General Notes

A John Wood embarked September 11, 1635 on ship Hopewell, bound fromLondon to New England.
Entered on passenger list as Jo. Wood. However, that is John Wood of Plymouth, son of John Atwood. John Wood of Portsmouth is frequently confused with John Wood/Atwood of Plymouth. However, the
two are clearly separate individuals with separate wives and children.

This John Wood was a commuter and was here (America) variously from 1621 to 1640. He apparently managed to bring his entire, mostly grown, family from England to New England without clearances or papers. Not surprisingly, John died without a will. Makes him fun but difficult to track.

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Wood Family by Miss Bertha Clarke on recorded at the New England Gen. Library in Boston
Austin's Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island, p. 230-231
The Descendents of John Wood of Portsmouth, R.I. by Eugena D. Preston,
Denver colorado. MSS., New York Public Library
The Snow-Estes Ancestry. Snow 1939, Compiled by Myrtle M. Jillson, v.2 117
The American Genealogist, v 39: p29-140

John Wood of Portsmouth and Newport of Rhode Island was a London seaman. He sometimes was ships mate and some times manager and part owner of the craft on which he sailed. Being a part owner of some of the vessels on which he sailed made it possible to bring a sizeable and grownup family into the colonies with no record of leaving England or arrival here.

This Wood family probably came from Glouchestershire before moving to London. (See Clarkes Wood Family p. 55) This shows through the known relationship of John to Henry Wood, merchant of Philadelphia. Henry, a Quaker, came to America in 1683, d. in 1685. His widow Ruth Brooks Wood, in legal involvements administrating his estate, identifies their origin from Bristol, Glochestershire.
{This research all done by Ed E. Lindell and given to me, Kathleen Gibbs Knudsen, by his daughter Caorole Lindell-Ross in August 1995.}

In 1636, John Wood along with Fredrick and George, was on the bark Blessing owned by the Winthrops, on a voyage to the Hudson river and Wood made the acquaintance of Manhatten. He was in that town and investing money there by1640. (Winthrop papers 3:260)

In 1637 Francis Kirby, a London merchant, writes of material sent via the ship Hector, with John Wood, masters mate, to John Winthrop Jr. Here is mentioned Mr. James Downing a cousin of Francis Kirby (Winthrop papers 3:409-410)

1640 John Wood "hired" a tobacco farm from Thomas Bescher, at Gowanus, now a part of Brooklyn. a second farm now at the site of Greenwich Village was owned by Betscher. John Wood had an interest in both farms at various times. These were leased and worked with slave labor, perhaps with one of his sons in charge, while John went on with his merchant voyaging. In August 1641 John Wood became owner of the Gowanus Land. This land he sold and he began buying in New Port Rhode Island.
It is likely that John Smith acquired land in the new settlement at Mespath. It was attacked and destroyed by the Indians in September 1643. Riker, in describing this event accuses the Indians of killing all settlers who did not reach the fort. John Wood was away on one of his voyages, and learned upon his return that his wife and possibly his son Fredrick were among the massacre victims.

In March 1643-4 the Massachusets General "the debt of John Wood of 20 pounds is in respite for two years in regard of his great loss."

In 1645-46 John Wood acquired several pieces of land at Newport. Shortly afterward he removed to Portsmouth, for in July 1648 he was admitted as a freeman of that town. In April 1650 in a letter to Elizbaeth Winthrop, the wife of Adam, a son of the first Governor, he reports after a voyage in which he disposed of some tobacco for her and brought back some goods for her.

Clarke reports from an item in the Boston genealogical pages of the Transcript an unidentified "C.R.M." reports the date of death for John Wood as 1 Mar, 1655. On 7 May 1655 The Town Council of Portsmouth appointed appraisers for the estate of John Wood deceased. (Bos. Tran. 22 Nov 16?   (95457).

(Portsmouth Early Records pp.322-324)
John Wood's second wife was Elizabeth probably the widow of John Smith Sr. of Taunton (Clarke, Wood Family P.11) After the death of John Wood, she married 3rd Hugh Parsons a widower whose land bordered the Wood homestead. John Wood owned two farms in Portsmouth, R.I., and for a brief time, a third farm in Newport (Am. Gen. v.39 p.139)

The following information was found written in a letter to Monica King Jenkins. Kathryn F. Wood Adams found the letter along with all the famliy lineage at the death of her grandmother, Kathryn King Wood, sister to Monica Jenkins. It is an assumption that this information pertains to the John Wood that was first married to Margaret Carter. There was no signature at the end of the letter therefore it is     at this time who wrote the letter. The following is what was written in this letter:

"John Wood sailed from England, Sept. 11, 1635 on the Hopewell Ship. He was married twice and his widow was Elizabeth, step-mother to William, when he died in 1655. The last three children may have been born to the second wife.

John Wood was admitted as a freeman in Portsmouth, Rhode Island on July 10, 1648; freeman at Newport,  Rhode Island in 1655. The sons of John and Thomas Wood were admitted as freeman of the colony at Newport,  Rhode Island in 1665."

One reference states that John Wood came to this country in 1635 and lived for a time at Lynn, Massachusetts removed to Portsmouth ,  Rhode Island about 1640. Portsmouth was settled by Ann Hutchinson and her followers. John Wood may have gone there with dissenters the Purtains asked to leave the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Regardless of how he arrived at Portsmouth,  Rhode Island , there is very definite evidence in the Town Hall at Portsmouth which shows that he was there in 1640 and by 1655 had accumlated a sizeable estate.

