Captain Thomas Wood
He married Margaret Mary Atkins, the maternal great-great-aunt of Jim Atkins. Below are notes from Margaret recorded in 1905.
“During the voyage, Captain Wood had fallen in love with the beautiful Margaret, who was just 17.
Thomas proposed to Margaret. However, as was the tradition in that time, the eldest daughter should get married first. The story goes that Margaret told Thomas that Annie [the elder sister] should be married before her. Thomas replied that if he could not marry Margaret, then he would marry no one. This was the end, and Margaret threw herself on the Captain’s breast.
They were married on 21 June 1873 in Auckland. The “Woodlark” sailed immediately, and Margaret promptly returned to Montrose in Scotland with the dashing Captain.
Samuel and Annie [Atkins-Margret’s parents] apparently only agreed to this marriage on the condition that it would not be consummated until Margaret reached her majority, and stayed with Thomas’s parents.”
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