May 24, 2025

The Wood ancestry hails from Great Britain. The current issue of Kent Family History Society journal includes my article “The Children of William Wood (1783-1852): The Hairdresser of Sheerness, Kent.”

Unlike my own ancestors who were pioneers and farmers on the American frontier, William Wood lived in a bustling port town on the Isle of Sheppey. He worked as a hairdresser and perfumer in Sheerness, a port town that had a large military presence. William’s profession is the best identifier when looking for a man with a somewhat-common name and also the key to identifying his children.

Copilot AI, “Wig and Hairdressing Tools in Sepia Tones,” digital image, 2024.

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About Author

Vanessa Wood is a genealogical researcher and writer specializing in American family history, with particular depth in Southern states, California, and families with roots in the United Kingdom. She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) and the National Genealogical Society (NGS), and holds a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University. She is a First Prize winner of the 2026 Montana Family History Writing Contest and has 25+ published articles in journals including the National Genealogical Society Quarterly. Vanessa is the author of Pryor Wives: Stories of Family, Fortune, and Fiasco (2023), Board in Venice (2025), and The Kinship Papers, Vol. 1. Her books are available on Amazon.com. She can be contacted via email.

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