USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Boston and eastern Massachusetts > Part 106
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WOOD Thomas Wood, immigrant ances- tor, born in England, settled first at Rowley, Massachusetts, where he married April 7, 1654, Ann Her maiden name is not given, but there is much reason for believing that it was Hunt and she was probably of Ipswich, Massachusetts, at the time. John Grant, of Rowley, married Mary Hunt who made her will in 1697 and calls Ann Wood and Susannah Todd, wife of John Todd, of Rowley, "sisters"; and in pa- pers on file in the Essex county probate court with the will both Ann and Susannah are men- tioned as being about sixty years old in 1697. In the will of John Todd he mentions "Brother Hunt :" in an affidavit in the Salem records Thomas Wood calls himself forty years old in 1675 and calls John Todd "brother."
There is reason to believe that Thomas Wood was the son of William Wood, of Con- cord, Massachusetts, who came from Matlock, England, in 1638, at the age of fifty-six years, with his nephew, Hon. Thomas Flint, and set- tled in Concord. William died May 14, 1671, aged eighty-nine. He is believed by some to have written the book entitled "New England Prospects." The will of this William of Con- cord is dated September 15, 1670, and was proved June 20, 1672. He bequeathed prop-
erty to his daughter, Ruth Wheeler, and son- in-law, Thomas Wheeler ; to his grandchild, Abigail Hosmer ; to sons Thomas and Michael. Shattuck in his history of Concord gives the names of his children as: Michael, Ruth, Abraham, Isaac, Thomas, Jacob, John and Abigail.
Thomas Wood was buried at Rowley, Sep- tember 12, 1687. His widow Ann died Der cember 29, 1714. All their children were born at Rowley: 1. Mary, January 15, 1655. 2. John, November 2, 1656, mentioned below. 3. Thomas. August 10, 1658, married Mary Hunt, probably of Ipswich; was buried De- cember 1, 1702. 4. Ann or Mary Ann, August 8, 1660, married. January 15, 1678-79, Benja- min Plumer. 5. Ruth, May 21, 1662, married Captain Joseph Jewett, January 16, 1680-81 ; he died October 30, 1694, and she married (second), October 26, 1696, John Lunt; she died November 29, 1634. 6. Josiah (twin), September 5, 1664, married, 1685, Sarah Eli- thorpe: (second), 1689, Mary Felt. 7. Eliz- abeth (twin), September 5, 1664. 8. Samuel, December 26, 1666, married Margaret Elith- orpe ; he died November 25, 1690. 9. Solo- mon, May 17, 1669, married Mary Hazeltine ; ancestor of the Wood family of Mendon and Uxbridge, Worcester county, Massachusetts. IO. Ebenezer, December 29, 1671, married Ra- chel Nichols. II. James, June 22, 1674, died October 18, 1694.
(II) John Wood, son of Thomas Wood (1), was born in Rowley, Massachusetts, No- vember 2. 1656. He lived first in Rowley village (Boxford), but about 1682 settled at Bradford, Massachusetts. The farm that he originally settled on is still owned and occu- pied by the family, the present owner being Bradley O. Wood, in what is now Groveland, Massachusetts, formerly part of Bradford. The place has never been sold out of the Wood fam- ily. He married, January 16, 1680, Isabel Hazen, born July 21, 1662, daughter of Ed- ward Hazen. Her father was an early settler at Rowley : his wife Elizabeth was buried Sep- tember 18, 1649, and he married (second) Hannah Grant, daughter of Thomas and Han- nah Grant : he was selectman in 1650-51-54- 60-61-65-68: judge in 1666; was buried at Rowley, July 22, 1683 ; widow married, March 17. 1684. George Browne, of Haverhill, who adopted Richard Hazen as his heir ; she died February 15, 1716. The first two children of John and Isabel Wood were baptized at Box- ford; the other nine were born at Bradford, Massachusetts. Children : I. John, baptized
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June 20, 1681-82, died young. 2. Hannah, born January 20, 1681-82, married in Brad- ford, July 14, 1702, James Bailey. Born in Bradford: 3. John, born February 13, 1683- 84. 4. Priscilla, born August 27, 1686. 5. Edward, born September 7, 1689, mentioned below. 6. Thomas, born November 28, 1691. 7. Samuel, born November 18, 1693. 8. Jos- eph, born May 5. 1696. 9. Ebenezer, born September 8, 1698. 10. Bethia, born Janu- ary 19, 1702-03. II. Richard, born January 30, 1705-06.
