Henry Conwell Wood

Henry Conwell Wood (1840–1926) was an early settler and namesake of Woodford and Queensland parliamentarian from 1886 to 1902.

Early life
Henry was born in Bellary, British India on July 5, 1840 to an English father, Herbert William Wood and an Irish mother, Maria Louisa Conwell. He was their third child as they had a 2-year-old son named Herbert William and a 18-month-old daughter named Fanny Isabella. Henry was baptised on October 9, 1940 in Bellary at three months old.

When Henry was 19 months old on March 2, 1842, his sister Sophia Ellen was born in Bellary. A year later on November 20, 1843, Henry's brother Edmund George Powys was born in Singapore (at the time a part of British India). Two years later, another brother Charles Edward was born in Madras (present-day Chennai) on November 18, 1845.

Sometime between 1845 and 1847, Henry's family immigrated to Gloucestershire, England and settled in the town of Cheltenham. On July 24, 1847, Henry's fourth brother and sixth sibling overall, Reginald Walter Heysham, was born in Cheltenham. Nearly eight years later on January 13, 1855, Henry's younger sibling, Fredrick Arthur, was born also in Cheltenham. At this point Henry was 14 years old.

In 1861 at approximately age 20, Henry lived in Paddington, Middlesex (central London) with his paternal uncle George. Henry immigrated to Australia sometime in the 1860s. His younger brother Fredrick immigrated to Australia as well in 1875.

Family
At age 47 on June 3, 1888, Henry married Margaret Anne Mason, 19, in Brisbane at St. John's Cathedral. Henry is noted as residing at Durundur in Woodford. The couple's first child was born at Durundur over a year later on September 18, 1889; a girl named Hermione Caroline. They had another daughter, Camilla, on October 5, 1891.

Hermione died at home at two years and ten months old on July 29, 1892 of acute bronchitis.

Henry and Margaret had another daughter on March 24, 1894 named Veronica. Then 16 years after Veronica's birth, the couple had their fourth child and daughter, Monica, on July 15, 1910. At this point, Henry was 70 years old and Margaret was 41.

Career in Parliament
Henry became a Queensland Parliamentarian on April 17, 1886. He served as a member of the Legislative Council until December 31, 1902.

Later life
Henry appears on the federal electoral roll from 1908 to 1909 living in Woodford. There was no occupation listed. From 1912 to 1925, Henry is registered as residing at Diamantina Hospital (now known as the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Woolloongabba).

Death and legacy
Henry Conwell Wood died on June 18, 1926 at 85 years old in Brisbane. He was survived by his wife Margaret and his three daughters Camilla, Veronica and Monica. He's buried in a family plot at Woodford Cemetery.

Henry Conwell Wood's legacy continues to this day with the Moreton Bay suburb of Woodford being named after him. In 1930, a few years after his death, a commemorative tablet was installed on the wall of St Matthias Anglican Church in Woodford. The tablet reads, "In loving memory of Henry Conwell Wood M.L.C. Born 5th July 1842. Died 18th June 1926. To whom this church owes its erection. And this town its name."