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Facts and Events
Research Notes
- per Hayden, a number of Mrs. Wood's poems are published in a volume entitled "Flowers and Weeds of the Old Dominion: Poems collected by John Lewis, the Author of Young Kate, &c. 8vo, p. 370. Frankfort, Ky., 1859."
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Family Recorded, in Hayden, Horace Edwin. Virginia genealogies : a genealogy of the Glassell family of Scotland and Virginia: also of the families of Ball, Brown, Bryan, Conway, Daniel, Ewell, Holladay, Lewis, Littlepage, Moncure, Peyton, Robinson, Scott, Taylor, Wallace, and others, of Virginia and Maryland. (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.: E.B. Yordy, printer, 1891).
pp 428-436 -
... The date of Mrs. W's death has been variously given. Dr. Rice [her pastor], under date Mar. 5, 1823, writes: "I have just lost one of the dearest and most devoted friends I had in the world, Mrs. Wood, widow of the late General Wood." ...
- Death Notice, in Virginia Evangelical and Literary Magazine
1823.
- ↑ Family Recorded, in Southern Literary Messenger.
Vol 16, p 551 -
MRS. JEAN WOOD OF CHELSEA
Mrs. Jean Wood was the daughter of the Rev. John Moncure, a Scotch clergyman of the Episcopal church, who in 17--, emigrated to this country, and was the first progenitor of the numerous Virginian families bearing that name. He possessed considerable talents, which his third daughter, Mrs. Wood, inherited. She was very intellectual and highly gifted with both poetical and musical genius. Of poetry she has left some beautiful specimens, which shall ere long be offered for the pages of our favorite "Messenger," where they will deserve a place. In music, though entirely self-taught, she acquired considerable skill, and played with taste on the guitar, piano and spinet, an instrument much in vogue in her day - and so thoroughly did she make herself acquainted with it, that she has been known to employ her ingenuity successfully, in restoring an injured one to complete order and harmony ; indeed, her energy and perseverance in whatever she undertook usually ensured success ; even after she was sixty, having had the misfortune to be overset in a carriage and break her right wrist, she quickly learned to use her left hand in sewing, and to write with it not only legibly, but well.
The early part of Mrs. Wood's life was tinged with romance. She reciprocated at seventeen the dent attachment of a young gentleman from Maryland, and they became engaged ; but their union being opposed by her relations, because he was a Roman Catholic, they separated, and at parting exchanged vows never to marry, so that when she was addressed by Gen. James Wood, several years afterwards, she declined his proposals, and he proceeded to the West to join in the war against the Indians, first bequeathing, (in case he should be killed,) his property to the fair lady of his choice. Fate, however, allotted him a brighter destiny - for Miss M. having been led to believe that her former lover had broken his pledge, yielded to the persuasions of a cousin with whom, since her parent's death, she often resided, and consented to recall the General - and not until after their union did she discover that she had been cruelly deceived. Hearing of her marriage, Mr. ___ considered himself absolved from his promise, and soon entered the bands of matrimony also. In their subsequent history a remarkable coincidence occurs. Mrs. Wood had an only child, a daughter who was extremely intelligent until four years old: she was then attacked with convulsions, and owing to their frequent recurrence, grew up an idoit ; and Mr. ___ of Maryland had a son in a similar state. Would it be uncharitable and superstitious to infer that these corresponding calamities were inflicted upon each party by Heaven, as a punishment for breaking their rash, yet solemn vows? .....
Mrs. Wood devoted herself to her unfortunate child with all of a mother's tenderness and zeal, and many of her effusions touchingly allude to the deep affection she bore her, and the anxiety she suffered on her account. She lost her at the age of eighteen, and bewailed her death as bitterly as if she had been of those whom God endows with the blessings of intellect and beauty.
After this event and the decease of General Wood, who had been elected Governor of Virginia many years before, she removed from the pleasant shades of Chelsea to Richmond, where she spent the remainder of her days in works of charity and usefulness, and there, aided by her intimate friend, Mrs. Samuel Pleasants, and by Mrs. Chapman, the lady of a British officer, founded a society for assisting indigent widows and children. It was termed the "Female Humane Association of the City of Richmond," under which title it was incorporated by the Legislature in 1811, and still exists and flourishes, though its efforts and finances have been, since its primitive establishment, differently appropriated than was originally intended, and are at this time devoted solely to the benefit and maintenance of female orphan children to the entire exclusion of widows. Mrs. Wood was chosen president of this society, and untiringly and faithfully performed the arduous duties of that responsible station until summoned by her Maker to a happier and higher vocation in Heavan. She rested from her labors in the 68th year of her age, and reposes in the rural cemetery of "Poplar Grove," a family seat about two miles distant from Richmond. She was brought up as an Episcopalian, but during the ministry of Dr. John H. Rice she joined the Presbyterian church.
This worthy pastor instituted a second association for ladies, for the purpose of working for the poor students in Hampden Sidney College, and in compliment to Mrs. W. called it the "Jean Wood Society." J.M.C.
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