Who, if anyone in the Wood famliy, preceded him to America is not definitely known. "Early Southern New England Families" states that John Wood was probably the son of William Wood, who visited New England in the late 1620's. On his return to England, he wrote "Prospects for New England." This work was published in England in 1634." (see manuscript below)

From John Osborne Austin, Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island, p. 230-231:
John  Wood, d. 1655, married twice [Ausin does not give names of his wives.]..On Mar 17, 1655, the Portsmouth Town Council chose appraisers on his estate (he having died intestate) viz: John Coggeshall, Thomas Cornell, Jr., James Babcock and William Hall. Inventory 130 pounds, viz: Land 45 pounds, In widow hand 50 pounds, In Thomas Wood's hands 20 pounds, Goods and Cattle 15 pounds. The council disposed of the estate as follows: To John Wood, land in his present possession, he paying his sister Mancester Ð8. To Thomas Wood, the land that was his father's in Newport (40 acres, about, near William Weeden's farm). To William Wood, 10 acres where widow lives (the present crop of corn growing upon part of the land excepted, and that to go to widow). To widow, rest of land in her possession to improve for life, she paying George Wood (eldest son of deceased) the sum of Ð4, and to two younger children of deceased, Susanna and Elizabeth Ð8 apiece at age of 16. At decease of widow, William Wood to have all the land in his mother'-in-law's (i.e., stepmother's) possession, he paying the Ð8, to the two youngest children if he has possession before they arrive at ages of 16.
The widow to have cattle and goods to bring up young children.

Children: (if there was a son, Frederick, he must have pre-deceased the father.)
1. George
2. John m. Mary. He lived in Newport. He had sons Thomas and John, who both lived in Little Compton. He may also bave been the father of Henry of Newport and of Walter.
3. Thomas m. Rebecca. He lived in Portsmouth and Swansea, Massachusetts.
4. William, d. 1697, m. Martha Earle, dau. of Ralph & Joan Earle. By 24 Mar 1686, he was in Dartmouth, where he took the oath of fidelity.
5. Margaret m. Thomas Manchester
6. Susanna
7. Elizabeth.
At the end of Austin's Genealogical Dictionary is an appendix of additions and corrections:
p. 459:John Wood was also of Newport. He "of Newport," was defendant in a suit in the Newport Quarter Sessions Court on 7 JUne 1643 and was a surety in that Court in March 1645; in Dec. 1646 he was sued in the Newport County by Willing Withingtin. He was granted 40 acres "newar William Weeden's
farm." He was a freeman at Portsmouth 10 Jul 1648 and a juryman at a Trial Court at Warwick 26 May 1649. On 1 Mar 1649/50, "John Wood, Sr." of Portsmouth bought 45 acres in Portsmouth near the Newport line. He was recorded as a Freeman of Newport in 1655, the year of his death.

"A Theory Bearing Scrutiny-- Rhode Island Historical Library"--John Wood was a London seaman who had many
dealings with the Winthrops, both Gov. John of Massachusetts and John Jr of Conn., a seaman who was
sometimes a shipmate and sometimes a manager and part owner of the craft on which he sailed; a
man with his eyes always open for business opportunities, whether as a carrier, as buyer and seller of
goods overseas, in the buying of land, or the taking over of mortgaged property. John's being part
owner or manager of some vessels on which he sailed was what made it possible for him to bring a
sizable and grown family into the colonies, seemingly with no record of clearance or arrival here.
(See John Wood of Rhode Island by Bertha Clark at  Rhode Island Historical Library--Manuscript)

Massachusetts Bay records state that Richard Smith and John Wood came from Gloucestershire,
England. John Wood had been of Lynn, and both men were of Taunton in 1637. Both later removed
to Newport,  Rhode Island. per Cassandra Wood.

Anita Jensen on August 9,   0, wrote: Capt. John2 Wood (William1); baptized 1 January 1583 in
Clerkwell, London, England; m. Margaret Carter, daughter of William Carter and Elizabeth
Woodward, 28 January 1610 in St. Savior's Church, London, England; d. 1 March 1654 in
Portsmouth, Rhode Island at age 71. The LDS site lists three John Woods as sons of William Wood born at Clerkwell and are baptized May 20, 1571, Oct 12, 1576 and Jan 1, 1583.

Ryan Wood wrote on July 12,   0:
I have a new theory for those of us who accept John Wood and Margaret Carter were married in St.
Savior's, Southwark, London, 28 Jan 1610 as our progenitors: According to Genuki.org.uk, the
parish of Southwark, London originally belonged to the county of Surrey. With this in mind, it is
most likely that John Wood and Margaret Carter originated in that county rather than in London.

After searching the IGI, I have determined that if John and Margaret were from Surrey, they were most
likely from the town of Mitcham. There is a Mitcham Road, which presumably lies between present
day Southwark, London, and its "mother city" of Mitcham, Surrey. Following are the potential
candidates from Mitcham:

John Wood, christened in Mitcham, Surrey, England 12 Apr 1590, son of Henry Wood and Margaret
Dynnes (married in Mitcham, 16 Jul 1587)

Margaret Carter, christened in Mitcham, Surrey, England, 21 Jan 1587/88, daughter of Richard
Carter (perhaps Richard Carter who married Margaret Batte in Mitcham).

Served as a masters mate in 1638 and in command of at least two ships about 1640.

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