11/10/2026
Today we take a look at another great lady of Glossop...
Anne Kershaw Wood
“Young and old throughout the Borough of Glossop will be poignantly conscious of the great and irreparable loss which the town has sustained by the death of Mrs Wood of Moorfield.” This was the first sentence from the funeral brochure of Mrs Wood on her death in 1914.
She was born on 1st January 1838, the third daughter of William Sidebottom and his wife, Agnes. Her brothers, William, James and Tom Harrop were the owners of Waterside Mills in Hadfield. William and James were both Mayors of Glossop at different times. She married Samuel Wood on 21st April 1869. Her sister Emma had married Samuel’s brother, John. Anne and Samuel had one son, Samuel Hill-Wood in 1872.
Anne took an active interest in Sunday School work and became a Sunday School teacher before her marriage and taught the Women’s Senior Class at the St James’ Sunday School.
She had a keen interest in the church and education. She and other members of her family were responsible for a great number of the churches and Sunday schools around Glossop including parts of St James’ at Whitfield, Holy Trinity Church and school at Dinting Vale, St Luke’s Church and school, as well as many of the mission rooms around Whitfield. She ran mothers’ meetings and was on the Education Committee of the Council from 1906. She provided support to many other clubs and organisations.
She helped raise money for equipment when Glossop Volunteer Corps was founded in 1875 and helped the men and their families when the Volunteers went to fight in the Boer War.
One of her largest gifts to the town was the building of Howard Park and Wood’s Baths. These were part of the Jubilee gifts to Glossop in 1887, alongside Wood’s Hospital and Victoria Hall. Anne and Samuel Wood built both the parks and baths at their own expense and ran them until 1895, when they sold them to the Council.
In 1910 she was made the first lady Freeman of the Borough. There was an impressive ceremony at the Town Hall and Anne was presented with the scroll in an elaborate silver casket. This was then followed by a dinner at Moorfield, Anne’s home, organised by her son and her sister. On receiving the honour, she said “…This Glossop of ours, in this beautiful dale, with its hills and valleys, is so dear to our hearts, that I think one and all would do just as much as I have done to further its benefits and do all in their power to make it a happy and also a prosperous place…”
She died in March 1914 at the age of 76. Many people from all over Glossop attended her funeral. Anne is buried next to her husband, Samuel, at St James’ Church, Whitfield.
If you still want more you can read about Anne's son, Sir Sam Hill Wood on our website: https://glossopheritage.co.uk/ghtarchive/samhillwood/
Don't forget our Women of Glossop talk on Thursday 22 October, 7.30pm at Victoria Hall, Glossop
