4
« on: Sunday 18 December 16 13:39 GMT (UK) »
Only just come across this... I am descended from Henry Wood, the younger brother of Charles Wood.
Some of the info from an earlier post above is incorrect
18.10.1796 charles wood, son thomas/ann
also james Sturtle wood 11.1.1798
phebe 21.10.1799.
There was a Thomas & Elizabeth in Stilton who were the parents of James Sturtle and Phebe, but Charles was the son of Robert and Ann.
----
Here are the notes I made when writing up the family history for Charles Wood:
Charles Wood was baptised on 18 OCT 1796 in Stilton, the son of Robert Wood and Ann English. Robert was a saddle maker who died in 1804. Ann remarried to John Hewerdine in 1808.
Other children were:
MARY BERRY WOOD (6 MAY 1799 baptised)
HENRY WOOD (21 JAN 1801 baptised)
Dies 28 AUG 1801
HENRY WOOD ( 28 APR 1802 baptised)
Similar to his brother Henry, Charles first becomes visible when he is chased by the courts for fathering a child out of wedlock in 1818. Reading the court documents, he and his partner Ann Salman are both required to contribute to the upkeep of the child. Charles is listed as a carpenter at this time. Charles' illegitimate child was born in Folksworth.
The marriage of Charles Wood is uncertain. It wasn't in Stilton as I have examined the Stilton parish register and it is not listed.
The most likely match from the available registers is:
Charles Wood and Ann Tibbut
19 JAN 1819 Peterborough St. John Baptist, Northamptonshire
This is about the right time, in the church where his father was married, and we know his wife was called Ann... the only problem is what happened to Ann Salman? If this is the correct marriage entry, then Ann Salman has been dumped!
After his marriage, Charles returns to Stilton where he and his wife have several children which are listed in the register. Four of his children are baptised between 1820 and 1828, and Charles is listed as a carpenter each time.
KNOWN CHILDREN
MARY ANN WOOD (26 MAR 1820 baptised)
HARRIET WOOD (30 SEP 1821 baptised)
ELIZABETH WOOD (26 OCT 1823 baptised)
THOMAS WOOD (21 SEP 1828 baptised)
JANE WOOD (~1834)
At some point between 1828 and 1837, Charles becomes an innkeeper. As various members of the family had run inns in the past, this could be an inherited business.
In 1837 there is a theft at the Bell Inn in Stilton. The court transcripts show that Charles was running the Bell at that time. The Bell Inn became famous as the first place in the world to sell Stilton cheese about a century earlier. At this time the most significant inn in the village was The Angel, but the Bell would still be a substantial coaching inn, living off the trade from the Great North Road.
In 1839, a commercial directory of Huntingdon lists Charles Wood as still running the Bell, with his brother Henry as a baker.
On the 1841 census, Charles is listed as a publican. We cannot be 100% sure that he is still running the Bell. However we can see from the census list that James Smith is in residence, who was the post boy mentioned in the court case of 1837. This, and the fact that the address seems to be providing accommodation for drivers of the Stilton mail cart, suggests that Charles is still running the Bell at this time.
The 1840's was a crucial decade for Stilton, as the new railway line took the coaching business away from the village. This is very much reflected in the census entries for Charles. By 1851 he is splitting his time between farming and innkeeping. It is probable that he has left the Bell Inn by this time. Farming 110 acres makes him a significant landowner.
In 1854, a commercial directory of Huntingdon lists Charles Wood as running another inn called “The George".
By 1861, Charles has left the innkeeping trade to concentrate on farming.
Charles dies on 3 FEB 1876 in his 80th year. He is buried in a sizeable box tomb which reflects his prosperity.
Show Posts