Death of Major A. H. Wood

From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia

Death of Major A. H. Wood is an article published in The Evening News (Portsmouth) on 22 april 1941.

Alfred H. Wood was a friend and the secretary of Arthur Conan Doyle between 1897 and 1930.


Death of Major A. H. Wood

The Evening News (Portsmouth)
(22 april 1941)

By the death of Major Alfred Herbert Wood, M.A., which occurred suddenly on Saturday, Portsmouth has lost a prominent freemason, sportsman, and keen supporter of charitable work. He was 75 and a bachelor.

Major Wood, member of an old Portsmouth family, was educated at Portsmouth Grammar School and in his last year there, had the unusual experience of being Hon. Secretary to the Church Congress which met at Portsmouth. Winning an open scholarship to Brasenose College, Oxford, he took his M.A. degree, and re-turned to Portsmouth as a master at the Grammar School. He was a close friend of the late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (then practising as an oculist at Southsea) and later was for many years the famous novelist's private secretary and business manager.

He had played cricket for Hampshire and also on occasions for the Hampshire Hogs and Hampshire Rovers, and was a member of the M.C.C. He was formerly for 15 years President of Portsmouth Football Association. Throughout the Great War he served in the 5th Royal Sussex Regiment, mainly in France, reaching the rank of major.

PROMINENT FREEMASON

Major Wood was initiated to the Phoenix Lodge of Freemasons (No. 257) in 1895 and became W.M. in 1904. At the time of his death he was Treasurer. He was also P.P.J.G.D. in the Provincial Grand Chapter of Hants and Isle of Wight, and was a member of the Authors' Club Lodge (No. 3456). In Royal Arch Masonry he was P.Z. of Friendship Chapter (No. 257) and P.P.G.S.N. in the Provincial Grand Chapter. He was also interested in the Phoenix Mark Lodge (No. 2).

For many years Major Wood was a member of the Royal Albert Yacht Club, latterly acting as Hon. Secretary.

He was keenly interested in the work of the Victoria Nursing Association, being Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Portsmouth branch.

A service at St. Jude's Church, Southsea, at 2 p.m. to-morrow, will be followed by interment at Highland Road Cemetery.