Fred Wood (cyclist) explained
Fred Wood (1 March 1861 – 28 January 1935) was an English cyclist, one of the leading professional riders of the 1880s who became world penny farthing champion.
Career
Born in Rushden, Northamptonshire, Wood was a keen cyclist as a teenager, and moved to Leicester around 1878 and joined Leicester Cycling Club to take advantage of better facilities and stronger competition. He won a string of championships in the 1880s over distances ranging from one mile to fifty miles and set several record times.[1] [2] [3]
His success inspired N. Corah & Sons of Leicester to produce the 'Fred Wood Champion Suit' for cyclists in 1883.[4]
In 1886 Wood competed in the United States, winning a one mile professional race and a five mile handicap at Roseville, New Jersey.[5]
By 1887 Wood was the World Penny Farthing Champion, and visited Australia and New Zealand during 1887 and 1888;[6] [7] At Ballarat in November Wood won the professional championship, and in New Zealand he set a world mile record of 2 minutes 50.6 seconds.[8] [9] [10]
Wood moved to South Shields in 1888 where he went into business, becoming a licensed victualler.[11] He became a local councillor for St. Hilda Ward in 1914.[12] He set up the catering company Messrs. Johnson and Wood with Thomas Henry Johnson.[13]
In 1891 Wood toured Britain competing in events at various tracks.[14]
On 26 January 1935, Wood suffered head injuries in a fall down cellar steps at the pub that he ran, The Mariner's Arms, and died two days later in the Ingham Infirmary aged 73;[15] A coroner's inquest determined that the death was accidental.[16]
Notes and References
- News: Cycle Cracks at Long Eaton . Derby Mercury . 18 August 1886 . 19 July 2014 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
- News: Former Champion's Death . Hull Daily Mail . 28 January 1935 . 19 July 2014 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
- News: Fred Wood, of Leicester, won the 25 Miles Bicycle Championship on Saturday . Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette . 14 June 1888 . 19 July 2014 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
- Wilson, Elizabeth & Taylor, Lou (1989) Through the Looking Glass: A History of Dress from 1860 to the Present Day, BBC Books,, p. 56
- News: Fred Wood in America . Evening Telegraph . 15 October 1886 . 19 July 2014 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
- "The Champion Cyclist Feted by the Sydney Bicycle Club: Fred. Wood's Principal Performances", Sydney Morning Herald, 6 December 1886, p. 5. Reproduced at trove.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 19 July 2014
- "Cycling", The Sydney Mail, 19 February 1887, p. 20. Retrieved 19 July 2014
- News: Cycling: A Few Facts About Fred Wood . Sheffield Daily Telegraph . 13 January 1888 . 19 July 2014 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
- Kennett, Jonathan & Wall, Bronwen (2014) Phil O'Shea - Wizard on Wheels (New Zealand Cycling Legends Book 1), Kennett Brothers, p. 57
- RIDE - The Story of Cycling in New Zealand, Kennett Brothers, p. 88
- News: Fred Wood's Farewell to Leicester . Shields Daily Gazette . 5 October 1888 . 19 July 2014 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
- News: Municipal Elections . Newcastle Journal . 3 November 1914 . 19 July 2014 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
- News: Business Pioneer Dead . Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette . 16 January 1934 . 19 July 2014 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
- News: Fred Wood's Cycling Tour . Shields Daily Gazette . 13 July 1891 . 19 July 2014 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
- "Obituary", Cycling, 6 February 1935
- News: Coroner's Tribute . Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette . 29 January 1935 . 19 July 2014 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
