Alexander Wood (merchant)

Alexander Wood (merchant)

Alexander Wood (January 1772 – September 11, 1844) was a merchant and magistrate in Upper Canada who was the center of a sex scandal in 1810.

Early life and career

Wood was born in Fetteresso, Scotland (coord|56.961216|N|2.261167|W|region:GB), and he moved to Upper Canada in 1793, settling in the town of York (now Toronto) four years later. Going into business with William Allan, he established himself as one of the city's leading merchants, was gazetted lieutenant in the York militia in 1798, and was appointed a city magistrate in 1800. In 1801, Wood opened his own store providing quality goods from London and Glasgow.

candal of 1810

In 1810, Wood found himself at the centre of a scandal when he investigated a rape case. The victim, referred to as "Miss Bailey", came to Wood claiming that she did not know the identity of her attacker, however she had scratched her assailant's penis during the assault. In order to identify the assailant, Wood personally inspected the genitals of a number of suspects for injury. Several contradictory rumours existed about Wood's conduct during these inspections. It was even alleged that Wood fabricated the rape charge as an opportunity to fondle and seduce young men. To this day, the truth of what actually happened is unknown.

When confronted with the charges by his friend, Judge William Dummer Powell, Wood wrote back, “I have laid myself open to ridicule & malevolence, which I know not how to meet; that the thing will be made the subject of mirth and a handle to my enemies for a sneer I have every reason to expect.” Wood became the subject of ridicule and was tagged with the nickname "Molly Wood", "Molly" then being a derisive slang expression for a homosexual man. John Beverley Robinson called Wood the "Inspector General of private Accounts." Judge Powell buried the potential sodomy charges on condition that Wood leave Upper Canada. Wood left for Scotland in October of 1810.

Return to York

Alexander Wood returned to York by 1812 where he resumed his prior appointment as a magistrate. He fought in the War of 1812 and was on the boards of several organizations. His life in York continued without incident until 1823, when Rev. John Strachan, a longtime friend of Wood's, recommended him for a position on the 1812 War Claims Commission. Judge Powell was the appointing authority and refused Wood on moral grounds due to the 1810 scandal. Wood sued Powell for defamation and won, but Powell refused to pay and subsequently published a pamphlet attacking Wood even further.

Wood remained in York, continuing his service in civic duties for the next seventeen years. In 1827 he purchased 50 acres (0.2 km²) of land at Yonge and Carlton Streets, which was referred to as "Molly Wood's Bush" throughout the 19th century.

Death

Alexander Wood finally returned to Scotland in 1842 and he died there two years later at the age of 72. "The British Colonist" paid tribute to Wood as one of Toronto's most distinguished founding citizens.

Wood had never married — and neither had any of his brothers and sisters, all of whom were themselves already deceased by the time of Wood's death — and he consequently had no legal heirs. Due to differences between Scottish and Canadian estate law, it took seven years after his death for the Court of Session and the British House of Lords to decide that his estate would be divided up under Scottish, rather than Canadian, law. His estate thus passed to a first cousin once removed in 1851. [ [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=3734 Dictionary of Canadian Biography] ]

Legacy

Wood's actual sexual orientation is unknown. Other than the rape investigation scandal, there is no public record of his sexual or romantic life.

The area once known as Molly Wood's Bush is now part of Toronto's Church and Wellesley gay village and contains both an Alexander Street and a Wood Street.

In 1994, playwrights John Wimbs and Christopher Richards launched a play entitled "Molly Wood", based on Wood's life. This production garnered Dora Awards for Best New Play and Best Production in 1995.

In 2005, the Church and Wellesley business association erected a statue of Wood in the neighbourhood, honouring him as a forefather of Toronto's modern gay community. The statue by sculptor Del Newbigging was unveiled on May 28, 2005. The $200,000 cost was shared by the business association and the City of Toronto. Also in 2005, the business association launched a beer named for Wood. Alexander Wood Lager was brewed by Lakes of Muskoka Cottage Brewery and was marketed exclusively to bars in the Church and Wellesley area.

The Alexander Wood Letterbooks, which are in the collection of the Baldwin Room at the Toronto Public Library, are an excellent resource for trade in early Upper Canada.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=3734 Biography at the "Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online"]
* [http://www.xtra.ca/site/toronto2/arch/body1835.shtm Alexander Wood profile at "Xtra!"]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Alexander Wood — may refer to:* Alexander Wood (physician), physician and inventor of the hypodermic needle * Alexander Wood (merchant), city magistrate in York, Upper Canada forced to leave Upper Canada in 1810 following allegations of scandal. * Alexander Wood… …   Wikipedia

  • Wood (surname) — Wood, also spelled Wode, Woode, Woodde, or Wad is a surname that is common throughout the anglophone world.In England, Wales and the Isle of Man it is the 26th most common surname [cite web last = first = authorlink = coauthors = title =Most… …   Wikipedia

  • Alexander Kennedy Miller — (1906 – October 23, 1993), also known as A. K. Miller, was an eccentric recluse who operated Miller s Flying Service in 1930, in Montclair, New Jersey, USA. Miller provided mail and other delivery services by means of a gyrocopter, as well as… …   Wikipedia

  • Alexander Duncan McRae — Alexander Duncan McRae, C.B., (November 17, 1874 in Glencoe, Ontario – June 26, 1946, Ottawa, Ontario) was a successful businessman, a Major General in the Canadian Army in First World War, a Member of Parliament, a Canadian Senator and a farmer …   Wikipedia

  • Alexander Calder — Infobox Artist bgcolour = #EEDD82 name = Alexander Calder imagesize = 170px caption = Alexander Calder birthname = Alexander Calder birthdate = birth date|1898|7|22|mf=y location = Lawnton, Pennsylvania deathdate = death date and… …   Wikipedia

  • Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood — This article is about the Independent school in Northwood, Hertfordshire. For the independent school in Crosby, Merseyside, see Merchant Taylors School, Crosby. Merchant Taylors School Motto Latin: Concordia parvae res crescunt ( Small things… …   Wikipedia

  • Alexander Stuart (Australian politician) — Sir Alexander Stuart KCMG (21 March 1824 – 16 June 1886) was Premier of New South Wales from 5 January 1883 to 7 October 1885. He was a man of probity, with a high reputation in financial circles.cite web first=Percival last=Serle title =Stuart,… …   Wikipedia

  • William Bruce Wood — (June 11 1848 ndash; March 19 1928) was a manufacturer and political figure in Ontario, Canada. He represented Brant North in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Liberal member from 1886 to 1895.He was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland in 1848 …   Wikipedia

  • Thomas McKinnon Wood — The Right Honourable Thomas McKinnon Wood PC Financial Secretary to the Treasury In office 23 October 1911 – 13 February 1912 Monarch George V …   Wikipedia

  • United States Shipping Board Merchant Fleet Corporation — A World War I poster for the US Shipping Board, ca. 1917 1918. The Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) was established by the United States Shipping Board, sometimes referred to as the War Shipping Board,[1] 16 April 1917 pursuant to the Shipping… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”