(III) Edward Wood, son of John Wood (2), born in Bradford. September 7, 1689, died there December 26, 1779, in his eighty- ninth year. His gravestone is in the old burial ground at Groveland. He lived on the home- stead at Bradford. He married, December 23. 1713, at Newbury, Mary Spofford, of Row- ley. She was born August 7, 1682, died De- cember 26, 1779, aged eighty-nine years, daughter of Samuel and Sarah ( Birkbec) Spofford. Her parents were married Decem- ber 5, 1676. Hler father was born January 31, 1653, died January 1, 1744, aged ninety-one ; her mother died November 18, 1729. Samuel was the son of the immigrant ancestors, John and Elizabeth (Scott) Spofford. Children, born at Bradford: 1. Moses, September 27, 1716, mentioned below. 2. Mary, De- cember 10, 1718. 3. Samuel, July II, 1721. 4. Ebenezer, April 16, 1727. 5. John, June 25. 1731. 6. Sarah, June 13, 1734.
(IV) Moses Wood, son of Edward Wood (3), born September 27. 1716, at Bradford, Massachusetts, died March 5, 1799, aged eighty-two years. His gravestone in the old yard at Groveland has been preserved. He married, November 21, 1739. Mehitable Stick- ney, who died March 11, 1781, in her sixty- fourth year. She was born March 3, 1717, daughter of Thomas and Mary ( Mullikin) Stickney, and granddaughter of Robert and Rebecca Mullikin. Thomas Stickney was born August 23, 1694, resided in Bradford; was lieutenant ; fence-viewer : tithingman ; survey- or ; member of the grand jury ; died October 27, 1769. Samuel Stickney, father of Thomas Stickney, was born July 2, 1663 ; married Mary Heseltine, daughter of Abiah and Elizabeth (Langhorne) Heseltine. His wife Mary was born at Rowley, April 30, 1672, died Decem- ber 30, 1714. Samuel Stickney, father of Sam- tiel Stickney, was born in England in 1633; married, April 18, 1653, Julia Swan; (sec- ond), April 6, 1674, Prudence (Leaver) Gage, of Bradford and Rowley. William Stickney,
father of Samuel Stickney, was the immigrant. Moses Wood lived on the homestead in Brad- ford. Children, born in Bradford: 1. John, October 1I, 1741. 2. Thomas, April 8, 1744. 3. Mary, September 7, 1746. 4. Mary, Sep- tember 6, 1748. 5. Sarah, born January 29, 1750. 6. Moses, October 23, 1753. married Apphia Spofford, born February 28, 1765. 7. Mehitable, November 23, 1755. 8. Samuel, mentioned below.
(V) Samuel Wood, son of Moses Wood (4), born in Bradford, Massachusetts, Feb- ruary 9, 1756, died there November 19, 1839, aged eighty-two years. His gravestone is in the family lot in the old burial ground at Groveland. He had the homestead of his fathers and was a farmer in Bradford, now Groveland. He married, July, 1783, Lucy Russell, who died his widow, February 28, 1843, aged eighty-five years, seven months. Children, born at Bradford: 1. Sally, August 4, 1784. 2. Lucy, February 3, 1786. 3. Re- becca, December 18, 1787. 4. Lydia, Octo- ber II, 1789. 5. Samuel, May 7, 1791. 6. Thomas, December 16, 1792, mentioned below. 7. Moses (twin), July 9, 1794. 8. Mehitable (twin ), July 9, 1794. 9. John, February 22, 1796. 10. Philometer, December 6, 1797. II. Leonard, September 9, 1799. 12. Mary, July 16, 1803.
(VI) Thomas Wood, son of Samuel Wood (5), born December 16, 1792, at Bradford, had a common school education, and followed farming on the homestead in his native town. He married, January 8, 1818, Betsey Harri- man, who died at Bradford, April 24, 1884. daughter of Moses and Jane Harriman, of Bradford. Children, born at Bradford: I.
