Samuel Woods Sr. (abt. 1636 - abt. 1717)

Born about 1636 in England [uncertain]

Husband of Alice (Rushton) Woods — married 28 Sep 1659 in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died about Jan 1717 at about age 81 in Groton, Middlesex, Province of Massachusetts Bay

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Biography

Samuel Woods was probably born in England about 1636,^[1] as he deposed in 1676 that he was aged 40.^[2][3] His origins (parents, date and place of birth) are unknown.

The date Samuel arrived in New England is unknown: he may have been born there. The first record found for him in New England is in Watertown, Massachusetts, where he was a member of the training band in 1653^[1] (Middlesex Court Files, 1653).^[3]

Samuel married Alice Rushton^[1] on 28 September 1659 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.^[3][4] They had the following children:

1. Samuel, born 9 January 1660/1 in Cambridge;^[5] died 19 March 1712, married Hannah Farwell^[3]
2. Thomas, born 9 March 1663 in Groton, Massachusetts;^[6] died 28 August 1738, married four times^[3]
3. Elizabeth, born 17 September 1665 in Groton,^[6] died 24 January 1717, married Thomas Tarbell^[3]
4. Nathaniel, born 25 March 1667/8 in Groton,^[6] died 20 June 1738, also married four times^[3][7]
5. Mary, born 2 August 1670 in Groton,^[6] married Eleazer Parker and James Nutting^[3]
6. Abigail, born 9 August 1672,^[6] married Daniel Pierce and Samuel Barron^[3]
7. Hannah (Annah), born 18 September 1674 in Groton,^[6] died 29 September 1703, unmarried^[3]
8. John, born 4 March 1676/7 in Watertown,^[8] died in childhood^[3]

Samuel and his family removed to Groton, Massachusetts in 1662 and he was one of the original proprietors there, receiving an eleven-acre right.^[2][3][9] He lived in Groton until the town was destroyed in King Phillip's War in 1676, at which time he returned with his family to Watertown.^[1][3] In 1677, Samuel signed the agreement made at Concord to resettle Groton and, in 1678, he returned there.^[3][7] Samuel Woods "Sr", along with Thomas Woods and their families, were members of a Groton garrison of 11 men in a list dated 17 March 1691/2.^[2]

His wife, Alice, died 17 April 1712^[7] in Groton.^[3]

On 20 November 1703, Samuel Woods, Sr., deeded all of his property to his son, Samuel Jr., with the understanding that Samuel Jr. would maintan the property and give one quarter of the profits to his father. Unfortunately, Samuel Jr. died in 1712 and his heirs did not abide by their father's agreement. In 1714, the court ordered that Samuel Sr.'s children and grandchildren should share in supporting him. From about 1714-1717, Samuel lived with his son, Thomas.^[10]

Samuel died about January 1717:^[3] his date of death is calculated based on information in a 1718 letter or petition.^[10]

As Samuel transferred all of his property before his death, he likely did not leave a will and probate administration was not granted. However, great genealogical information is found in an August 1718 letter. Thomas Woods and his wife Hannah filed a petition with the court requesting that Thomas' family reimburse them for supporting Samuel Sr., and asserting that the 1714 agreement to share in Samuel's expenses was not complied with. An accompanying letter, written by Thomas, gave details on the surviving family of Samuel Woods, Sr., including a list of children: Thomas Woods, Nathaniel Woods, Samuel Barron and Abigail Barron alias Woods his wife, and John Nutting Jr. and Mary Nutting alias Woods his wife; and grandchildren: Thomas, William and Samuel Tarbell; Daniel Pierce; Nathaniel Woods Jr.; Daniel, Samuel and Sarah Woods; John and Susannah Solindine alias Woods his wife; Daniel Shead and Abigail Shead alias Pierce his wife; John Chamberlain and Abigail Chamberlain alias Woods his wife; Joseph Willied and Elizabeth Williard alis Tarbell his wife; and John Gofs and Mary Gofs alias Woods his wife.^[10]

Research Notes

Probate?

Essex County Probate 1 April 1717 (Samuel had property in Middlesex County transferred prior to his death)^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} F. A. Virkus, ed. The Compendium of American Genealogy, Vol. VII. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1965, p. 895. Ancestry Sharing Link (free access) - Ancestry Image ($).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Caleb Butler. History of the Town of Groton, including Pepperell and Shirley. Boston: Press of T.R. Marvin, 1848, p. 27 (11 acres), 84 (deposition), 85 (Concord agreement), 91 (garrison), 303 (family history), 446 (list of 6 children born at Groton). Archive.org.
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15} Henry E. Woods. "The Woods Family of Groton, Massachusetts" in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: NEHGS, Vol. 64, Jan. 1910, pp. 34-35. AmericanAncestors.org($).
4. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001". FamilySearch. Samuel Wood and Alice Rushton, 28 Sep 1659.
5. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001". FamilySearch. Samuel Wood, 9 Jan 1660.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5} Vital Records of Groton, Massachusetts, to the end of the Year 1849. Vol. 1: Births. Salem, MA: The Essex Institute, 1926, pp. 258-266. HathiTrust.org.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} William Richard Cutter. Encyclopedia of Massachusetts: Biographical - Genealogical, Vol. 6. Boston: The American Historical Society, 1916, p. 15. Archive.org.
8. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001". FamilySearch. John Woods 4 Mar 1676.
9. ↑ "Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988", Ancestry Sharing Link (free access) - Ancestry Record 2495 #71453432 ($). Samuel Woods on list of original proprietors of Groton, Massachusetts; 11 acres.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2} "Notes and Queries" in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston: NEHGS, 1907, Vol. 61, p. 396. Google Books
11. ↑ "Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991", Massachusetts, Essex County, Probate Records. Ancestry Sharing Link (free access) - Ancestry Record 9069 #3256411 ($). Samuel Wood probate # 30309 on 1 Apr 1717 in Essex, Massachusetts.

See also:

• Green, Samuel A. A Brief Account of Some of the Early Settlers of Groton, Massachusetts. Groton, MA: 1878, p. 25. Archive.org
• Cutter, William Richard. New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial, Vol. 3. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1914, pp. 1348-1349. Google Books.