John Wood (1828-1891)
Councillor John Wood was born in Weston-super-Mare on July 7th,1828, the third son of his father, John Wood, and one of a family of eight. Councillor Wood was married to Ellen Cousens, the daughter of Mr. Cousens (a member of a well known Hastings family), in the year 1860, at St. Clement’s Church. When he came to Hastings in 1854 he obtained work, under John Howell as a plasterer, and spent the first few weeks attending to his trade in Robertson Street. Around 1860, he commenced building on his own account, and Ellenslea Villa and some houses in Magdalen Road were, amongst others, his first attempts in this line[1].
From a small beginning he came to work on much larger scale, his properties being valued at over £30,000. Retiring around 1882, he handed his business to his nephew, Mr. George Pickering. Entering public life, in 1874 Mr. Wood first entered the Council as a Conservative. At the expiration of his three years of office he again sought re-election, and was then returned unopposed; going on to serve for 18 years in the Council. In private, he was a keen member of the East Sussex Foxhounds, frequently joining in their hunts[1]. Following a prolonged illness , he passed away at his home in Chapel Park Road on the 3rd of Decemer 1891, leaving a widow; they having no children[2].
References & Notes
- ↑ a b British Newspaper Archive Hastings & St. Leonards Observer 5 December 1891 Pg. 0007
- ↑ British Newspaper Archive Hastings & St. Leonards Observer 5 December 1891 Pg. 0006
