John Wood (MP for Preston)


John Wood was a British Whig politician, MP for Preston 1826–1832.

Early life

Wood was the son of Ottiwell Wood, a Manchester fustian manufacturer and Unitarian, and his wife Grace Grundy. He was baptised at Mosley Street Unitarian Chapel, Manchester, on 19 November 1789.
Intended for the Unitarian ministry, Wood entered the University of Glasgow in 1806, but left without taking a degree in 1808, and went into business in Liverpool. He then embarked on a legal career, entering the Inner Temple in 1820, and was called to the bar in 1825, practising as a barrister on the northern circuit.

Political career

Standing for election as a Whig in Preston in 1826, Wood was elected alongside Edward Smith-Stanley, defeating the Radical William Cobbett and the anti-Catholic candidate Robert Smith Barrie.
Wood consistently supported the Whig/Radical opposition, effectively led by Joseph Hume. As a dissenter, he supported religious liberty, advocating repeal of the Test Acts in 1827 and 1828, and supporting Catholic emancipation, which passed as the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829.
In the 1830 Wood and Smith-Stanley overcame a challenge by the Radical Henry Hunt, but in the by-election following Smith-Stanley's appointment as Chief Secretary for Ireland, Hunt defeated Smith-Stanley. Wood and Hunt were re-elected unopposed in 1831. Wood stood down at the election of 1832.

Later Career

He served as Recorder of York 1832–1833, Chairman of the Board of Stamps and Taxes 1833–1838, Chairman of the Board of Revenue 1838–1849, and Chairman of the Board of Inland Revenue from 1849 until his death.
He was active in the management of University College London, where he was a member of the council from 1835, and chaired the management committee 1845–1856.
He died in Bath in 1856.

Family

On 9 December 1828, Wood married Elizabeth Serjeantson, daughter of Rev. James Serjeantson, rector of Kirkby Knowle, Yorkshire. They had two daughters.