See also
| Husband: | Eric Albert Howard WOOD (1895-1971) | |
| Wife: | Lilian Mary SHARPS (1905-1973) | |
| Marriage | 24 Jul 1925 | Clevedon, Somerset |
| Name: | Eric Albert Howard WOOD | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Father: | Francis Harold Conrad Stanley WOOD (1866-1944) | |
| Mother: | Susan Rose Stanley JACKSON (1865-1932) | |
| Birth | 24 Jun 1895 | South Mortlake, Surrey |
| Everton Cottage, Worple Way | ||
| Census | 1901 (age 5-6) | Mortlake, Surrey |
| Ancater Villa | ||
| Census | 1911 (age 15) | Mortlake, Surrey |
| 146 Palewell Park | ||
| Travel | 15 Sep 1921 (age 26) | Montana, USA |
| Travelled on SS Scandinavia from Southampton arriving Quebec, Canada on 24th September bound for Montana, USA. returned to Southampton on SS Melita arriving 7 Nov 1924 | ||
| Travel | 12 Oct 1929 (age 34) | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Kia Ora, Hilliers Sailed on SS Montcalm with wife and daughter Pamela from fathers home - West Pentire, Clevedon; Somerset arriving Quebec as above to stay with friend Mr P BUTLER |
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| Death | 5 Feb 1971 (age 75) | Victoria B.C., Canada |
| Name: | Lilian Mary SHARPS | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Father: | Thomas Percy SHARPS (1869-1930) | |
| Mother: | Florence TINSLEY (1859-1911) | |
| Birth | 31 Dec 1905 | Brightwalton, Berkshire |
| Census | 1911 (age 5-6) | Cricklewood, London |
| 75 Teignmouth Road Residing with Uncle and Aunt - Richard and Cecily SHARPS |
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| Death | 3 Aug 1973 (age 67) | Victoria B.C., Canada |
Robert Darlington reports that Eric had a great fascination with things mechanical. His brother had trained in medicine and perhaps he disappointed the family by not engaging in a field that was more genteel.
At the age of 11 he was also sent to the boarding school called Mostyn House in Cheshire which was run by the brother of Sir Wilfred Grenfell. At the age of 14 he transferred to The City of London Boys School on the Thames Embankment. Later his training at an engineering company was ended when World War 1 broke out. Eric could have stayed with this reserved occupation but early in 1915 he joined tthe Royal Army Service Corps as a dispatch driver and ammunition truck driver, for the remainder of the war.
The sapphire mine in Montana had done well for a period during the war but by 1919 it was faltering and the family were not successful in selling it. Eric was offered the job of supervising its machinery and he spent four years doing that. The link between Eric and the Sapphire mine was through his wife's sister Mary Louise Howard JACKSON who married Edward Augustus Keller in 1877. His father was a jeweller and had invested in the mine. Information on the mine can be found at www.gemgallery.com/#yogo_sapphire_history and www.russellcountry.com/Yogo_sapphires.html but no mention of Eric or Keller can be found. When he decided to return to England he took passage on SS MELITA where he met Lilian Mary Sharps. They soon became engaged.
Eric set up a taxi business in Clevedon in Somerset and that is where they married on 24 July 1925. Lilians family had gone to Vancouver Island and she had lived with them for a period after the war. Business in Clevedon was not so good so Lilian convinced Eric to emigrate. Their first daughter Pamela Angell Wood was born in Clevedon and in 1929 they moved to Victoria.
Eric worked in a number of jobs through the Depression but principally with the bus company where he was a machinist. They purchased some land and a modest home off Carey Road. When World War II broke out Eric's skills as a machinist gained him an NCO position in the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps. He worked at Signal Hill supervising the work on coast defence guns and other military equipment. By war's end he was a Warrant Officer and was awarded the British Empire Medal (MBE) for his services.
HM Dockyard was aware of his skills and they took him on to maintain and repair the gyroscopes in naval torpedoes. He then returned to Vancouver Island Coach Lines.
When he retired his love of machinery continued. He had a workshop in his back yard which was complete with a metal lathe and other equipment allowing him to construct model trains of exacting standards. In company with another "steam buff" who designed, and Eric built, working steam engines for small boats. Eric would take orders only from those with a true love of steam propulsion and at least one of his engines still appears at Victoria's annual classic boat show.
It was in lifting one of these engines that strained his heart and he died in 1973?
Eric and Babs had two daughters. Pamela Angell was born in Clevedon just before they emigrated. Pam married a widower Bruce Milburn and became mother to his two sons. A third son Kim was born after they married.
The second daughter, Wendy Howard was born in 1931 in Victoria and married Robert Darlington on the 5th April 1952.
Eric applied for admission as a Freeman of the City of London having recently served as a Private in the RASC in accordance with an Order of the Court of Common Council dated 20th May 1915. he was living at 30 Perryn Road Acton W3 the home of his Father at the time.