Henry Norwood

• General Notes
  • HENRY NORWOOD (COLONEL), of Bishampton, co. Worcs. -  (b. 1615, d. 14 Sep.,1689) Active in the Civil War in England. In 1649 after the regicide of King Charles I, Henry fled with friends to Virginia where his cousin, Sir Henry Berkeley was governor. Author of "A Voyage to Virginia", describing his experiences. In 1658 Henry came back across the Atlantic to Holland, and then to England, and was active during the Restoration. In 1660 he served as 'Esquire of the Body' to the king. He was treasurer of the Colony of Virginia, 1661 - 1673, evidently a post which he was able to fulfill in England, and in 1675 was elected as a Member of Parliament for the County of Gloucestershire. Subsequently he was governor of Tangier, and lived there for some time. He returned to England and purchased a Leckhampton property from his cousin, Francis Norwood. He had never married, and on his death was interred in the Leckhampton Parish church, beside his grandfather.
    [Note:  The above mentioned website identifies a third brother, James Norwood, as:  "living in 1618".  However, Henry Norwood's will makes absolutely no mention of a third son of any name, but does make several mentions of James  Kirton, his wife's former husband;  perhaps "James Norwood" arose from a mis-reading of this will? Moreover, as follows, he did have a third child, a daughter, Jane Norwood, his provisions for whom are described in detail in the will. It should also be considered that Henry and Elizabeth only married in late 1611 or early 1612, after probably nearly a year  of mourning, and their first son was not born probably until at least the end of 1612.  Henry was already sick, and writing his will by March, 1616, so two more, identified children in three years would seem to make the existence of yet another child, in the form of James Norwood, quite unlikely.]