James Wood (minister)
Encyclopedia
Chowbent Chapel
Chowbent Chapel is a Unitarian place of worship in Atherton, Greater Manchester, England. It was built in 1721 and is the oldest place of worship in the town. It is a member of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, the umbrella organisation for British...
s in Atherton, Greater Manchester
Atherton, Greater Manchester
Atherton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England, historically a part of Lancashire. It is east of Wigan, north-northeast of Leigh, and northwest of Manchester...
, England. During the Jacobite Uprising, he was given the title "The General" for leading a force of men that routed The Highlanders.
Biography
James Wood was born in AthertonAtherton, Greater Manchester
Atherton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England, historically a part of Lancashire. It is east of Wigan, north-northeast of Leigh, and northwest of Manchester...
, the son of James Wood (1639–1694) the nonconformist minister of Atherton Chapel and his wife Anne Townley. His father was imprisoned in 1670 for defying the law and preaching in the homes of sympathisers after Atherton Chapel had been closed by the Act of Uniformity 1662
Act of Uniformity 1662
The Act of Uniformity was an Act of the Parliament of England, 13&14 Ch.2 c. 4 ,The '16 Charles II c. 2' nomenclature is reference to the statute book of the numbered year of the reign of the named King in the stated chapter...
. His grandfather, also James Wood (d. 1667) had been a minister of the established church in Ashton-in-Makerfield
Ashton-in-Makerfield
Ashton-in-Makerfield is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester. It is situated south of Wigan, north-northwest of Warrington and west of the city of Manchester. In 2001 it had a population of 28,505....
and was a powerful orator and reformer. The Act of Uniformity 1662 silenced his grandfather, who was forbidden from preaching in his church and deprived of his living.
James was educated by the Reverend Richard Frankland
Richard Frankland (tutor)
Richard Frankland was an English nonconformist, notable for founding the Rathmell Academy, a dissenting academy in the north of England.-Biography:...
at Rathmell Academy
Rathmell Academy
Rathmell Academy was a Dissenting academy set up at Rathmell, North Yorkshire, in the north of England by Richard Frankland from 1670.-Preparations:...
. He assisted his father and succeeded him at Atherton Chapel in 1695. James was described by a member of his congregation,
"In person he was above the middle size and rather bulky: his appearance in the pulpit was very venerable and striking. He always wore a gown and bands, with a pretty large white wig when performing public worship. His sermons were delivered in a most solemn manner (yet without cant), and made considerable impression on his hearers."
Minister Wood married in 1717 when he was 45, his wife Hannah died nine years later. "General" James Wood died in 1759. It is unknown where his grave is but speculated to be at Chowbent where his wife and mother are buried.
Battle
In 1715 at the time of the Jacobite Uprising supporters of the Old Pretender were marching on Preston. James Wood of Chowbent received a letter from Sir Henry Hoghton and countersigned by General Charles WillsCharles Wills
Sir Charles Wills KB was a British general in the 18th century.He won the Battle of Preston against the Jacobites. He was later appointed to the Privy Council and was member of parliament for Totnes.-References:...
. The letter requested that Wood “raise all the force you can, and bring arms fit for service—scythes in straight poles—spades and bill hooks and draw them to Cuerden Green about two miles from Preston.” Minister Wood led the force of Chowbent men who, in the Battle of Preston
Battle of Preston (1715)
The Battle of Preston , also referred to as the Preston Fight, was fought during the Jacobite Rising of 1715 ....
, were given the job of guarding the bridge over the River Ribble
River Ribble
The River Ribble is a river that runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire, in northern England. The river's drainage basin also includes parts of Greater Manchester around Wigan.-Geography:...
at Walton-le-Dale
Walton-le-Dale
Walton-le-Dale is a village in the Borough of South Ribble, in Lancashire, England. It lies on south bank of the River Ribble, and the south-side of the city of Preston, adjacent to Bamber Bridge.-Toponymy:...
and a ford at Penwortham
Penwortham
-Landmarks:Penwortham Priory was built for the Rawsthorne family and redesigned by the Cumbrian architect George Webster. The priory was demolished due to the rapid expansion of the area and the need for new housing...
, which they defended successfully.
The Highlanders were routed and for his efforts James Wood was given £100 pension by Parliament and the title "The General" by his Chowbent congregation.