George William Wood

George William Wood (1781 – October 1843)[1][2] was an English businessman, Member of Parliament and leading member of civil society in Manchester.

Life

George William Wood was born in Leeds, the son of William Wood, a Unitarian minister who was Joseph Priestley's successor at the Mill Hill Chapel, amateur botanist and campaigner against the Test Acts. His mother was Louisa Ann née Oates, the daughter of a wealthy Leeds family.[3]

Wood moved to Manchester around 1801 and became a prominent businessman there but, as a memorial in the Upper Brook Street Chapel cited, "having early in life engaged in commercial pursuits ... he quitted [sic] the pursuits of wealth for the nobler objects of public usefulness."[4] He was member of parliament for Lancashire South from 1832 to 1835,[1] and for Kendal from 1837 until his death.[2] He was a prime mover in the establishment of both the Royal Manchester Institution and the Manchester Mechanics' Institute,[4] and was one of the two inaugural vice-presidents of the Manchester Athenaeum.[5]

He died suddenly of a stroke at a meeting of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society.[6]

Honours and offices

References

  1. Rayment, L. (2006). "The House of Commons Constituencies beginning with 'L'". Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page. Archived from the original on 14 September 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2007.
  2. Rayment, L. (2007). "The House of Commons Constituencies beginning with 'K'". Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2007.
  3. Wykes (2004)
  4. Kargon (1977) p.19
  5. Kargon (1977) p.171
  6. The Times, 7 October 1843

Bibliography

Parliament of the United Kingdom
New constituency Member of Parliament for South Lancashire
18321835
With: Viscount Molyneux
Succeeded by
Lord Francis Egerton
Richard Bootle Wilbraham
Preceded by
John Foster-Barham
Member of Parliament for Kendal
18371843
Succeeded by
Henry Warburton
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