When he first arrived in Nairobi it was just a railway camp, station having been opened in 1899. 'T.A.' as he was almost universally known, saw the town grow from a collection of tin shanties to an imposing Capital.

SE - T.A. Wood - Govt. Rd. - July 1907

He was responsible for much of Nbi's progress and development. Started business by taking over the only European hotel and store in town and also practised as an Auctioneer. A few years later he established a hardware business which eventually became Bullows & Roy Ltd. He was a Director up to his death. Member of LegCo in 1910 and Member of Executive Council until 1928. First Mayor of Nbi.   

HBEA 1912 - Nairobi Municipal Committee, Vice-chairman Nairobi Chamber of Commerce.

Cem - Gravestone in Nairobi, Railway says - 'Nairobi 1900-1944. A great settler and wise counsellor'

KFA - 'On January 26th 1903, 26 settlers met at Mr T.A. Wood's house in Nairobi to found a Planters' and Farmers' Association , and decided to send one of their members to the Union to open up a market for potatoes. Soon afterwards, Mr W.J. King left for Lourenco Marques with a collection of samples which he sold successfully in the Transvaal for about £12 a ton. ........ The Association appointed him as agent to organize an export trade and everyone believed his fortune to be as good as made. Nairobi's first parson, the Rev. P.A. Bennett, was voted to the chair of the Association, W.J. King became the first secretary and T.A. Wood the treasurer.' ........…..

Chairman of Kenya Grain Mills Ltd. 1923.  

Permanent Way - Opened a general store and tea-room in Victoria St. which was very popular with the wives of the early pioneers.  

Golf - Vice President of Nairobi Golf Club in 1925. President 1923-26. Presented the Wood-be Golfers Cup   

Binks - 1900 - Tommy 'Logg' - a little man with a strident voice, from Sheffield. ...... ran a Hotel? cum store ...... Church was held in one of Tommy's rooms ..... Tommy also had a Tailoring department!

Kenya Diary - 1902 - The only Hotel in Nairobi is a wood and tin shanty sometimes known as Wood's Hotel and sometimes as the Victoria Hotel. .....…..   

White Man - 1922 deputation to England - representing commercial interests   

Land Grant 1903 - Thos. A. Wood - Agricultural and building, 6.13 acres - Nairobi - Jan 31 - 99 years leasehold. Further Grant - T.A. Wood and N. Nagler - Agricultural, 1000 acres - Karura and Katizini - Nov 5 - Freehold   

KAD 1922 - Elected Member for Nairobi South   

Red 25 - Vice-President, Nairobi Chamber of Commerce; President, Nairobi Golf Club

Karen 50 - Founder Member and Debenture Holder of Karen Club in 1937

North - Merchant; bought hotel & general store in Nairobi from Rossenrode & MacJohn 'The Victoria Hotel' or 'Wood's Hotel', Nairobi 1901; issued with Bird Licence 6/11/1901; Land Grant application Kikuyu 1/1/1902; at first meeting of "Committee of Europeans" Nairobi 4/1/1902; Member of Nairobi Municipality Committee Jan 1902; Listed in the East African Standard as the papers proprietor 22/11/1902; Land Grant application 31/1/1903 Nairobi & with N. Nagler 5/11/1903 Karuru; Treasurer of the Planters & Settlers Association, Nairobi 12/8/1903; 'Auctioneer and malcontent' (F.J. Jackson, CO 533) Sept 1905

Playne - Group photograph of the Colonists' Association of British East Africa - Deputy President

Playne - Mr T.A. Wood is the oldest member of the Nairobi Municipal Council, a member and one of the founders of the Colonists' Association, member of the Labour Board, and President of the Town Sports Club now being formed. He came to BEA in 1900, from England, but had previously spent 11 years in S. Africa. On his arrival in Nairobi he opened general stores, and later started auctioneering and general agency work. ........ He occupies premises in Govt. Rd., Nairobi where coffee is roasted and ground by electric machinery and packed in airtight tins (also made on the premises). The coffee is locally grown and is good in flavour, but the beans are rather small. The consumption is entirely local. Mr Wood owns a farm of 360 acres, situated 4 miles from Nairobi, and on it he runs at present some 45 head of cattle.

Macmillan - 1930 - Chairman of Kenya Grain Mills Ltd.

Drumkey 1909 - Cattle Brand - T1W

Drumkey 1909 - Member of Municipal Committee, Nairobi

Drumkey 1909 - Compagnie Des Messageries Maritimes de France, Nairobi

Drumkey 1909 - Dy. President and Treasurer, The Colonists' Association of BEA

Drumkey 1909 - Lodge Scotia, No. 1008 S.C. - W. Sub Master

Drumkey 1909 - President, Nairobi Town Sports Club

Drumkey 1909 - Auctioneer - Nairobi

Land 1909 - T.A. Wood - Buildings, 0.114 acre - Nairobi - 4/8/09 - Leasehold for 99 years from 4/8/09 - Registered 16/11/09

Agricultural Journal 1908 - Brands allotted and registered - T.A. Wood, Nairobi - Nairobi !1W

Agricultural Journal 1908 - Brands Allotted and Registered - June 1908 - T.A. Wood, Nairobi - Nairobi A1W

Gazette - 7/4/15 - Liable for Jury service, Nairobi District - T.A. Wood, Merchant

Nicholls - a tough little Yorkshireman and general merchant who arrived from South Africa in 1900.

Barnes - Nairobi South Cemetery - Thomas Alfred Wood, died 19 April 1944 aged 77

Foster - All Saints - Tommy A. Wood was a tough little Yorkshireman, he set up the first hotel in Nairobi on Victoria (now Tom Mboya) Street. In 1904 he married Emily and they had two sons Arthur Nielsen and John Waddington. Wood built up a substantial fortune. From 1910 to 1924 Wood was a member of the Legislative Council. In 1919 he was nominated by the Governor - Sir Edward Northey - to be the unofficial member of the Executive Council representing commercial interests. In 1927 and 1929 Wood was the Mayor of Nairobi and was appointed CMG. He died on 19 April 1944 and his widow died in Switzerland a few years later. He was a generous anonymous donor to charities and worthy causes and people.

Red Book 1912 - T.A. Wood - Nairobi

Red Book 1912 - Nominated Unofficial Member of Legislative Council - The Hon Mr T.A. Wood

Gazette - 15/1/1906 - Member of Nairobi Township Committee - 1906

Gazette - 12/11/1919 - Register of Voters - Nairobi, South Area - Thomas Alfred Wood - Merchant - Ngong Road and Mrs Emilie Wood - Ngong Road

Red Book 1919 - District Committees - Nairobi - T.A. Wood

Block Notes - 1903 Nairobi - "Mr Wood had an assistant by the name of King. Mr Wood was generally occupied straightening out nails and grumbling at every customer who entered his shop. He had imported cats to keep the rats down and I now realised why we had to put up with all the cats squawking on the boat!"

Gazette 4 July 1944 probate