Full description
Oil Painting.
Artist: W. Q. Orchardson. The painting was commissioned by the Durham Coal Owners Association in 1898.
Hangs on the main staircase, opposite the second floor landing.
Lindsay Wood was born at Killingworth Hall in 1834. He was the son of the first President of the Institute, Nicholas Wood.
Wood was educated at the Royal Kepier Grammar School (Houghton-le-Spring) and King’s College (London). He served an apprenticeship as a mining engineer at the Hetton Colleries where his father was manager. After his father’s death in 1866, Wood became managing director of the Hetton Collieries. He was also managing partner of the North Hetton Coal Company and managing director of the Harton Coal Company.
Wood was elected as a member of North of England Mining Institute and Mechanical Engineers on the 1st of October 1857. He became President between 1875-1878 and again in 1902-03. For over 40 years he was also president of the Durham Coalowners’ Association, meaning he won the confidence of the miners’ leaders as well as the coalowners. Wood was also chairman of the North of England United Coal Trade Association and of the Durham Colliery Owners’ Mutual Protection Association.
Wood was an active supporter of the Unionist cause, acting as President of the party organisation in the Houghton-le-Spring Division, and Chairman of the Durham County Division of the National Union of Conservative and Constitutional Associations. He was a Justice of the Peace and a Deputy-Lieutenant (becoming Sheriff in 1889). He was created a baronet in 1897.
Sir Lindsay Wood married in 1873 and had four sons and two daughters. His eldest son Arthur succeded to the baronetcy.
