William Wood

1809 - 1887

William was born in Elkstone in Staffordshire in 1809 ⁽¹⁾, and baptized at St John the Baptist's there on 5th November ⁽²⁾. He moved to Hurdlow, with his parents, sometime before November 1824, and was proabaly still living there up to the time of his marriage ⁽³⁾.

He married Martha Needham on 7th October 1833 at St Giles in Hartington ⁽⁴⁾, at which time he was said to be a farmer. This was probably a bit of a rushed marriage as their first child, Mary Ann, was born less than 6 months later, at which time their residence was given as Hurdlow ⁽⁵⁾. Their next child Hannah, was born in 1835, by which time they lived in Sterndale ⁽⁶⁾. Their last two children Jane Ann (1836 ⁽⁷⁾) and Joseph (1839 ⁽⁸⁾) were both also born in Sterndale. His daughter Hannah died in early 1840 ⁽¹²⁾, by which time the family had moved to Crowdicote. It is assumed that his daughter Jane Ann also died somethime before 1841 ⁽¹³⁾.

At the time of the 1841 census ⁽⁹⁾ William was still living in Crowdicote ⁽¹⁰⁾, with his wife Martha and children Mary Ann and Joseph, and working as a farm labourer. Sometime between 1846 and 1851, it seems he inherited his father's farm in Hurdlow. ⁽¹⁴⁾. He stayed there until at least 1861 ⁽¹⁷⁾, at which time his new son-in-law Willaim Allen was living with the family, but by 1871 the family had moved to a slightly smaller farm in Taddington ⁽¹⁸⁾.

His wife Martha died in 1879 ⁽¹⁹⁾, so by the time of the 1881 census ⁽²⁰⁾ he was just living with his son Joseph, who was probably doing the bulk of the work on the farm by then. William died in Taddington on 1st March 1887 from heart disease, dropsy and ulcerated legs! ⁽²¹⁾.

• Mary Ann has her own page
• Hannah was born in about spring 1835 in Sterndale ⁽⁶⁾, and died in February 1840 ⁽¹²⁾.
• Jane Ann was born in late 1836 in Sterndale⁽⁷⁾, and probably died before 1841 ⁽¹³⁾
• Joseph was born in early 1839 ⁽⁸⁾, and lived with his parents until they died. After the death of his father he went to live in Flagg next door to sister Mary Ann, and was still there in the census of 1901. He never married. His death has not been found yet.

1. William gave his birthplace as either Warlsow or Elkstone in different censuses. He was baptised in Elkstone ⁽²⁾ which makes there by far the likliest place. (However even though there was seperate chapel in Warslow, the two together made up the chapelry of "Warslow & Elkstones", so there is a little scope for uncertainty")
2. Parish register of St John the Baptist's Elkstone contains the following entry:
   Bapt 5th November 1809 William Son of Joseph and Jane Wood
3. See his father's page for details of the move to Hurdlow. At the time of his marriage ⁽⁴⁾, he was said to be "of the parish of Hartington", and as Hurdlow is in this parish, and he was there 6 months later ⁽⁵⁾, there is no reason to believe he had moved elsewhere. Note that Hurdlow is strictly in Hartington Middle Quarter, yet his marriage is listed in the register of Hartington Town Quarter and shows him to be "of this parish". However this is not really a contradiction as each of the 4 "Quarters" were not really seperate parishes, rather they were all liberties of the mother parish of Hartington. Just to add to the confusion he would probably have attended church at Earl Sterndale, which at the time was a chapelry in the parish of Hartington.
4. Marriage entry in the parish register of St Giles, Hartington reads:
   William Wood of this Parish
   Bachelor and Farmer
   and Martha Needham of this Parish
   Spinster
   were married in this Church by License with Consent of
   Parents this seventh Day of
   October in the Year One thousand eight hundred and thirty three
   By me W. M. Ward M. A. Vicar.
   This marriage was solemnized between us William Wood, Martha Needham X Mark
   In the presence of William Needham, [Sam Johnson]
5. Baptism entry in parish register of St Michael & All Angels, Earl Sterndale reads:
   

   When baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parent's Christian Name	Parent's Surname	Abode	Quality, Trade or Profession
   April 6th [1834]	Mary Ann Daugr of	Wm and Martha	Wood	Hurdlow	Farmer

6. Baptism entry in parish register of St Michael & All Angels, Earl Sterndale reads:
   

   When baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parent's Christian Name	Parent's Surname	Abode	Quality, Trade or Profession
   April 19 [1835]	Hannah Daugr of	Wm & Martha	Wood	Sterndale	Farmer

7. Baptism entry in parish register of St Michael & All Angels, Earl Sterndale reads:
   

   When baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parent's Christian Name	Parent's Surname	Abode	Quality, Trade or Profession
   Decr 11 [1836]	Jane Ann Daugr of	Wm and Martha	Wood	Sterndale	Farmer

8. Baptism entry in parish register of St Michael & All Angels, Earl Sterndale reads:
   

   When baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parent's Christian Name	Parent's Surname	Abode	Quality, Trade or Profession
   Febr 10 1839	Joseph son of	Wm & Martha	Wood	Sterndale	Farmer

9. Census of 7th June 1841 reads:
   Place: Hartington Middle Quarter
   

   William Wood	25	Ag Lab
   Martha Do	25	.
   Mary Ann Do	7	.
   Joseph Do	2	.

