William Wood (botanist)
Encyclopedia
William Wood was an English
Unitarian
minister and botanist who was involved in efforts to remedy the political and educational disabilities of Nonconformist
s under the Test Act
s.
, near Northampton
. His father was Benjamin Wood who attended the services of Philip Doddridge
. Wood was educated at Stephen Addington
's school at Market Harborough
, Leicestershire
, then from 1761, studied for the ministry under David Jennings, Samuel Morton Savage
, Andrew Kippis
, and Abraham Rees
.
Wood's first sermon
was preached at Debenham
, Suffolk
in 1766 and he became minister at Stamford, Lincolnshire
the following year. He subsequently preached all over London
. Wood and Rees were both ordained
in Southwark
. Wood served for a while in Ipswich
as assistant to Thomas Scott
before, in 1773, succeeding Joseph Priestley
in Leeds
, on the recommendation of Priestley himself and Richard Price
, the latter having become a close friend.
He would remain in post in Leeds until his death from inflammation
of the bowel. He was buried in Mill Hill Chapel yard.
but, as was common at the time, he did not pronounce on doctrinal matters during his sermons. Wood published several collections of sermons and a liturgy
, Form of Prayers (1801), for the use of his congregation.
Wood was active in the parliament
ary campaigns against the Test and Corporation Acts, chairing a public meeting in Leeds in 1789 and becoming a county delegate to the London committee for repeal.
It was Wood who was critical in preventing the dissolution of the Manchester Academy
when George Walker
resigned, recommending its move to York
and becoming a visitor
.
. He developed a recognised expertise and contributed to several encyclopaedia.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Unitarian
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
minister and botanist who was involved in efforts to remedy the political and educational disabilities of Nonconformist
Nonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
s under the Test Act
Test Act
The Test Acts were a series of English penal laws that served as a religious test for public office and imposed various civil disabilities on Roman Catholics and Nonconformists...
s.
Life
Wood was born in CollingtreeCollingtree
Collingtree is a village within the Borough of Northampton and a civil parish in Northamptonshire, England.- Location and context :The village is about from Northampton town centre, close to the A45 trunk road which heads east to Wellingborough and Peterborough...
, near Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
. His father was Benjamin Wood who attended the services of Philip Doddridge
Philip Doddridge
Philip Doddridge DD was an English Nonconformist leader, educator, and hymnwriter.-Early life:...
. Wood was educated at Stephen Addington
Stephen Addington
Stephen Addington D.D. was a scholarly English dissenting clergyman and teacher.-Life:...
's school at Market Harborough
Market Harborough
Market Harborough is a market town within the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England.It has a population of 20,785 and is the administrative headquarters of Harborough District Council. It sits on the Northamptonshire-Leicestershire border...
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, then from 1761, studied for the ministry under David Jennings, Samuel Morton Savage
Samuel Morton Savage
-Life:He was born in London on 19 July 1721. His grandfather, John Savage, was pastor of the seventh-day baptist church, Mill Yard, Goodman's Fields. Savage was related to Hugh Boulter....
, Andrew Kippis
Andrew Kippis
Andrew Kippis was an English nonconformist clergyman and biographer.The son of Robert Kippis, a silk-hosier, he was born at Nottingham. Having gone to school at Sleaford in Lincolnshire he passed at the age of sixteen to the Dissenting academy at Northampton, of which Dr Philip Doddridge was then...
, and Abraham Rees
Abraham Rees
Abraham Rees was a Welsh nonconformist minister, and compiler of Rees's Cyclopaedia .- Life :He was the second son of Lewis Rees, by his wife Esther, daughter of Abraham Penry, and was born at born in Llanbrynmair, Montgomeryshire. Lewis Rees Abraham Rees (1743 – 9 June 1825) was a Welsh...
.
Wood's first sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
was preached at Debenham
Debenham
Debenham is a large village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk in Eastern England. In the 2001 census the population recorded was 1,728...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
in 1766 and he became minister at Stamford, Lincolnshire
Stamford, Lincolnshire
Stamford is a town and civil parish within the South Kesteven district of the county of Lincolnshire, England. It is approximately to the north of London, on the east side of the A1 road to York and Edinburgh and on the River Welland...
the following year. He subsequently preached all over London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Wood and Rees were both ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
in Southwark
Southwark
Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
. Wood served for a while in Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
as assistant to Thomas Scott
Thomas Scott (hymnwriter)
Thomas Scott was an English nonconformist minister, known as a writer of hymns.-Life:He was a younger son of Thomas Scott, an Independent minister at Hitchin, Hertfordshire, where he was born, and later of Norwich; he was the brother of Joseph Nicol Scott and Elizabeth Scott, and nephew of Dr....
before, in 1773, succeeding Joseph Priestley
Joseph Priestley
Joseph Priestley, FRS was an 18th-century English theologian, Dissenting clergyman, natural philosopher, chemist, educator, and political theorist who published over 150 works...
in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, on the recommendation of Priestley himself and Richard Price
Richard Price
Richard Price was a British moral philosopher and preacher in the tradition of English Dissenters, and a political pamphleteer, active in radical, republican, and liberal causes such as the American Revolution. He fostered connections between a large number of people, including writers of the...
, the latter having become a close friend.
He would remain in post in Leeds until his death from inflammation
Inflammation
Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
of the bowel. He was buried in Mill Hill Chapel yard.
Doctrine and activism
Though his father was a Calvinist, Wood did not follow him. He rejected belief in the TrinityTrinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
but, as was common at the time, he did not pronounce on doctrinal matters during his sermons. Wood published several collections of sermons and a liturgy
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
, Form of Prayers (1801), for the use of his congregation.
Wood was active in the parliament
Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
ary campaigns against the Test and Corporation Acts, chairing a public meeting in Leeds in 1789 and becoming a county delegate to the London committee for repeal.
It was Wood who was critical in preventing the dissolution of the Manchester Academy
Harris Manchester College, Oxford
Harris Manchester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Formerly known as Manchester College, it is listed in the University Statutes as Manchester Academy and Harris College, and at University ceremonies it is called Collegium de Harris et...
when George Walker
George Walker
George Walker may refer to:In arts and letters:*George Walker *George Walker , English chess player and writer*George Walker , American composer...
resigned, recommending its move to York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
and becoming a visitor
Visitor
A Visitor, in United Kingdom law and history, is an overseer of an autonomous ecclesiastical or eleemosynary institution , who can intervene in the internal affairs of that institution...
.
Botany
In Leeds, Wood took to taking horse rides for his health and discovered an interest in botanyBotany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
. He developed a recognised expertise and contributed to several encyclopaedia.
Family
Wood married Louisa Ann Oates (1758–1806), the daughter of a wealthy Leeds family, in 1780 and they had three sons and one daughter.- George William WoodGeorge William WoodGeorge William Wood was an English businessman, Member of Parliament and leading member of civil society in Manchester.-Life:...
, his eldest son, was Member of ParliamentMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for South LancashireSouth Lancashire (UK Parliament constituency)South Lancashire, formally called the Southern Division of Lancashire or Lancashire Southern, is a former county constituency in England...
, a prominent ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
Unitarian, businessman and leader of civil societyCivil societyCivil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...
.