William Wood (1911 - 1998)

Born 25 Aug 1911 in Blackford, Perthshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Julia (Matheson) Wood — married 12 Dec 1944 in Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland.

Died 7 Jan 1998 at age 86 in Manukau, New Zealand

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Biography

Bill's mother died when he was only seven years old and his Aunt Mary-Jane Wood came to live with the family to help look after him and his sister. He attended Crieff and Comrie schools and rather reluctantly left school as soon as he turned 14 to work on his father's farm, however the tenancy of the farm (Cultybraggan) was foreclosed by the bank during the depression. He Joined the army in WW2 but due to varicose veins he was not sent overseas instead being an anti-aircraft gunner in the 505 Coast Regiment RA (TA) and his Army number was 1517172. After the war he married Julia Matheson and they had three children. Bill and Julia worked for a time for D W Robertson at Dundurn and planted thousands of trees for a forest. ( the forest was felled in 2008) . The family emigrated to New Zealand on the SS Captain Cook in 1955 and Bill worked for a few years as a farm hand on the Urquhart farm in Karaka. In 1959 Bill and Julia purchased a newly built home at 7 Sutton Crescent in Papakura so that it would be closer for the children's schooling. Bill was a very practical man who could turn his hand to anything - hard worker and great gardener. Bill died of multiple myeloma at age 87 and his ashes were later sprinkled in the "Whispering Wood" near Comrie in Scotland along with those of Julia.

Sources

• Birth and Death certificates as well as first hand knowledge from his children.

1921 census return.

1921 census of Blackford, Perthshire, Scotland : - at Farmton; William Wood, head, 51, widower, farmer, born Port of Menteith, Perthshire; Lizzie Wood, daughter, 17, single, household duties, born Ardoch, Perthshire; William Wood, son, 9, scholar, born Blackford, Perthshire; Mary J Wood, sister, 58, single, housekeeper, born port of Menteith; Christina Paterson, servant, 21 single, farm servant employed by W Wood, born Kilmadock, Perthshire; And at Farmton Bothy : - Peter Herd, servant, 16, single, ploughman employed by W Wood, born Fowlis Wester, Perthshire; George Masterton, servant, 17, single, cattleman employed by W Wood, born Forfar, Dundee.