10. The 1841 census ⁽⁹⁾ only gives their residence as Hartington Middle Quarter, but their next-door neighbours Joseph and Ann Gould had a one month old daughter at the time. This daughter, Harriet, was baptised a week earlier at Earl Sterbdale church when her parents residence was given as Crowdicote ⁽¹¹⁾, so it seems certain William and family were still there.
11. Baptism entry from parish register of St Michael & All Angels, Earl Sterndale (transcript by Ancestral Archives of Derbyshire) states that Harriet Gould, the daughter of Joseph & Ann was baptized on 30th May 1841, and gives Joseph's's occupatuion as farmer and residence as Crowdicote.
12. Sheen Parish Register notes the burial of Hannah Wood of Crowdicote on 19th February 1840
13. Whilst no record of his burial has been found, he cannot be found in any censuses and no marriage record can be found. There is a burial in Sheen (where his sister Hannah was buried a week later) for a Jane Wood of Crowdicote aged 3 on 12th February 1840. It seems quite possible that there was an error and this is actually him, or,... he is actualy her - i.e, either the baptism name of Jonathan or the burial name of Jane is wrong!
14. See his father's page for details of his farming in Hurdlow up to at least 1846, but having ceased by the 1851 census. In contrast William who was simply a farm larourer beforehand, suddenly becomes a farmer of 100 acres in Hurdlow by 1851 ⁽¹⁵⁾. (Note that 1851 census doesn't specifically state that he is living in Hurdlow, just Hartington Middle Quarter, but White's Gazeteer of Derbyshire for 1857 lists him as a farmer in Hurdlow ⁽¹⁶⁾). Of course there is still the question of whether he/his father owned or leased the farm?
15. Census of 30th March 1851 reads:
    Place: Hartington Middle Quarter
    

    William Wood	Head	Mar	39	Farms 100 Acres	Stafford, Warslow
    Martha Do	Wife	Mar	39	.	Derby, Hartington Middle Q
    Maryann Do	Daur	U	17	.	Do Do
    Joseph Do	Son	.	11	.	Do Do

16. White's Gazeteer of Derbyshire and Sheffield 1857, lists William Wood as one of the two farmers in Hurdlow. There are no other William Wood s in Hurdlow in the 1851 or 1861 census that this could be, so it must be "our" William.
17. Census of 7th April 1861 reads:
    Place: Hurdlow
    

    William Wood	Head	Mar	50	Farmer of 100 acres	Staffordsh, Elkston
    Martha Wood	Wife	Mar	49	Farmer's wife	Derbysh, Glutton Bridge
    Joseph Wood	Son	Un	22	Farmer's Son	Derbysh, Earl Sterndale
    Mary Ann Allen	Daur	Mar	27	Farmer's Daur	Derbysh, High Needham
    William Allen	Son-in-law	Mar	27	Agricultural Lab:	Derbysh, Flagg

18. Census of 2nd April 1871 reads:
    Place: Taddington
    

    William Wood	Head	Mar	61	Farmer of 80 Acres	Staffords, Elkstone
    Martha Do	Wife	Mar	59	Do wife	Derbys, Glutton Bridge
    Joseph Do	Son	Unm	32	Do son	Do, Earl Sterndale

19. Death Certificate from Registration District of Bakewell states:

    When and where died	Name	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered
    Twenty fifth February 1879, Taddington	Martha Wood	Female	66 years	Wife of William Wood, Farmer	Pneumonia Congestion, Certified by JS Parke MRCS	Thomas Rodgers, present at the Death. Taddington	Twenty sixth February 1879

20. Census of 3rd April 1881 reads:
    Place: Taddington
    

    William Wood	Head	Widr	71	Farmer 82 Acres	Staffordshire, Elkstone
    Joseph Do	Son	Unm	40	Do son	Derbyshire, Hartington

21. Death Certificate from Registration District of Bakewell states:

    When and where died	Name	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered
    First March 1887, Taddington	William Wood	Male	77 years	Farmer	Disease of heart, Dropsy, Ulcerated Legs. Certified by John S??????? Parke MRCS	William Allen Son-in-law, in attendance. Flagg	Twenty sixth February 1879