Joseph Wood (1720 - 1813)

Born 15 Feb 1720 in Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Ruth (Haskell) Wood — married 21 Dec 1741 in Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died 20 Jun 1813 at age 93 in Blue Hill, Hancock, Massachusetts, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Richard Schamp [send private message]

Biography

Captain Joseph Wood served with Essex County, Massachusetts Militia during the American Revolution.

Joseph Wood is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: P-323635
Rank: Captain

Joseph Wood was a pioneer settler of Blue Hill.

Joseph Wood (1720-1813)

On 15 Feb 1720, Joseph was born the youngest son of Edith (Dodge) Wood (1681-1743) and Israel Wood (abt.1677-1743) in Beverly, Essex, Province of Massachusetts Bay (PMB), British Colonial America (BCA).^[1] His older brother Joseph Wood b. 20 Jul 1717 d. 14 Mar 1718/9 in Beverly.^[1] At age 21, he married Ruth (Haskell) Wood (1721-1814)^[1] and they raised eight children in Beverly. His last daughter, Edith (Wood) Hinckley (1766-1863), was born in Blue Hill, Lincoln, Massachusetts Bay. By the date of his death, in 1826, Blue Hill was the civilized farming community within Hancock county of the state of Maine, USA.

In the summer of 1762, Captain Joseph Wood and John Augustus Roundy Sr (1726-1799) came by boat and erected housing on Mill Island at the tidal falls of Bluehill Bay before the land was either granted or surveyed. The area that now comprises Blue Hill was known as Kolledgewidgwock by the natives and Newport Plantation or plantation number five by the English governors in Massachusetts. John and Joseph returned to Beverly in the fall of 1762. When the pleasant weather returned in 1763, they brought their families each consisting of husbands, wives and six children for a total of sixteen settlers on Mill Island. church and hire a full time minister. By 1764, more settlers arrived.^[2]

Joseph and John were the first of sixty named proprietors. For the settlement to be recognized as a town, the proprietors were required to survey the land, establish housing for the themselves, pay back loans to the Massachusetts General Court, erect a ^[3]

From the record of the town's annual meeting held 6 Mar 1769, we learn that it was "Voted that Joseph Wood, Jonathan Darling and Robert Parker be a Committee to lay out Roads where they should think proper to convean the Town on this side of the Salt Pond."^[3]

The year previous (1768) the town voted "For to clear a Rhode from here to Ponobscutt" and chose a committee consisting of Samuel Foster, Israel Wood, Robert Parker, Joseph Wood and John Roundy to attend to laying out said "Rhode".^[3]

Mill island where Joseph Wood and John Roundy first built their homes was, in the boyhood of the writer, owned by Marble Parker, and after him by his son Augustus. The latter sold it to David Friend and a portion went to a Mr. Sylvester. Mr. Friend sold his part to Brooks Gray, and Sylvester his to Mrs. Ethelbert Nevin of New York, who built a fine cottage upon it, and at this writing is building another. There have been and are the owners in the past and at the present time.^[3] Candage, Rufus George Frederick. Historical Sketches of Bluehill, Maine (Hancock County Pub. Co., Ellsworth, Me., 1905) [p. 9, 21 of 82].</ref>

The first eight children of Ruth (Haskell) Wood (1721-1814) and Joseph born in Beverly while Edith was born in Blue Hill.

1. Israel Wood (1744 - 1800)
2. Samuel Wood (1746-1749)
3. Mary (Wood) Parker (1748 - 1806)
4. Joseph Wood (1750 - 1811)
5. Ruth (Wood) Parker (1753 - 1835)
6. Robert Haskell Wood (1756 - 1806)
7. Joshua Wood (1758 - 1759)
8. Joanna (Wood) Johnson (1760 - 1826)
9. Edith (Wood) Hinckley (1766 - 1863)

Joseph died 20 Jun 1813 "West of" Blue Hill, Maine. ^[4]

Captain Joseph Wood is buried in the Old "Seaside" Cemetery, Blue Hill, Hancock, Maine, USA^[5]

Gravestone inscription:

Service

Captain Joseph Wood (1720-1813)

Wood, Joseph, Beverly. 1st Lieutenant, Capt. Larkin Thorndike's (1st Beverly) CO., which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775; service, 2 1/2 days; also, official record of a ballot by the House of Representatives, dated Nov. 16, 1776 said Wood chosen Lieutenant of a company stationed at Beverly; appointment concurred in by Council Nov. 16, 1776; reported commissioned Nov. 16, 1776 ; also, certificate signed by said Wood, Lieutenant, stating that he had enlisted Joshua Ellinwood and others Nov. 25, 1776, in accordance with an order of Council of Nov. 21, 1776, and marched them into the Lines in the to^^^l of Beverly; certificate endorsed " Seacoast Company; " also, 1st Lieutenant, in a company stationed at Beverly ; list of officers ; commissioned May 2, 1777 also. Lieutenant, in a seacoast co. stationed at Beverly ; list of officers of Essex Co. militia; commissioned Dec. -, 1777: also, 1st Lieutenant, in a seacoast co. stationed at Beverly ; list of officers of Essex Co. militia ; commissioned April 17, 1778.

Research Notes

The "Thorndike"/"seacoast" record in the bio most closely matches DAR A128056, but that has birth/death dates different that this profile, and the spouse is different. SAR 323639 looks close to the DAR, but not this profile. There is a SAR 323636 that has a Ruth Haskell as spouse and closer dates to this profile, but the rank is Private.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Vital Records of Beverly, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (Topsfield Historical Society, Topsfield, Mass., 1906-1907) [Vol. 1 Births, p. 370-371, Marriages p. 341, Vol. 2 Deaths p. 604].
2. ↑ Settlement and progress of the town of Bluehill, Maine. An historical address by Candage, Rufus George Frederick, 1826-1912. (https://archive.org/details/settlementandpr01candgoog/page/n16/mode/2up) [p. 9]
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Candage, Rufus George Frederick. Historical Sketches of Bluehill, Maine (Hancock County Pub. Co., Ellsworth, Me., 1905) [Pages 7-9, 15, 21 of 82]
4. ↑ "Maine, Nathan Hale Cemetery Collection, ca. 1780-1980," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVJ5-S2QW : 16 March 2018), Joseph Wood, 1813; citing W. Of Blue Hill, Hancock, Maine, United States, Old Cemetery Cemetery, Maine State Library, Augusta; FHL microfilm 1,316,335.
5. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #75867841 Captain Joseph Wood (1720-1813)

• Famiy of Joseph Wood Space:Blue_Hill_Residents [p. 8 Image 45 of 635]