Thomas Wood

  Notes:

From Tim Lacy-Hulbert; THOMAS WOOD.
There is an IGI entry for 10 August 1746 for the Christening of Thomas Wood son of Stephen and Sarah at PAINSWICK.
Baptism ; Painswick Parish Records give "Aug 10 1746. Thomas son of Stephen and Sarah Wood".( Maiden name belived to be AVERIS- Not confirmed)
and
Marriage; Painswick Parish Records give " Thos Wood of Birmingham in the County of Warwick & Mary Horlick otp were married in this Church by licence this 19 day of Jan'ry 1772 by me J Mosely Vicr. This marriage was solemnised between us Thomas Wood Mary Horlick in the presence of Zacharias Horlick, Ann Lander"
and
Charles Hulbert- "Seventy years of an eventful life" His Memoirs which he published in 1852. Page 206. "on the 5th of April 1801, he was suddenly seized with Apoplexy", "Mr Wood died April 7th 1801, aged 54 years" ( which means he was born in 1746 = CEEL-H (from a note written by my grandfather) and IGI.) Buried at St Alkmond's. (p 186.)
and
Page 207 also gives two silhouettes of THOMAS and MARY WOOD. These 2 pages give a fuller account of the Wood family. Thomas Wood , Clothier of Painswick, Son of Stephen Wood also Clothier of Painswick. Elected to be articled to Printer in Birmingham. Fuller description of his progress is given in Hulbert's" Phillip's History and Antiquities of Shrewsbury 1831 (2nd Ed) pages 228,229,230,231,234,235. Came to Shrewsbury and founded Shrewsbury Chronicle in November 1772. House on Pride Hill.

The History and Antiquities of Shrewsbury states;
"The late Mr Thomas Wood, first publisher of Phillip's History of Shrewsbury, Printer and Proprietor of the Shrewsbury Chronicle &c. was a native of Painswick in Glos, in which town or village, his father, Mr Stephen Wood, was a clothier of some eminence for a long series of years. Thomas, the subject of this article was, it is believed, his third son, and having being fully trained up in the business of his father, and appointed by him to undertake the journeying department (which he had pursued for several years) had an opportunity about the year 1769 of surveying the interesting arcana of printing at, it is understood, the town of Birmingham, when finding a strong desire to arise in his mind to acquire the full knowledge of so astonishing an art as that which in early ages constrained the inhabitants of Germany to identify its production with the absurdities of magic of conjuration, and with the secrets of a cabalistic junto, the idea of which, in these enlightened times, we treat with ridicule, though such was the fact in the begininng of the fifteenth century. Mr Wood being then twenty three years of age, after consulting with friends in Glos., articled himself for two years with Mr Miles Swinney, printer of Birmingham, who observing Mr.Wood's astonishing advance, from day to day, in a general acquaintance with every branch of printing discoverable in a provincial office, and having, on the expiration of the period just named, remarked frequently to his friends, that he 'never met with an apprentice who, in the customary period of seven years, became so completely master of the trade he was connected with in its various ramifications' and knowing that his consitutional meekness of temper, deliberate judgement of mind, integrity of morals, and unwearied industry, renedered him an admirable ally, if he should feel inclined to carry into effect what he had long been wishing for and designed, viz the establishment of a second newspaper in the populous and increasing town of Birmingham ; determined immediately on the execution of his project, and in the year 1771 the Birmingham Chronicle was immediately commenced. But the habits of Mr S. and those of his coadjutator were but of a dissimilar nature and tendency ; and Mr W having learned, again and again, the need of a weekly publication in Shrewsbury resolved as soon as he could help Mr Swinney in the completion of a chart or directory for his own management of the infant newspaper; and in full concurrence with the approbation of Mr S to comply with the advice of his Shrewsbury and Shropshire friends, concerning the opening referred to, so that a dissolution of the partnership having taken place, the Shrewsbury Chronicle was commenced by Mr W on Pride Hill, in that town, about the middle of November 1772 ............... when the amiable and benevolent, unprovoked and unprovoking, loyal, virtuous and universally respected Thomas Wood departed this life April 7, 1801, aged 54 ........" it that goes on at some length about the virtues of Thomas Wood .... including "..... and no small exultation of mind do his son-in-law, the publisher of this work"

Thomas married Mary Horlick, daughter of Zacharias# Horlick and Hannah# Morgan, on 17 Jan 1772 in Painswick, Glos. (Mary Horlick was born in 1748 and died on 28 Aug 1808.)