John Crawford Woods


John Crawford Woods, generally referred to as J. Crawford Woods, was the first minister of the Adelaide Unitarian Christian Church, South Australia, serving from 1855 to 1889.

History

Woods was born in Woodville, a mile from Bangor, County Down, Ireland, the fourth child and second son son of Rev. Hugh Thean Woods and his wife Magdelene Campbell Woods, née McClure. They had a small farm of and lived comfortably if frugally with a manservant, thanks to the income from the farm and a succession of boarders which supplemented his stipend of around £167 p.a..
He was educated at a school in Bangor run by Mrs Blain, wife of Dr. Thomas Blain of the Royal Academic Institute, Belfast, followed by a school for girls run by the sisters Mecredy , then another run by James MacMaster. His father next engaged as tutors for his family a young theology student named Robert Campbell, followed by a nephew William Woods, then Robert Montgomery, another theology student.
In 1839 he enrolled at the University of Edinburgh, where he graduated BA in 1845, winning prizes in Greek and Modern Philosophy.
He took a position in Downham Market, near Sandringham House, as assistant and tutor to the children of Dr. James Patterson, originally of "Ballymore, County Antrim" .
Presbyterians in Ireland were much freer in their religious beliefs than those of England and having read Dr. Channing and attended lectures by the Rev. John Scott Porter Woods decided to become a Unitarian. His father was unconcerned, but mother was not sympathetic, with the result that he went as a Non-subscribing Presbyterian ministry student to the newly founded Queen's University Belfast, where he read Theology under Dr. Henry Montgomery and the Rev. John Scott Porter and studied Hebrew. He may have also studied medicine. He tutored the children of cotton baron John Leech of Gorse Hall in Cheshire for nearly four years, then briefly served as minister of a Presbyterian Church at Newtownards.
He served as minister to the Unitarian church in Devonport, where he fell in love with Susan Perriman Harris, who he would later marry, then Northampton, St. Mark's Chapel, Edinburgh for nearly four years, and the Isle of Wight before answering a call to Adelaide, South Australia, where a small but influential group was building a church of their own.
Woods and his wife arrived in South Australia aboard Quito on 19 September 1855 after a long, stormy, and eventful voyage, and stayed for a time at "Hazelwood", the home of Francis and Caroline Clark and family.
His first service was held at "Hazelwood", the second at the home of Edward Martin on Osmond Terrace, Norwood. From 14 October 1855 services were held in a room attached to Green's Exchange, and was well attended.
The church was a success from the start, attracting many prominent figures, including Catherine Helen Spence, and the decision to erect a church building was made. A portion of city Section 302 on Wakefield Street was made over to the church by Dr. William Everard for a very modest sum, and the corner stone was laid on 23 December 1856. Woods took the first services on the morning and evening of Sunday 5 July 1857 to a large assembly. Prominent early supporters of the church were Dr. Charles Davies of North Adelaide, Henry Higginson of North Adelaide, John Howard Clark and Mrs Clark of Hazelwood, William Kay of Norwood, Dr. and William Everard, William Sanderson, Vernon Herford and James Allen.
The church prospered from the start, largely due to Woods' oratory and thoughtful sermons. He officiated at many weddings in Wakefield Street, not all participants being Unitarians; secular Jews such as members of the Solomon family being a case in point, and most likely marriages between Catholics and Protestants, which in those days would not be countenanced by either. He also officiated at many weddings in secular spaces, J. M. Wendt being a well-known example.
In March 1874 Woods returned to England aboard Collingrove for an extended holiday, visiting his brothers and renewing old acquaintances. Charles Lawrence Whitham, who arrived aboard Cyphrenea earlier that month, acted as locum tenens.
They spent a year in Newport, Isle of Wight, where Woods officiated at the church. They returned to Adelaide aboard the clipper Torrens on her maiden voyage, in 1876 arriving in March 1876 and resumed serving the Adelaide congregation. It was during this period, in 1881, that the congregation peaked at 747 members.
Catherine Helen Spence, who had been a regular member of the congregation from its inception, preached her first sermons at Wakefield Street in 1878 and filled in at the pulpit during Woods' occasional absences between 1884 and 1889.
He resigned in 1887 after attendance at the evening service had dropped away to a considerable extent and a dispute arose as to the cause, but it was two years before a suitable replacement was found in the Rev. Robert Cooper Dendy of Tentereden, Kent, and Woods continued as pastor. He gave his last sermon on 18 May 1889, and on 20 May 1889 Woods and his wife left for England by the P.& O. steamer Parramatta. Again Woods revisited familiar places and old friends, and spent some time seeing the sights of Europe. They returned to Adelaide by the P.& O. steamer Victoria in 1892.
Woods died 10 March 1906 at his home in Rochester Street, Knightsbridge.

Other activities

Woods married Susan Perriman Harris sometime around 1850; she died of puerperal fever after the birth of his only child:
He married the widow Sarah Thompson Cooper at Newport, Isle of Wight, in May 1855. Sarah accompanied Annie Montgomerie Martin on her visit to "the old country" from 1859 to 1861.
He married Catherine Simpson on 4 January 1882. Catherine was a sister of A. M. Simpson.