William Wood (18 February 1873''1939 England and Wales Register'' – 3 March 1956) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...

leader. Wood was born in

Bolton Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish weavers settled in the area in the 14th ...

, Lancashire.''1911 England Census'' He left school at the age of 11, and began working half-time at a cotton mill. He joined the

Bolton and District Operative Cotton Spinners' Provincial Association The Bolton and District Operative Cotton Spinners' Provincial Association (BOCSPA) was a trade union representing cotton spinners across central Lancashire, in England. It was the most important union of cotton spinners, and dominated the Spinn ...

, and began working for the union in 1905. In 1914, he became its assistant secretary, then its secretary in 1920."Obituary: William Wood", ''Annual Report of the 1956 Trades Union Congress'', p.313 Wood became a

magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judic ...

in 1923, and was also involved with the

Trustee Savings Bank A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Becaus ...

, and sat on the executive of the United Textile Factory Workers Association. In 1926, Wood was elected as vice-chairman of the

Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners The Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners and Twiners, also known as the Amalgamation, was a trade union in the United Kingdom which existed between 1870 and 1970. It represented male mule spinners in the cotton industry. Histor ...

, to which the Bolton Spinners were affiliated. In 1936, he became its president, and was also elected for two years to the

General Council of the Trades Union Congress The General Council of the Trades Union Congress is an elected body which is responsible for carrying out the policies agreed at the annual British Trade Union Congresses (TUC). Organisation The council has 56 members, all of whom must be proposed ...

. However, in 1940, he was suffering with poor health, and decided to retire.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wood, William 1873 births 1956 deaths Presidents of the Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress People from Bolton