Wood, James Riddall

Born: 1797

Died: 1853

Faith: Anglican

Note: James Riddall Wood was a lawyer and a naval officer, and in due course he joined the East Indian merchant service, in which he attained to the rank of chief officer. He was born in 1798 Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, UK, and died 7 April 1853 Cotton Lands, Verulam, Victoria County, Natal, South Africa. He first married on 27 Dec 1826 to Hannah Healey Weaver (1805–1836) in the Anglican parish church of St. Peter, Mansfield. Hannah was the daughter of the Rev. Robert Weaver. He remarried on 30 May 1836, in Liverpool, to Mary Haygarth (1817–1885). Wood and his family emigrated from England under the auspices of J. C. Byrne Settler Scheme aboard the KING WILLIAM which sailed from London/Plymouth on 20 October 1849 and arrived at Port Natal (Durban), South Africa, on 22 January 1850. He was also a poet whose Angel Visits, and Other Poems was published in London in 1865.