Maria S., October 3, 1818. 2. Moses H., July 20, 1820. 3. Child, June 28, 1822. 4. Charles T., September, 1823. 5. Samuel H., July 19, 1825. 6. Alice, November 9. 1827. 7. Brad- ley O., December 7, 1832 (resides on the Wood homestead). 8. Justin R., mentioned below. 9. Martha Robinson, June 20, 1843.
(VII) Justin R. Wood, son of Thomas Wood (6), born in Bradford, Massachusetts, was educated in the public schools, and has followed farming in Groveland all his life. He is a prominent citizen of his native town. He married Laura Ann Goss, born September 2, 1839, daughter of Allen H. and Sophia C. ( Parker) Goss. Allen H. Goss was born De- cember 17, 1786, son of Richard and Hannah Goss. Richard Goss was born March IO, 1747, son of John and Mehitable Goss. Chil- dren : I. Roswell L., born September 26,
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1865, mentioned below. 2. Mary HI., July II, 1870. 3. Melvin L., September 1, 1874. 4. Fred A., October 17, 1876.
(VIII) Roswell L. Wood, son of Justin R. Wood (7), born in Groveland, Massachusetts, September 26, 1865, was educated in the pub- lic schools. He has for a number of years been engaged in the real estate and auctioneer- ing business and has built up a flourishing business in Haverhill, where he has his office, and in the adjacent towns. In politics Mr. Wood is a staunch Republican. He has been a member of the common council of the city of Haverhill and also of the board of alder- men. He was elected an overseer of the poor 111 1901-02-03. In 1904 he was elected mayor of the city of Haverhill and re-elected five consecutive terms. His administration has been characterized by prudence, economy and efficiency, and he has won the confidence of his political opponents as well as his friends. He has displayed in his administration of mun- icipal affairs executive ability of a high order. Mr. Wood is popular with all classes of his townsmen. He is a member of Mispah Lodge of Odd Fellows, Greshen Lodge, Knights of Pythias, and of Haverhill Lodge, B. P. O. E. He and his family attend the Union Church.
He married, May 4, 1884, Jennie L. Mad- dock, of Scituate, May 4, 1884. She was born January, 1863, daughter of Thomas J. Mad- dock. Children: I. Laura May, born April 22, 1886. 2. Harold F., December 5, 1888. 3. Helen Kate, January 1, 1890. 4. Thomas, August 16, 1892.
Among the Normans, RICHARDSON Richard was a favorite name and the surname Richardson undoubtedly originated with them. William Belward, Lord of the Moiety of Mal- passe, soon after the conquest, 1066, had two sons, the younger named Richard, who being of small size was called Richard the Little. One of his sons was called "John Richard- son," taking his father's name with the addi- tion of "Son" for his surname; and from this came the family name of Richardson, so well represented throughout England for centuries, and also, though less numerously, in Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
In Yorkshire and Durham, and perhaps in other counties in England, the Richardsons were seated as early as the sixteenth century, and before the year 1600 arms were granted them through one Nicholas Richardson, of Durham, who settled in Yorkshire in 1561.
The Richardsons of Gloucestershire had coats- of-arms in 1588, those of Durham in 1615, and in 1630 one Richard Richardson, Esq., of Bradford, in Yorkshire, afterward of Bierley, paid a fine of forty pounds for declining the honor of knighthood proffered by Charles I. Burke in his "Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland" mentions arms granted to many distinguished persons of the Richardson sur- name, but in this place it is not necessary to follow them all.
The emigration of the Richardsons from England to America is believed to have begun in 1630, when Ezekiel Richardson came over in one of the ships of Winthrop's fleet, and he was followed in 1636 by his brothers Samuel and Thomas. The "Richardson Memorial" furnishes an account somewhat in detail of others of the same surname during the next ten years after the arrival of Ezekiel, but it is not assumed that all of these immigrants were of kin to each other. Those of the name with whom we have to deal in this narrative are the three brothers-Ezekiel, who led the way, and his brothers Samuel and Thomas, who came a few years afterward. The line here particularly treated is that of one of the descendants of Samuel Richardson, the second of the three brothers, and who figures in New England colonial history as one of the found- ers of the town of Woburn, Massachusetts.
