Wood Family
My Wood family originated from Woolfardisworthy (now Woolsery) Devon, England.
William WOOD, born circa 1796 at Woolfardisworthy, married Mary GERMAN on the 01 March 1815 at Frithelstock, Devon, England.
Their children were:
Ann born 21 Jan 1816 at Kilkhampton, Cornwall
Dorcas born 22 Jan 1818 at Kilkhampton, Cornwall
Mary born 10 Jun 1820 at Holsworthy, Devon
Maria born 5 May 1822 at Holsworthy, Devon
William born 3 Mar 1824 at Holsworthy, Devon
Samuel born 10 Nov 1827 at Holsworthy, Devon
Maria born 9 Mar 1830 at Holsworthy, Devon
Henry born 1834 at Holsworthy, Devon
William Wood born 1824 married Mary Ann HAMBLY on the 26 August 1842 at Kilkhampton, Cornwall, England. William died on the 17 Feb 1860 at Geelong, Victoria, Australia. He is buried in the Eastern Cemetery, Geelong.
Their children were:
John born 1843, Cornwall
William born 1846, Cornwall
Mary Jane born Jun 1848, Cornwall, died 8 Sep 1848 at Halls, Cornwall
Mary Jane born 1850, Cornwall, died 9 Apr 1851 at Halls, Cornwall
Elizabeth Ann born on board 'Lady Elgin' enroute to Victoria, Australia
Henry born 13 May 1854, Moolap, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Thomas born 12 Aug 1856, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; died 21 Sep 1885 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Emma Jane born 18 May 1858, Victoria, Australia
Mary born 23 Jun 1860 Geelong, Victoria, Australia
William Wood and Mary Ann Hambly left Plymouth, Devon on the 16 December 1851, with their children, on board the 'Lady Elgin' bound for Melbourne Aust, arriving on the 29 March 1852. Their 5th child, Elizabeth Ann was born on this voyage.
The 'Lady Elgin', captained by D Irons, was 851 tons and carried 288 government immigrants. It was her first voyage to Melbourne arriving during Melbourne's Trade Year.
William had been a farmer in Kilkhampton, and he and Mary Ann could read, but not write. They left for Australia seeking a better life for their children. It is unknown how they travelled from Melbourne to Geelong, but it is assumed they went by paddle boat and landed at Point Henry, as many immigrants did in the 1850's. They settled on the Queenscliffe Road in Moolap near Geelong. Being a farmer, William settled on the land, but later diversified into the carrying business, carting supplies from the 'port' to the 'diggings' in Buninyong and Ballarat.
It was during these years that the following children were born - Henry 1854, Thomas 1856, and Emma Jane 1858.
William had a two horse dray or wagon on which he met his death, aged 35 years, whilst returning from the 'diggings' at Ballarat, on Friday 17 February 1860. He had left for Ballarat on the previous Monday morning and was returning with a Samuel Wood. (It is not known if Samuel was a relation.) Passing Samuel's house at 8pm on the 17th, about three quarters of a mile from William's home, William fell from the dray and struck his head on a tree stump and died.
Mary Ann was delivered of another daughter, Mary, on the 23 June 1860, six months after William died.
Mary Ann married for the second time in 1874 to Joseph Twitt (born in Kewstroke, Somerset, England). Joseph died on the 15 May 1886 and is buried with his first wife.
Mary Ann Twitt formally Wood nee Hambly died on the 26 April 1890 aged 68 years. She is buried in the Eastern Cemetery, Geelong, Victoria, with her first husband William Wood and their son Thomas.
The following is known of the children:
John married Mary BRINSMEAD, he died on 17 August 1931 at Belmont, Geelong, Victoria.
William married Eliza DUNN. He took over the farm at Moolap after his father died. May have worked as a mine manager at 'Birthday Gift Mine' at Burbank Coolgardie, Western Australia in 1910. William died on the 21 September 1912 at Boulder, Western Australia.
Elizabeth Ann married Charles WHITTINGTON at Geelong in 1873. Elizabeth died on the 1st July 1911. Charles died in 1910.
Henry married Elizabeth Ann DUNKLEY on 6 June 1874 at Majorca, Victoria, they had 11 children, four of whom died young. Henry and Elizabeth are my great great grandparents.
Thomas was a Constable at Police Barracks, South Melbourne when he died aged 29 years from hepatitis on the 21 September 1885.
Emma Jane Wood married Thomas BEARDON on 25 December 1878. They had 12 children. Emma Jane died on the 1 April 1921.
Mary Wood born 1860 died on 12 October 1892 from Tuberculosis. Mary did not marry.
Henry Wood and Elizabeth Ann Dunkley
Henry Wood married Elizabeth Ann (Bessie) DUNKLEY on the 6th June 1874, at Majorca, Victoria. Henry was an Engineer, and he died on the 13 June 1925 at Clunes, Victoria. Elizabeth Ann died on the 07 December 1928 at Clunes, Victoria.
Their children were:
Harriet Emma Wood born 17 Feb 1875 at Clunes, Victoria - died 03 Dec 1891 at Kensington, Victoria
Ada Florence Elizabeth Wood born 16 Oct 1876 at Clunes, Victoria
William Harold James Wood born 14 Jul 1878 at Clunes, Victoria - died 26 Mar 1896 at St Kilda, Victoria
Elfreda May Wood born 19 Jun 1880 at Clunes, Victoria
Beatrice Gertrude Wood born 02 Jul 1882 at Clunes, Victoria
Annie Mabel Wood born 14 May 1884 at Clunes, Victoria
Elsie Collins Wood born 05 Dec 1886 at Clunes, Victoria - died 27 Feb 1887 at Clunes, Victoria
Henry Wilfred Wood born 13 Aug 1888 at Clunes, Victoria
Hilda Clarice Wood born 04 May 1891 at Clunes, Victoria - died 28 Apr 1892 at Clunes, Victoria
John Bertram Wood born 28 Jul 1893 at Clunes, Victoria
George Clifford Wood born 25 Sep 1895 at Clunes, Victoria
Beatrice Gertrude Wood was my great grandmother. She married George Basell ROBERTS on the 08 October 1902, at Clunes, Victoria.
George Basell Roberts sailed for Western Australia on the 'Paroo' on the 10 March 1903, followed by Beatrice Gertrude on the 12 March 1904 on the 'Buninyong'. They settled at Jourdis Hills in the Yilgarn electorate of Western Australia.
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