John Wood, 1761-1777

Born 1722 at Carse near Dumfries; had a military background (Captain in Army) before being appointed Governor and Captain-in-Chief by 2nd Duke of Atholl in 1761; He kept his appointment through the post-Revestment years, transferring his loyalty to the English Crown but still managing to remain respected by the Manx. Seems to have been very much left to his own devices as 4th Duke in his letter to 1791 commission states:

Governor Wood, in a letter or memorial to the Treasury about 1774, after describing the Legislature, and the mode of passing laws prior to the revestment, requests to know what is to be the mode in future. Receiving no answer to his application, as he had not before that time, so while he continued in. the Isle of Man he never called the Legislature together, and no Court of Tynwald was held.

Some form of family tree can be constructed from a rather confusing document given on the WoodLargo website.

    Rev Alexander Wood  = ? Grand-daughter Rev Robert Ker
                        |
  +-----------+---------+-+----------------+
  |           |           |                |
Robert       George     William        Mark = Jean Mercer
d. ni        d. ni.  merchant Glasgow    of Perth
(under sec                |
of State     +------------+-----------------+----...
Scotland)    |            |                 |
           John         Andrew           William
         Governor   Rector of Darlington
          of IoM     Chaplain to King

Feltham quotes memorial in old St Mary's Chapel, castletown:

His Excellency John Wood, Esq., Governor in Chief) Captain Genl Chancellor of this Island 16 years, died 30th April, 1777, aged 65. Was the 1st Regal Govr. on this establishment, and took possession of the regalities of Man, and the Isles for King George 3rd, 11th July, 1765.

There is a Manx will dated 27 April 1777 in which he states wants to keep seperate British and Manx monies - 2 wills;security £6000 upon estate of Caringle North Britain; mentions his wife Elizabeth and daughters Jane, Ann and Charlotte

References

N Mathieson The Governors during the Atholl Lordship Proc IoMNH&ASoc VI #1 pp46/63 1960

D. Winterbottom Governors of the Isle of Man since 1765 Douglas: Manx National Heritage 1999 (ISBN 09524019-5-9)