THE WOOD FAMILY

I detail below my direct Wood ancestors. Further information about others in the family are provided in links. Associated surnames include: Chisnall, Usher, Steward and Brown. Wood or Woods? From Suffolk and Essex .

William Wood and Frances Chisnall

I have traced my Wood ancestors back to William Wood who married Frances Chisnall at Stratford St Mary in Suffolk in 1778. They had at least 7 children: Rebecca (born c. 1779), Fanny (c. 1781), William (c. 1783), Rebecca (c. 1785), Richard (c. 1788), Thomas (c. 1790) and Amy (c. 1793).  I have been able to trace Richard and Thomas in census records. Richard married a lady called Charity and worked as an agricultural labourer. Thomas (below) was my 4 times great grandfather. 

Thomas Wood (c. 1789 - 1860) and Harriett (c. 1797 - ?)

Thomas Wood was born c. 1789 in Stratford St Mary in Suffolk and was christened in January 1790. He was married to Harriett and had at least three children: Annah (born c. 1825), Thomas (c. 1826) and William (c. 1827). The family lived just across the Suffolk border in the Essex village of Dedham. Thomas was a blacksmith, as was his son Thomas. The family were probably poor as indicated by their address in Dedham at Whitmore Place, the former workhouse. Thomas died in 1860 from pleuro-pneumonia. 

William Wood (c. 1827 - ?) and Harriett Usher (c. 1824 - 1897) 

William Wood, born c. 1827, married Harriett Usher at the Parish church in Dedham in October 1845. Harriett was also from Dedham and she and William continued to live here at 'Anchor Corner' on the Heath - an area of poor dwellings where most of the 19th century labouring families lived.  Willam was an agricultural labourer and Harriett, a needlewoman. They had two children; George (born 1849), and Anna (born c. 1851). Harriet died in 1897 of 'cardiac disease' and was outlived by William.

George Wood (1849 - 1911) and Sarah Steward (1853 - ?) 

George Wood was born in Dedham in August 1849. He lived in Dedham with his parents and in 1873 married Sarah Steward in nearby Lawford. George and Sarah had four children born between 1875 and 1880. They were: Edith, William, Rosanna and Lydia. George was an agricultural labourer - his occupation being described as 'farm servant', 'farm bailiff', 'farm' and 'agricultural' labourer across censuses. In 1881, the family are shown to be living at Causeway End Farm in Lawford but by 1891 were back in Dedham. George died in 1911 at the age of 60 from broncho-pneumonia.

Rosanna Wood (1877 - 1904) and William Francis Brown (1874 - ?)

George and Sarah's second daughter was Rosanna. She was born in August 1877 in Lawford and was my Great-grandmother. She was married to Suffolk born William Francis Brown in October 1899 at the congregational chapel in Dedham. Rosanna and William had a daughter, Edith Violet Brown, born 1901. Just a few years later, Rosanna died - her death certificate recording 'Epilepsy' and 'Syncope' as the cause of death. William subsequently married Rosanna's elder sister, Edith.