Woodward, George

Woodward, George

GEORGE WOODWARD

(1619 - 1676)

George (sometimes called Samuel), son of Richard and Rose Woodward, was born in Ipswich, England in 1619 and came to Massachusetts Bay Colony with his family in 1634 when he was 15 years old.

Boston City Records, 12 Jun 1637, has the following entry: “George Woodward, Sopeboyler (soapboiler), was found a delinquent for an unlawful entry upon some of the town’s ground and for digging holes and annoying the highway with stinking fish to the forfeitures of 3 pounds, 4 shillings, 8 pence.”

He married Mary Gibson about 1640. They lived in Watertown, Massachusetts where in 1644 George was the owner of a home-stall (home-lot) of ten acres “bounded West by Lexington street, East by E. How and R. Woodward, and North by Richard Benjamin.”

It was next door to the home-lot of his Father, Richard, as indicated by the description. This was the permanent residence of George and it was occupied by his widow for many years after his death. He was admitted Freeman, May 6, 1646. He sold six acres in 1652 to Richard Wait, his daughter’s father-in-law. In April 1669, he was a witness in court, then stated to be 50 years of age which would indicate that he was 15 years old at the time of emigration to America rather than 13, the same age as his brother, John, which had been reported on the custom lists.

Mary (Gibson) Woodward, wife of George, died before August 17, 1659. She was the Mother of his eight oldest children.

George then married Elizabeth Hammond as his second wife, August 17, 1659, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Elizabeth (born about 1633-34, probably in England) was the daughter of Thomas Hammond. They lived in Watertown and later at Muddy River (Brookline) in Boston where Elizabeth’s father had left her 100 acres of land in 1675. George had five children by Elizabeth, but we descended through his first wife.

George Woodward died May 31, 1676, in Watertown, Massachusetts. He was 57 years old. Elizabeth Woodward, widow and second wife of George, then married Samuel Truesdale, Sr.

Administration of George’s estate was granted to his widow, June 20, 1676. At his death he had an estate of 310 acres. His estate was inventoried at 143 pounds, 10 shillings.

George and Mary Gibson his first wife, were the parents of eight children, all of whom were no doubt born in Watertown. Their birth and marriage dates are found in the Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England by James Savage (Vol. 4, page 644).

Mary Born August 12, 1641

Married John Waite, January 13, 1664

Living in 1679

Sarah Born February 3, 1643

Married Stephen Gates Jr. of Boston

Living in 1679

Amos Birth Date unknown

Married Sarah Patten

Died October 9, 1679, in Cambridge, Massachusetts

No children

Rebecca Born December 30, 1647

Married Thomas Fischer, December 11, 1666

in Dedham, Massachusetts

Living in 1679

John Born March 20, 1649

Married Rebecca Robbins about 1673

Married (2nd) Sarah Goodnow about 1697

Lived in Cambridge and Newton, Massachusetts

Several children.

Susanna Born September 30, 1651

Unmarried

Died September 22, 1676 in Cambridge,

Massachusetts

Daniel Born September 2, 1653

Married Elizabeth Dana, January 14, 1679

in Medford, Massachusetts

10 children

Mercy Born June 3, 1636

No further record

George and Elizabeth (Hammond) Woodward, his second wife, were the parents of five children, all of whom were no doubt born in Watertown, Massachusetts. Their birth and marriage dates are found in Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers, supra.

George Born September 11, 1660

Married Lydia Brown, December 31, 1686

Lived in Watertown and Boston,

Massachusetts

Died in 1696

5 children

Thomas Born September 15, 1662

Died in 1666

Elizabeth Born May 8, 1664

Married Samuel Eddy, December 7, 1693

in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Nathaniel Born May 28, 1668

Sarah (again) Born October 3, 1675

Married John Eddy, July 6, 1693