THOMAS WOODFORD

THOMAS WOODFORD
Generation 1

THOMAS WOODFORD was born and raised in Lincolnshire, England, and came among the early settlers to Cambridge, Massachusetts.

On the 9th of March 1632, Thomas Woodford walked onto the deck of the English ship “William and Francis,” and set sail for America.

PROOF OF THOMAS WOODFORD'S EMIGRATION TO AMERICA Our primary source [see “Goodwin”, below] puts facts together to prove that Thomas Woodford was a passenger on the “William and Francis” and the date of the ship’s arrival. (I) In 1858-60, Samuel G. Drake of Boston, Massachusetts, made investigations in England regarding the “Founders of New England.” He found at the Rolls Office in Chancery Lane, London, a volume entitled: A Booke of Entrie for Passengers by ye Comission, and Souldiers according to the Statutie passing beyond the Seas, begun at Christmas, 1631, and ending at Christmas, 1632. On folio 6 appeared this entry: vij Marcij 1631/2. “The names of such Men as are to be transported to New England to be resident there vppon a plantacon, have tendred and taken the oath of allegeance according to the statute, vizt. ...” Then follow 16 names, the second of which is “Thomas Woodford” and next, “Edmond Wynsloe”. (II) Under date of 5 June 1632, Governor Winthrop in his History of New England made this entry: “The William and Francis, Mr. Thomas master, with about sixty passengers, whereof Mr. Welde and old Mr. Batchelor (being aged 71) were, with their families, and many other honest men; ....all safe, and in health.” (III) From The History of New England by John Winthrop, ed. James Savage, 1853, vol. 1, pp. 92-93] cited in “Goodwin”: “The William and Francis from London March the 9th — Mr. Winslow of Plimouth came in the ‘William and Francis’.”

ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS

Thomas Woodford settled in 1632 at Roxbury, Massachusetts, where the Rev. John Eliot, the “Apostle to the Indians,” and pastor of the church there, made these entries into the church record regarding Thomas and his wife, MARY BLOTT.

Go to the BLOTT FAMILY

“Thomas Woodforde, a man servant, he came to N.E. in the yeare 1632 & was joyned to the church about halfe a yeare after, he afterwards maryed Mary Blott & removed to Conecticott, & joyned to the church at Hartford.”

“Mary Blott a maide servant, she came in the yeare 1632, & was after married to Steward Woodfrod of this church, who after removed to Conecticott to Hartford church, where she lived in christian sort.”

Donald L. Jacobus, in his 1952 book on families of the Connecticut River Valley, states that, “it appears that both Thomas and Mary came to America as apprentices in their ‘teens, though Woodford must have been nearly of age, as he was made a freeman of Massachusetts Bay at the General Court on 4 March 1634/5”.

More research is needed on the term “man servant” and “maide servant” to discover the exact meaning in the 17th century and in the context as recorded by their minister. Though it’s possible, I don’t believe that Mary Blott or Thomas Woodford were servants or apprentices, for Thomas Woodford and Mary Blott's father, Robert, were both on the same list of Freemen made at the Massachusetts General Court on March 4th, 1634/35. A freeman was a citizen entitled to vote and hold public office. Requisite to being a freeman was previous admission to the church. It seems unlikely to me that a servant or apprentice would be awarded the distinction of being a freeman. But I will find out and enter it here.

According to the Rev. John Eliot, pastor of their church, Thomas Woodford and Mary Blott were married in Roxbury some time after their arrival from England in 1632, possibly between 1632 and 1636. Mary Blott was the daughter of Robert Blott. She was born in England, probably by 1615.

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT

As indicated in the Roxbury records, Woodford removed to Connecticut and settled in the town of Hartford. In 1639, there were entered on the Town Records, “the names of such Inhabitances as were Granted lotts, to haue onely at The Townes Courtesie wth liberty to fetch wood & keepe swine or cowes By proportion on the common.” The fourth name in the list is “Thomas Woodforde”.

