 Born Samuel Wood, he was the only son of Samuel Wood, a wealthy cotton manufacturer.He had assumed before the title's creation in 1912 by royal licence the additional surname of Hill, the maiden name of his grandmother Alice, daughter of John Hill, of Liverpool His male-line descendants have continued with this surname.Sir John Wood, 1st Baronet, of Hengrave in Suffolk, MP for Stalybridge then Stalybridge and Hyde suburbs of Manchester was the uncle of the first holder and older than the first holder's father.