions.
Family
William married Sarah (b abt 1818) from Middlewich, Cheshire. Census returns identify five children.
- William (b1849)
- George Stephen (1851-1915) – a farmer and later agricultural agent
- Sarah Jane (b1853)
- John (b1858) – a Liberal agent in 1911
- Jabez (1861-1934) – a commercial clerk
William died in November 1895 at Burton on Trent, Staffordshire.
Circuits
- 1842 Wrockwardinewood
- 1843 Oswestry
- 1846 Wem
- 1848 Dawley
- 1850 Leintwardine
- 1852 W Bromwich
- 1854 Bishops Castle
- 1856 Whitchurch
- 1857 Hadnall
- 1859 Stafford
- 1861 Ramsor
- 1862 Sandbach
- 1865 Leintwardine
- 1867 Kidderminster
- 1868 Whitchurch
- 1871 Market Drayton
- 1874 Cheadle
- 1875 Ramsor (S)
- 1876 Hanley
- 1891 Burton on Trent
References
Primitive Methodist Magazine 1871 (portrait)
PM Minutes 1896/34
W Leary, Directory of Primitive Methodist Ministers and their Circuits, 1990
Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers
Comments about this page
William Wood was the grandfather of Emily Jane Wood (d of George Wood) who married Primitive Methodist Minister William Upright (1882-1970) in Great Western Street Chapel Manchester in 1906
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