In the agreement made 3 Jan 1639, giving the amount that each person was to receive in the division of lands, Thomas Woodford was to receive six acres. His home-lot was on the west side of the highway, now Front Street.

Over the course of the next several years, Thomas Woodford accumulated several parcels of land. On page 185 of the first volume of Land Records of the town of Hartford, known as the “Book of Distributions”, is entered a description of his lands:

“Febr: Anno dom 1639”

“Severall parcells of land in Hertford, vppon the River of Cannecticott belongeing to Thom Woodford and his heires forever”:

One parcel on which his dwelling house now stands with yards, or gardens, about two acres, on the high way leading from the little river to the North Meadow. This land abutted William Butler’s land on the South.

One “parcell lyinge in the west feild contayninge by Estimacon four acres (more or lesse)”, two acres of which were for a house lot on the high way.

On “the 10th off ffebruary 1639” Thomas was chosen, with one other, to “Attend the Townsmen”, “in such things as they Apoint” and their “principall woork” was to do any special services required by them, such as to give notice of town-meetings, “veiw the ffences About the Comon ffeildes” and to impound all stray animals trespassing.

Under date of 3 Mar 1640, there is:

“An order Conserning Graues” [graves]

“It is ordered that Thomas woodford shall atend the making of Graues for anie Corpes Desesed” to make sure no corpse be laid less than 4 feet deep. No Corpses less than “fower year owld” shall be laid less than five “foote Deepe”. None that were above ten shall be “laied les than six foote Deepe”.

To continue, he shall “give notice by Ringing the bell, making the grave, and keping of it in Comlie Repaier” so that it “maye be knowne in ffewtewer time whear sutch graues haue bene mad for the leser sort tooe [2] shillings and six pense, for the midell sort 3 shillings for the bigeste sorte three shillings six pense.”

It was “furder ordred yt if anie person haue lost anie thing that he desireth showld be Cried in a publick meting he shall paie for Cring of it tooe pense to thomas woodford to be paid before it be Cried and the Crier shall keep a booke of the things yt he crieth”.

A year later appears this entry:

“March 8th 1641”

“It is ordered that if ther bee any stray goodes in any man’s hands” which are not their own, they shall carry them unto Thomas Juggs on the south side, and unto Thomas Woodford on the north side, between now and April 1, or else the goods would be counted as “stoln goods in ther hands”.

In September 1644, the Commissioners of the United Colonies commended to the authorities of the several colonies, the consideration of propositions “conserneing the mayntenaunce of scollers at Cambridge”.

At a session of the General Court of Connecticut, held on 25 October 1644, it was ordered that two men should be appointed in every town within the jurisdiction, who would demand what every family would give, and the money would be gathered and brought “into some roome” in March and this would continue yearly. Thomas Woodford was one of those chosen to collect the rate assessed.

Another nine years, and the General Court of Connecticut, in May of 1653, passed this vote: “Tho: Woodford is freed from watching, during the plesure of the Courte”. I’m not sure to what this pertains, unless it is to fence viewing and watching for stray animals.

Besides lands mentioned earlier, Thomas Woodford also owned:

Four acres on the east side of the Great River.

Five acres in the Neck.

Four acres at Podunk.

Three pieces of land on the east side of the Great River recorded to him on 2 Mar 1655.

Seven acres of upland bounding west on the side of the Pines, given to him by the town at some earlier time, but was never recorded on town books until 19 Oct 1655. On this date he made a quick recording, as now he wanted to dispose of his properties preparatory to removing to Northampton, Massachusetts.

And indeed the land records do show that on the 18th and 19th of October, 1655, several parcels of his lands were recorded to various persons as having been bought from Thomas Woodford.