(I) Samuel Richardson, born in England about 1610, may have come to America with his elder brother Ezekiel, in 1630, although it is believed that he did not in fact come until a few years later ; the weight of opinion among genealogists of the family is that he arrived on the shores of New England in 1636. The three brothers had lots assigned them April 20, 1838, "on the Misticke side and above the Ponds," in what now is Malden, and in the records of December, 1638, their names ap- pear as having the pasturing of cows on the common. In 1640, November 5, the three brothers, with four other settlers, were selected by the church in Charlestown to found a new plantation within the limits of that town, but in the region included in the town of Woburn as soon afterward established; and they also helped in planting the first church in Woburn, in laying out houselots, the common, and the lands for meadow and pasturage. Their houses were built near to each other, and that part of the highway on which they lived has since been called 'Richardson's row.' It was laid out as a street in 1647.
Samuel Richardson was selectman of Wo-
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burn 1644-1646 and 1649-1651 ; in 1645 he paid the largest tax of any man in Woburn, hence it may be inferred that he was an enterprising man, although young in years, if he was born in 1610. He died March 23, 1658, leaving no will, and his widow and eldest son were ap- pointed administrators. The baptismal name of his wife was Joanna, but her family name is unknown. The first two of their children were born in Charlestown and the others in Woburn: I. Mary, baptized February 25, 1637-8: married Thomas, son of Deacon John Mousall, one of the founders of Woburn ; lived in Charlestown. 2. John, baptized Novem- ber 12, 1639 ; married Elizabeth Bacon : second Mary Pierson; third, Margaret Willing. 3. Hannah, born March 8, 1641-2, died April 8, 1642. 4. Joseph, born July 27, 1643 ; married Hannah Green. 5. Samuel, born May 22, 1646: married first, Martha ; second, Hannah Kingsbury; third, Phebe Baldwin ; fourth, Sarah Hayward. 6. Stephen, born Au- gust 15, 1649; married Abigail Wyman. 7. Thomas, born December 31, 1651 ; died Sep- tember 27. 1657. 8. Elizabeth, born 165 -: living 1666, at date of her mother's will.
(II) Joseph Richardson, second son and fourth child of Samuel Richardson and his wife Joanna, born in Woburn, Massa- chusetts, July 27, 1643, died there March 5, 1717-18. He was admitted freeman May 15, 1672, and thereupon was received into full communion into the church. During King Philip's war he was a soldier under Major Samuel Appleton, and took part in the memorable swamp fight and the attack on the Narragansett fort, December 19, 1675. He was selectman of Woburn 1693-94. 1702. November 5, 1666, he married Hannah Green, born about 1647, died May 20, 1721, having survived her husband about four years. She was a daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Green, of Malden. Her father was born in England about 1606, and came to New Eng- land about or before 1640, lived in that part of Malden now Melrose, and was selectman of Malden in 1658. He died December 19, 1667. Joseph Richardson and Hannah Green had five children : I. Hannah, born October 22, 1667 : married Daniel Baldwin. 2. Mary, born March 22, 1668-9: married first, James Fowle ; second, Samuel Walker. 3. Elizabeth, born June 28, 1670; married first, John Coggin ; second, Jacob Wyman. 4. Joseph, born May 19, 1672; married Mary Blodget. 5. Stephen, born February 7, 1673-4; married Bridget Richardson.
( III) Joseph Richardson, fourth child and elder son of Joseph and Hannah (Green) Richardson, born in Woburn, May 19, 1672, died there December 5, 1754, aged eighty-two years, having passed the whole of his useful life in that town. In his will he calls himself "gentleman." He was selectman 1714 and 1716. He married, October 24, 1693, Mary Blodget, born in Woburn, September 15, 1673. dlied there March II, 1752, aged seventy-eight years. Her father, Samuel Blodget, was selectman of Woburn 1681. Joseph Richard- son and Mary Blodget had ten children: I. Mary, born January 10, 1694-5; married Henry Baldwin. 2. Hannah, born August 17, 1697 ; married, May 21, 1728, Thomas Carter, grandson of Rev. Thomas Carter, of Woburn. 3. Joseph, born November 8, 1699; married Susanna Wyman. 4. Josiah, born January 12, 1701-2; married Experience Wright. 5. Reuben, born June 12, 1704; married Esther Wyman. 6. Oliver, born August 15. 1706; married first, Lydia Wyman ; second, Eunice Pierce. 7-8. David and Samuel, twins, born October 12, 1708. died same day. 9. Charles, born July 27, 1710 : married first, Mary Roper : second, Susanna 10. Ruth, born June 17, 1713 : married James Baldwin.
