His father was a prominent Glasgow merchant and banker who could trace his lineage back to Admiral Sir Andrew Wood, a hero of the British Navy.

In October 1821, he entered The Glasgow Academy until age sixteen, when he matriculated at the University of St Andrews, where he took the second and third mathematical prizes.

While in Liverpool, "in conjunction with Richard Cobden, he canvassed South Lancashire in the interests of the senior partner of Brown Brothers, the eminent banking house, who was about to seek the votes of that constituency for election to Parliament.

[4] In June 1870, he was appointed to the commission to expand Broadway to succeed Alexander Turney Stewart who retired.

"[2] He was reappointed by Mayor William H. Wickham as a Commissioner of Education and eventually became President of the Board, serving almost twenty years where he was instrumental in the establishment of the Normal College for the training of teachers.