Early history Hood was born in June 1823 in
Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. His father was a colliery foreman. His mother had died, so Hood's father brought him up alone, and he received little education – aged thirteen he was employed at his father's colliery. At the age of 17, after his father was promoted to colliery manager, Hood was able to take classes and qualified as a mining engineer. His successes in expanding and improving the Rosewell colliery allowed Hood to expand his operations, and he soon managed several pits in the area (including
Carrington and
Polton, to which he extended the railway lines). Hood not only improved the mines in his ownership, he also made provision to improve the living conditions for his workers. He built houses for his workers and their families, and ensured that each house had a garden to provide a small holding. During the 1880s Hood became a leading promoter in the construction of a new railway line to
Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, in a bid to find an alternative route to the monopoly controlled by the
Taff Vale Railway and
Cardiff Docks. He and other pit owners persuaded
David Davies of
Ocean Collieries, to develop a dock at Barry, which Davies saw to fruition in 1889. Davies placed himself as deputy chairman of the newly formed
Barry Railway Company, but died just a year after its completion in 1890. Hood took over as deputy chairman on Davies' death and saw through line expansions as well as the construction of the number 2 dock in Barry. Due to the high esteem in which he was held, his workers decided to fund a memorial in his honour. The miners contributed to a statue to be built, amassing over £600 for its construction. The 7ft6inch bronze statue was erected on the grounds of Llwynypia Library, pointing towards his colliery and was unveiled in July 1906 by
William Abraham (Mabon). It was the first public statue in the Rhondda. ==References==