(IV) Reuben Richardson, third son and fifth child of Joseph and Mary ( Blodget ) Richardson, born in Woburn, June 12, 1704. died in Stoneham, Massachusetts, December 22, 1776, aged seventy-two years. He re- moved from Woburn to the adjoining town of Stoneham in 1734, and in 1742 was constable. He "owned the covenant" and was baptized August 5. 1744, his wife being already a mem- ber of the church. He was selectman of Stoneham in 1757 and again in 1772. In 1726 he married Esther Wyman, born Febru- ary 25, 1709, died February 8, 1809, having lived to within a few days of the remarkable age of one hundred years. Her father was Samuel Wyman, born November 29, 1667, son of Francis Wyman and Abigail Reed; her mother was Rebecca Johnson, born March I, 1665, daughter of Matthew Johnson and granddaughter of Captain Edward Johnson, "the father of Woburn." The genealogy of the Wyman family says that Lieutenant John Wyman and his brother Francis Wyman were among the first settlers of Woburn in 1641. They were tanners by occupation, church members, and persons of much respectability and worth. Francis Wyman was admitted freeman of the colony, May 6, 1657. Their names are often found associated in legal
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writings. They owned together five hundred acres of land at Shawsheen ( Billerica) in 1665. Francis Wyman was selectman of Wo- burn in 1674 and 1675. Of the thirteen chil- dren of Reuben Richardson and Esther Wyman, four were born in Woburn and nine in Stoneham, and nearly all of them lived to advanced age. Children: I. Joseph, born February 9, 1727; married Abigail Felton. 2. Esther, born April 16, 1729; married, 1751, Francis Leathe of Woburn. 3. Reuben, born December 22, 1731; married Jerusha Ken- dall. 4. Ruth, born May 23, 1733; married John Geary. 5. Abel, born October 23, 1736; married Mary Thompson. 6. Caleb, born Oc- tober 24, 1738; married Sarah Richardson. 7. Elijah, born May 4, 1741 ; married Ruth Gould. 8. Mary, born August 2, 1743; mar- ried John Swan. 9. Jerusha, born June 2, 1745; married Reuben Locke. 10. Josialı, born November 8, 1747; married Jerusha Brooks. II. Loammi, born January 12, 1749- 50; die at the age of months. 12. Thaddeus, born August 7, 1752; married Ly- dia Vinton. 13. Charles, born February 17, 1756 ; married Anna Bruce.
(V) Caleb Richardson, sixth child of Reu- ben and Esther (Wyman) Richardson, born in Stoneham, October 24, 1738, died April 4, 1814, after an illness of twenty-four hours. His life was spent in Stoneham, where he was a farmer and possessed a good property. He was a surveyor of highways 1772, selectman 1777, one of the committee in Stoneham to hire soldiers to fill the town's quota, 1778, and in 1794 was a member of the committee to settle with Rev. John Cleaveland, the minister of the town. His wife, whom he married July 9, 1767, was Sarah Richardson, born March 10, 1743, died December 3, 1812. She was a daughter of Stephen Richardson and Mary Sawyer, granddaughter of Deacon Stephen Richardson and Bridget Richardson (daugh- ter of Theophilus Richardson and Mary Champney, and granddaughter of Ezekiel Richardson, the eldest of the three immigrant brothers, and his wife Susanna), great-grand- daughter of Joseph Richardson and Hannah Green, and great-great-granddaughter of Samuel Richardson, the second of the three immigrant brothers, and his wife Joanna. Caleb Richardson and his wife Sarah had seven children : I. Sarah, born June 22, 1769; married Captain David Geary. 2. Caleb, born June 6, 1771, died April 28, 1772. 3. Caleb, born June 1, 1773; married Sarah Wil-
ley. 4. Rufus, born August 7, 1775; married first, Anna Geary; second, Martha Gardner. 5. Reuben, born May 13, 1777 ; married Sarah Vinton. 6. Josiah, born August 6, 1779; married Betsey Vinton, her sister. 7. Mary, born November 5, 1781, died of consumption, January 22, 1803.
