Summary
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.
James Julius Wood | |
|---|---|
 James Julius Wood by Adamson & Hill | |
| Church | Dumfries Free |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1800 |
| Died | 1877 |
Life edit
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 edit
He married 21 October 1833, Christian Inglis (died 14 February 1886[9]), daughter of James Henderson, (Inland Revenue), and Sophia Young, and had issue —
- William, born 31 July 1834, who died in New Zealand
- Sophia, born 8 March 1836 (married David Norris Mackay (1817-1875), Free Church minister at Rafford Lossiemouth[10]
- Isabella Hedley, born 13 May 1838
- James, banker, Sydney, Australia, born 14 March 1840
- Julius, M.D., lieut.-col. I.M.S., born 10 April 1842
- besides one who died in infancy.[4]
Publications edit
- Two single Sermons (Edinburgh, 1841-7) - The Name of God revealed by himself[11]
- Letter to the Congregation of New Greyfriars, from Malta, 1843
- Address to the Congregation of New Greyfriars, on occasion of quitting the Establishment (Edinburgh, 1843)
- Lecture to Young Men (Glasgow, 1842)[4]
- Letters to Rev Henry Small (1853)
- Letters to Rev Henry Small (1853)
- Notes on Madeira. A series of 7 articles from 1846: 1st,[12] 2nd,[13] 3rd,[14] 4th,[15] 5th,[16] 6th,[17] 7th[18]
- Dr Kalley's Imprisonment and Labours (article from 1846)[19]
- Shameful persecutions of the converted Portuguese (article from 1846)[20]
- The minister's New Year's salutation (article from 1846)[21]
- Letters to Rev Henry Small (1853)
Artistic recognition edit
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 edit
- Citations
- ^ Scott 1920, p. 404.
- ^ Scott 1920, p. 14.
- ^ Scott 1923.
- ^ a b c d e Scott 1915.
- ^ Scott 1928.
- ^ Wood 1846.
- ^ McDowall 1867.
- ^ a b "The History of St. George's Church" (PDF). www.saint-georges.org.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
- ^ Smith 1915.
- ^ Ewing, William Annals of the Free Church; D. N. Mackay
- ^ Wood 1845.
- ^ Wood 1846, p. 373-374.
- ^ Wood 1846, p. 403-404.
- ^ Wood 1846, p. 409-410.
- ^ Wood 1846, p. 445-447.
- ^ Wood 1846, p. 463-465.
- ^ Wood 1846, p. 469.
- ^ Wood 1846, p. 546-549.
- ^ Wood 1846, p. 505-506.
- ^ Wood 1846, p. 523-526.
- ^ Wood 1846, p. 529-531.
- ^ "History - The Early Years". Saint Georges Church Dumfries. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
- Sources
- McDowall, William (1867). History of the burgh of Dumfries : with notices of Nithsdale, Annandale, and the Western Border. Edinburgh: A. & C. Black. p. 832.
- Scott, Hew (1915). Fasti ecclesiae scoticanae; the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation. Vol. 1. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd. p. 35.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. - Scott, Hew (1920). Fasti ecclesiae scoticanae; the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation. Vol. 3. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd. p. 14,404. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- Scott, Hew (1923). Fasti ecclesiae scoticanae; the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation. Vol. 4. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd. p. 322. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- Scott, Hew (1928). Fasti ecclesiae scoticanae; the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation. Vol. 7. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd. p. 556. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- Smith, John (1853). Our Scottish clergy : fifty-two sketches, biographical, theological, & critical, including clergymen of all denominations. Edinburgh : Oliver & Boyd ; London : Simpkin, Marshall ; Glasgow : A. Smith. pp. 139-144.
- Smith, John (1915). Paul, James Balfour (ed.). Monumental Inscriptions in St Cuthbert's Churchyard Edinburgh (Older portion). Edinburgh: Scottish Record Society. p. 23.
- Wood, James Julius (1846). The Christian treasury : containing contributions from ministers and members of various evangelical denominations. Edinburgh : John Johnstone.
- Wood, James Julius (1845). "The Name of God revealed by himself". The Scottish pulpit : a series of sermons by the most eminent divines of the Scottish church, forming a complete body of practical divinity. Vol. 5. Edinburgh: G. & H. King. pp. 265-273.
- Wylie, James Aitken (1881). Disruption worthies : a memorial of 1843, with an historical sketch of the free church of Scotland from 1843 down to the present time. Edinburgh: T. C. Jack. p. 163.
