FREDERICK WILLIAM WOOD b ca 1836, Sailor

[baz201]

Looking for further information on FREDERICK WILLIAM WOOD b. ca 1830-1840, likely ca 1836, England (most likely in KENT) and Sophia Maria LAIDLEY b. ca 1836 either Antigua or England.
They married in St John's Cathedral, Antigua, 8 Nov 1864. Two children from the marriage: Louisa Mirriam Isabel "Minnie" Wood b 11 Oct 1868, Montserrat and Annie Maria Amelia Wood b 9 Jun 1869, Antigua.

This is some oral history from a late grandaughter (in italics):

Fredrick Wood died ca. 1883 just before his wife and daughters left the West Indies (They eventually went to New London, Connecticut, it would appear, via Nova Scotia); Sophia Wood (nee Laidley) died two years later in 1885 in New London, CT, USA.

Frederick was a sailor, and had left England when he was but thirteen years old. He was born in Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England [note: this is hearsay - his family may have lived there at some point]. Frederick's father wanted to apprentice him as a tailor. He did not want this so he ran away to sea and became a "cabin boy" on a sailing ship. [We think he sailed on the American clipper "Comet" as there is a Merchant Seaman's record of a "Frederick Wood", "aged 20", "born in Kent", sailing on that ship arriving in the UK in 1856 on two separate occasions]. He went around "The Horn" several times. He worked his way up from cabin boy and would have been captain in his own right in another year.. but he married my grandmother (Sophia) instead. She made him promise to leave the sea if she married him. This he did.

They continued to live in the British West Indies Islands, moving from one island to another to find work. He worked for the Government as Superintendent or Overseer on projects such as building roads, government buildings, etc. He must have made a good job of it as I believe they named a street after him, on one of the Islands (Wood Road or Street). I do not know which island. He was also Superintendent of the jail on one of the Islands. This is just a little history my Mother told me at different times so I really do not know much about it.


end of oral history
---------------------------------------------------------------

We cannot find any formal documents /details about his occupation/s apart from that he was listed as a "watchmaker" on his daughter, Annie's birth certificate from Antigua. We cannot find a grave or death certificate details, nor can we ascertain his birth date as there were many Frederick William Wood's born in England in the time frame. We are also trying to find if there was a Tailor by the name of WOOD living in Tunbridge Wells, KENT, in the 1830s or 1840s. If anyone else has details about Frederick William Wood or Sophia Maria Laidley or their families, please get in touch.

[Pam Downes]

Hello baz201,

Welcome to British-Genealogy.

You will probably have noticed that I have deleted your duplicate posts, leaving just this one in the Brickwalls forum. Duplicate posts are not allowed because all they do is cause confusion and lead to people wasting time by duplicating information already found in another of the threads.
As your query seems to cover various places I've left the post in 'Brickwalls' though I can move it to any other forum you would prefer.

Do you have a copy of Frederick's marriage certificate, and if so, what details (if any) does it give regarding his age, occupation, father's name and occupation, etc? Ditto re the details for Sophia. If you don't have a copy, can you obtain one?
In a similar vein, what other details apart from 'watchmaker' does it give on Annie's birth certificate? And is it possible to obtain Louisa's birth certificate as well? Do baptism records exist for Louisa and Annie? Watchmaker seems quite a bit removed from sailor and road builder.

Pam

[wimsey]

the closest I can get to Tunbridge Wells is a Frederick Wood born Sevenoaks 1839. The only Kent Frederick William Wood I can see is an 1840 baptism at Lewisham (north of the county). And the only William Frederic Wood is an 1837 baptism at Herne, Kent. Tunbridge Wells is not far from the Sussex border but I'm not getting any Frederick William Wood births in the right timeframe in Sussex. A Frederick Wood was baptised 1835, East Grinstead, Sussex (not too far from TW), son of Elias & Mary.

[baz201]

Thankyou very much Wimsey, greatly appreciated. I note that in the 1851 census there was a retired tailor named Thomas WOOD living in Sevenoaks at Hartslands. Possibly there is a connection. I have found the 1839 birth you mention in findmypast.com, however it is an index only. Wondering where I might find a birth certificate or transcription online?
I shall follow up the other clues you have given. Many thanks once again.

the closest I can get to Tunbridge Wells is a Frederick Wood born Sevenoaks 1839. The only Kent Frederick William Wood I can see is an 1840 baptism at Lewisham (north of the county). And the only William Frederic Wood is an 1837 baptism at Herne, Kent. Tunbridge Wells is not far from the Sussex border but I'm not getting any Frederick William Wood births in the right timeframe in Sussex. A Frederick Wood was baptised 1835, East Grinstead, Sussex (not too far from TW), son of Elias & Mary.

[baz201]

Accoring to McAlpine's Halifax (Canada) City Directory 1877-1878, a Frederick W Wood, clockmaker, was resident at 1 Maynard, h do.

I assume I cannot post the original image here due to copyright.

We are trying to find out what happened to this man, an ancestor. Cannot find any death details for him in Halifax. He also does not seem to appear in the 1881 Canada census. We assume he stayed in Halifax a short time only.

We assume he may be one and the same Frederick William Wood who was listed as a watchmaker in Antigua in 1869 when his daughter Annie Maria Amelia Wood was born, listed as such on her birth cert, who is the ancestor we are trying to trace his movements.

Apart from being a clock/watch maker, the man who had lived in Antigua started his career young (born in Westerham, Kent, England, 1838), after running away from home aged 13, as a mariner, working for an American shipping company; and later had, according to family oral history, worked for the British authorities in the Caribbean, after marrying Sophia Maria Laidley in Antigua in 1864.

Family Oral history also tells that his wife (Sophia) and daughters (Annie & Louisa) left the islands around the 1870/80s and went to Halifax and later to New London CT.

There is also information that a Frederick Wood aged ca 40 died at sea 5 May 1880, serving in the British Merchant Marine. FHL 1419470 ref ID 367, 4053. (cannot access this atm due to COVID)

Does anyone have any more info on the clockmaker resident in Halifax NS? Any leads appreciated.

[Lesley Robertson]

Are you sure that the mariner and the clock maker are the same man? Clock & watch making usually involved a long apprenticeship, started young.

[wimsey]

for anyone looking this is the FW Wood I attempted to find in July

https://www.british-
genealogy.com/forum/threads/94839-FREDERICK-WILLIAM-WOOD-b-ca-1836-Sailor

[Lesley Robertson]

Thank you Wimsey. I have merged the 2 threads as we do not allow more than one thread about an individual - it's frustrating for anyone who spends time on a new version only to discover that the info has already been supplied.

[Jomot1]

Not that it helps, but I don't think that Comet was an American ship - I think it was owned by William Patten Haymen of Rochester, until he sold it in August 1856 to George Smeed of Northfleet.

William P Haymen & George Smeed were both directors of the East India Coal Company Ltd.

A John Wood of Northfleet is later mentioned, but whether he is connected to Frederick I have no idea.

I'm always cautious of posting links, but as this is from Cityark hopefully it will be allowed. Page 2.

https://cityark.medway.gov.uk/wwwopa...(3).pdf#Page=2

[Jomot1]

There is also information that a Frederick Wood aged ca 40 died at sea 5 May 1880, serving in the British Merchant Marine. FHL 1419470 ref ID 367, 4053. (cannot access this atm due to COVID)

The ship was the Lord Clive, which arrived at Philadelphia (from Liverpool) on 5 May 1880, so this doesn't look like your man.