(VI) Captain Rufus Richardson, son of Caleb and Sarah Richardson, born in Stone- ham. August 7, 1775, died there November 6, 1853. He was an enterprising and prosperous farmer, and always lived on the farm where he was born. He was well known in the town, highly respected by all citizens, and took con- siderable interest in public affairs. At one time he was captain of a company of militia, an organization in which he took nich pride, and by reason of his rank as its commanding officer, he was always afterward addressed as Captain Richardson. In 1821 he was town treasurer and collector of Stoneham. He at- tended church service regularly and contrib- uted to the support of the church, although he did not become a full member until a short time previous to his death. His first wife, whom he married November 18, 1801, was Anna Gerry, born December 29, 1777, died September 5, 1808. daughter of Captain David Geary and Anna Buckman. He married sec- ond, June 21, 1814, Martha Gardner, born April 9, 1790, daughter of Henry and Martha Gardner, of Woburn, and sister of Deacon Henry Gardner, also of Woburn. By his first wife Captain Richardson had three children, and two by his second wife: I. Anna, born May II, 1802, died June 16, 1802. 2. Rufus, born July 5, 1803 ; married Elizabeth Iris. 3. Caleb, born December 18, 1808; unmarried. 4. Faustina, born June II, 1815, died May 8, 1834. 5. Ann Ellen, born February 8, 1826; married October 9, 1860, Dr. William Flint Stevens, of Stoneham, born January 17, 1807, son of Rev. John Hathaway Stevens, for many years was pastor of Stoneham. Chil- dren: John Hathaway Stevens, born about 1864; Florence, died in infancy.
(VII) Rufus Richardson, eldest son and second child of Captain Rufus Richardson and Anna Geary, his first wife, born in Stoneham, Massachusetts, July 5, 1803, died there Feb- ruary 9, 1831, leaving two young children, both sons, who after their father's death were taken into the family of their grandfather, Captain Rufus Richardson, and brought up there. On April 8, 1827, Rufus Richardson married Elizabeth Iris, and had two children :
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1. Rufus, born November 15, 1828; married Martha Webster. 2. Caleb, born August 5, 1830, drowned January 18, 1884 (see post ). (VIII) Caleb Richardson, younger of the two children of Rufus and Elizabeth (Iris) Richardson, was born in Stoneham, August 5, 1830, and was less than a year old when his father died. ( After the death of Rufus Rich- ardson, father of Rufus and Caleb, their mother "utterly and finally forsook them, giv- ing no previous notice, and never troubled her- self about them any more. They were well provided for by their paternal grandfather, who was appointed their guardian in 1831." Richardson Genealogy). Caleb attended the district school and worked on the farm until he was about nineteen years old, and in 1849 set out on a voyage to the gold fields of Cali- fornia, sailing by way of Cape Horn. In 1851 he returned east, and it is said that in so doing he worked his way to Panama, crossed the isthmus on foot and then took passage for home. Soon after his return from California Mr. Richardson began making shoes, but about 1855 started in business as a butcher and meat dealer. In 1870 he removed to Everett, Massachusetts, and afterward until his unfortunate death was prominently identi- fied with the business and public life of that city. He was in all respects a successful. pro- gressive and public spirited business man, taking an active part in municipal affairs, but declined the several offices which were ten- (lered him, except that of road commissioner. which he held a single year. He was chiefly instrumental in organizing the Everett fire de- partment upon an efficient and permanent basis, was a member of Palestine Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, of Everett, and in reli- gious preference a Universalist.
Mr. Richardson married Mary Bradley Pearson, who was born May 23, 1834, in North Wilmington, Massachusetts, and was drowned with her husband, January 18, 1884. She was a daughter of Aaron Pearson, whose wife was Dolly Eames, and granddaughter of Aaron Pearson, a soldier of the revolution, private in Captain Nathan Chandler's com- pany of Colonel Thomas Noxon's Sixth regi- ment of Massachusetts troops. Mr. Richard- son and his wife were passengers on board the steamship "City of Columbus" of the Boston and Savannah line which sunk off Gay Head, Martha's Vineyard, January 18, 1884. The story of the disaster is filled with serious inter- est to the children and descendants of Caleb
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