No definitive record of the birth of George
Wood has yet been found. He was a farmer in
Yorkshire, England, the son of a William Wood, who
was also a Yorkshire farmer. George was born circa
1795.
There was a George Wood, a resident of
Brandsby, who married Hannah Plewas resident of
Terrington on 5 February 1821 at Terrington. The
local curate Luke Dennis performed the marriage.
George made his mark in the register (an X) while
Hannah signed her name. Simon Plewas (Hannah's
father) and Sarah Hepple were witnesses at the
marriage. Simon signed while Sarah made her mark.
However it appears that these are a different couple
from the George and Hannah that we are searching for.
George Wood married Hannah Plews between 1815
and 1817. Hannah was born around 1793.
Records indicate that George & Hannah
Wood had ten children in Yorkshire, but only Sarah
Ann born circa 1826 survived. The records list the
following children of a George & Hannah Wood,
christened at Kingston upon Hull. It is possible that
Mary was Sarah Ann's sister:
Sarah Ann Wood christened 10
October 1827 Kingston upon Hull
Mary Wood christened 3 November
1828 Kingston upon Hull
It is not known
why the Wood family left Yorkshire, however, in 1832
there was a major cholera outbreak in England and in
that year George and Hannah took their only surviving
child (5 year old Sarah Ann) and left Yorkshire for
Australia.
On 4 September
1832 they were on board the "Clyde",
commanded by Captain Ireland, as she sailed from
Liverpool, England, to a new life in the colonies.
