George William Wood was born in Leeds, the son of William Wood, a Unitarian minister who was Joseph Priestley"s successor at the Mill Hill Chapel, amateur botanist and campaigner against the Test Acts. His mother was Louisa Ann née Oates, the daughter of a wealthy Leeds family.
Wood moved to Manchester around 1801 and became a prominent businessman there but, as a memorial in the Upper Brook Street Chapel cited, "having early in life engaged in commercial pursuits. He was a prime mover in the establishment of both the Royal Manchester Institution and the Manchester Mechanics" Institute. He died suddenly of a stroke at a meeting of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society.
Fellow of the Linnaean Society;
Fellow of the Geological Society;
Vice-president of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society.
11th United Kingdom Parliament. 13th United Kingdom Parliament. 14th United Kingdom Parliament]
he quitted the pursuits of wealth for the nobler objects of public usefulness." He was member of parliament for Lancashire South from 1832 to 1835, and for Kendal from 1837 until his death.
