Wood Street

March 8, 2010

What a beautiful sunny day! This is most definitely an unofficial start to spring, the temperature is hovering around 11 degrees, the birds are chirping and smell of melting snow and mud is in the air! It was so wonderful that the girls from work and I decided that we would take a lunch time walk. We walked down Church Street, the main road running through Toronto’s gay village, and turned around at Carlton. On a number of occasions, I have walked this route and always notice a statue, which seems to be randomly placed, at the corner of Church and Alexander. Upon closer inspection, a plaque is posted underneath that states it is a statue of Alexander Wood – which would explain Alexander Street and Wood Street – which I thought was just an urban planner’s awful sense of humour. Today’s question is: who was Alexander Wood?

A:
Alexander Wood was a Scottish merchant who came to Upper Canada in 1793 settling in York (now Toronto) and opening an import/export business. Alexander quickly established himself as one of the city's leading merchants, was chosen as lieutenant in the York militia in 1798, and was appointed a city magistrate in 1800.

In 1810, Alexander found himself in the middle of a scandal, while investigating a rape case. The victim was “Miss Bailey” who had claimed that she did not see the face of her attacker, but had scratched his genitals during the assault. Wood called in a series of men to inform them of the rape claim and in order to identify the assailant, Wood would conduct a personal inspection of each of the suspects for injury. Rumours began to surface that the alleged rape was fabricated so that Wood as an opportunity to fondle and seduce young men. Wood became the subject of ridicule and was tagged with the nickname "Molly Wood", "Molly" then being a derisive slang expression for a homosexual man. Wood’s close friend, Judge William Dummer Powell, confronted him with the accusations, and Wood confessed: “I have laid myself open to ridicule and malevolence, which I know not how to meet; that the thing will be made the subject of mirth and a handle to my enemies for a sneer I have every reason to expect.” In order to avoid a public scandal, Judge Powell had the evidence buried, on the promise that Wood leave Upper Canada. So, in October 1810, Wood set sail back to Scotland.

Wood returned to York in 1812, resuming his prior appointment as a magistrate. He fought in the War of 1812 and was on the boards of several organizations. His life in York continued without incident until 1823, when Rev. John Strachan, a long-time friend of Wood's, recommended him for a position on the 1812 War Claims Commission. Judge Powell was the appointing authority and refused Wood on moral grounds due to the 1810 scandal. Wood sued Powell for defamation and won, but Powell refused to pay and subsequently published a pamphlet attacking Wood even further.

Wood remained in York, continuing his service in civic duties for the next seventeen years. In 1827 he purchased 50 acres of land at Yonge and Carlton Streets, which was referred to as "Molly Wood's Bush”.

Alexander Wood finally returned to Scotland in 1842 and he died there two years later at the age of 72. The British Colonist paid tribute to Wood as one of Toronto's most distinguished founding citizens.

Wood’s legacy lives on, as “Molly Wood’s Bush” went undeveloped until the 1850s. Its association with homosexuality had never gone away. It is unclear whether Wood’s reputation had drawn homosexuals to the area, or the homosexuals already there caused the reputation, no one will know for sure. But a gay neighbourhood gradually sprang up around Wood’s old property. Today it has become the Church and Wellesley area, Canada’s largest and oldest gay village.

Sources:
The Drummer’s Revenge: Alexander Wood
Toronto’s Historical Plaques
Wikipedia: Alexander Wood (merchant)