# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Wood, William Cotterell

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​WOOD. (Commander, 1841. f-p., 18; h-p., 4.)
William Cotterell Wood was born 28 Jan. 1810. His grandmother was sister of the gallant Capt. John Harvey, who fell in command of the Brunswick 74 in Lord Howe’s action 1 June, 1794.
This officer entered the Navy, 14 Sept. 1825, on board the Warspite 76, Capt. Wm. Fairbrother Carroll, in which ship and in the Boadicea 46 and Java 52, he continued employed in the East Indies under the flag of Rear-Admiral Wm. Hall Gage, as Fst.-cl. Vol. and Midshipman, until his return to England in Jan. 1830. In the ensuing July he joined the Meteor steamer, Lieut.-Commander Wm. Henry Symons; he served next, from Dec. in the same year until Aug. 1834, part of the time as Mate (he passed his examination 18 April, 1832) in the Sapphire 28, Capts. Hon. Wm. Wellesley and Hon. Geo. Rolle Walpole Trefusis, in the West Indies and North America; in Nov. of the latter year he was appointed to the Salamander steamer, Capt. Wm. Langford Castle, in the Channel; and in the spring of 1835 he sailed in the Dublin 50, Capt. Chas. Hope, for the Pacific; where, after serving with Capt. Chas. Eden in the Rover 18 and with Lieuts. Geo. Fred. Dashwood and Henry Kellett in the Starling surveying-vessel, he was nominated, 22 Sept. 1837, Acting-Lieutenant of the Sulphur, another surveying-vessel, Capt. Edw. Belcher. Being ordered subsequently to the coast of China, he there, in the boats, united in the vigorous operations put into force, 7 Jan. 1841, against the enemy’s forts at Chuenpee; and in the course of the same day he contributed to the destruction of 11 out of 13 war-junks. He was next, 26 Feb., present in the celebrated action with the Bogue forts; and on 27 he shared in an attack made ay a squadron under the orders of Capt. Thos. Herbert on the enemy’s works close to Whampoa Reach; where he landed in command of a party of seamen and marines, and assisted in utterly routing 2000 Chinese, and in capturing 54 pieces of cannon. During the first attack upon Canton Mr. Wood served with a division of boats commanded by Capt. Belcher: in the second he was attached to the Madras Artillery, with 20 of the Sulphur’s men, by whom a gun was brought up in such excellent style, that he received the written thanks of Capt. Anstruther, the commanding officer. He aided too in piloting the ​transports up the unknown part of the Canton river; and was otherwise very actively and usefully employed. From the Sulphur Mr. Wood (he had been promoted by the Admiralty to the rank of Lieutenant 28 June, 1838) was transferred, in July, 1841, to the Wellesley 72, Capt. Thos. Maitland; under whom we find him present, in the course of the same year, at the capture of Amoy, Chusan, and Ningpo. In Jan. 1842, the Wellesley being ordered to England, he was nominated Additional-Lieutenant of the Cornwallis 72, flag-ship of Sir Wm. Parker, and placed in command, at the same time, of the Young Hebe tender. In May, 1842, having been advanced to the rank of Commander by a commission dated 8 Oct. preceding, he returned to England. He has been in command, since 19 March, 1847, of the Philomel sloop, on the coast of Africa.
Commander Wood married, 11 April, 1844, Elizabeth, youngest daughter of the late Rev. Thos. Stedman, M.A., Vicar of St. Chads, Shrewsbury, and widow of the Rev. Edw. Polehampton, M.A., Rector of Greenford, co. Middlesex, and late Fellow of King’s College, Cambridge. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.