James Julius Wood
James Julius Wood by Adamson & Hill
ChurchDumfries Free
Personal details
Born1800
Died1877

James Julius Wood (1800–1877) was a 19th-century Scottish minister who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland 1857/8.

Life

Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh
St George's Free Church, George Street, Dumfries

He was born in Jedburgh on 4 September 1800 the son of Dr William Wood MD and his wife Isabella Hedley. He was grandson of James Wood, a minister from Calton in Edinburgh.[1] He studied Divinity at Glasgow University graduating MA. He was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Jedburgh in October 1825. He was ordained as a minister of the Church of Scotland at Newton-on-Ayr in 1827.[2]

In 1836, he was translated to Stirling[3] and in 1839 to New Greyfriars in central Edinburgh.[4] He left the church in the Disruption of 1843 but his congregation did not follow him. He fell into ill-health and spent some years in the Mediterranean trying to improve his health with church duties in Malta and Madeira.[5] When on leave of absence for ill-health acted as chaplain to 42nd Royal Highlanders at Malta 1842. He resided two years in Madeira,[6] and subsequently assisted Dr Guthrie, Dr Clason, and others.[4]

He returned to Scotland in 1848 to take on St George's Free Church in Dumfries, replacing Rev Mackenzie who moved to Birmingham. Dumfries was in the midst of a cholera epidemic when he arrived being inducted on 8 June 1848. The church grew until it had more than 600 communicant members.[7] Glasgow University awarded him an honorary doctorare (Doctor of Divinity) in 1856. In 1857, he was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Free Church. In 1858, he was succeeded by Alexander Beith. In 1861, he was highly involved in the Revival Movement.[8]

He died in Dumfries on 27 March 1877.[4] Wood has a memorial stone in St. Mary’s churchyard, Dumfries.[8]

Family

The Moderator and Ex Moderators of the Free Church of Scotland, Assembly; 1860. Pictured, from left to right, are (standing) Dr Smyth, Dr Clason, Dr Henderson, Dr Grierson, Dr N. Paterson and Dr Beith (behind); (seated) Dr Cunningham, Dr Buchanan and Dr Julius Wood.

He married 21 October 1833, Christian Inglis (died 14 February 1886[9]), daughter of James Henderson, (Inland Revenue), and Sophia Young, and had issue —

Publications

Artistic recognition

He was photographed by Hill & Adamson in 1857. St George's church website reports "In April 1870, a photograph was taken of Dr. Wood, aged 70 years, surrounded by his elders and deacons. Each person can be identified by name and in most cases, his occupation. This remarkable photograph hangs in St. George’s today"[22]

In 1860, he was photographed with other ex-moderators at the steps of New College, Edinburgh.

References

Citations
  1. ^ Scott 1920, p. 404.
  2. ^ Scott 1920, p. 14.
  3. ^ Scott 1923.
  4. ^ a b c d e Scott 1915.
  5. ^ Scott 1928.
  6. ^ Wood 1846.
  7. ^ McDowall 1867.
  8. ^ a b "The History of St. George's Church" (PDF). www.saint-georges.org.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  9. ^ Smith 1915.
  10. ^ Ewing, William Annals of the Free Church; D. N. Mackay
  11. ^ Wood 1845.
  12. ^ Wood 1846, p. 373-374.
  13. ^ Wood 1846, p. 403-404.
  14. ^ Wood 1846, p. 409-410.
  15. ^ Wood 1846, p. 445-447.
  16. ^ Wood 1846, p. 463-465.
  17. ^ Wood 1846, p. 469.
  18. ^ Wood 1846, p. 546-549.
  19. ^ Wood 1846, p. 505-506.
  20. ^ Wood 1846, p. 523-526.
  21. ^ Wood 1846, p. 529-531.
  22. ^ "History - The Early Years". Saint Georges Church Dumfries. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
Sources
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