18 October 1655: To John Bidwell, 15 acres of lands on the east side of the Great River.

19 October 1655: To Nathaniel Ruscoe, the house and home-lot of two acres on Front Street, 5 acres of upland adjoining the Cow-pasture, and 7 acres of land bounding west on the Pines.

NORTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS

Settlement of Northampton, Massachusetts, began in 1653. Some time between October 1655 and April 1656, Thomas Woodford moved his wife and children to Northampton.

Trumbull’s History of Northampton prints a copy of a petition to the General Court of Massachusetts, dated

“Norwottuck alius Northamton Aprill 10, 56"
and signed by
“William Jeanes    William Hurlburt    Thomas Woodford”

The document states that, in conformity to a petition of the Northampton inhabitants made the previous year, three men had been given judicial authority for that town. Thomas Woodford was one of the three. This petition of 1656 requests that the three men be continued for another year, asks for the appointment of a Constable, and refers to important matters of the new settlement. It shows that Woodford had become a resident of the town by April of 1656, and was active in public affairs.

At the annual meeting held 8 February 1657/58, he was elected one of the Townsmen.

About a year later, in January of 1658, about 37 of the inhabitants agreed to part with some of their lands with a view toward attracting desirable people to settle in Northampton. One Mr. Mather was chosen to have responsibility for disposing of the said lands to such people as he should “judg behouffull and needful for the well beeing of the Toune of Northampton”. Thirty-seven names follow this document, one of which with the amount of land so given by him was “Tho: Woodford 6 Akers”.

Folio 94 of the same volume shows the following:

“The Record of Thomas Woodford his land taken the 8th of first Moneth 59: (60) giuen to him by the towne of Northampton to have And to hould to him and to his heirs and Assignes for euer.

“Impr. his homelott granted to him by the Towne of Northampton which is thus bounded butting vpon the hyway Westrly and vpon the brooke Eastrly the flankes bordring against Walter Lee Southrly and Isaac Sheldon Northerly Containeing in estimation two Akers bee it more or less”.

CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

The Northampton Church was organized 18 June 1661. A Covenant was adopted the same day and the organizing members signed it. Thomas Woodford’s name was third on the list. Mary’s name does not appear among the members of this Church.

The date of Mary's death, the place, and her burial site are lost to us, but it is believed that she died before 1662, and prior to Thomas’s removal to Northampton. She was certainly not living when her father, Robert Blott, made his will in 1662 as he left money to Mary’s children but not to her. Thomas, also, made no provision for Mary in his will in 1665. We can assume only that she died at Northampton, at Hartford, or somewhere in between.

On December 8th, 1663, a committee was appointed “to view the way between Thomas Woodford & Isack Shelden & satisfy Thomas Woodford what is meet.” There may have been a question on the property line and this would solve the dispute. In more modern times, Thomas Woodford’s land would be located on the east side of the present King Street extending east to Market Street, and next south of Summer Street.

In addition, Woodford owned:

2 acres on the west side of King Street

5 acres in Great Rainbow, alias Old Rainbow

10 acres in the Third Square

6-1/4 acres in the Last Division

1 acre in the Great Swamp

10 acres at Munhan

besides other lands.

Thomas Woodford dated his will 26 April 1665. The preamble suggests that he had been ailing for some time.

As infirmity began to take hold of our dear ancestor, the very civic minded, Thomas Woodford, petitioned the Court on March 27th, 1666, and was granted, his request:

“Thomas Woodford of North H: upon his petition to this Corte was freed from Trayning by reason of his age & weakness.” He died less than a year later at Northampton, Mass., recorded on March 6, 1666/67

Twenty days later Thomas’s family presented to the County Court his will, together with an inventory of his estate, which were entered on the records.

THOMAS WOODFORD'S WILL “Aprill 26 th 1665/” “I Thomas Woodford now liveing by the providence of God in Northampton for sundry cosiderations, being weake in body but yet in good & perfect memory, not knowing but that my death may come suddenly & I haveing had diverse expiences of it & dayly expecting when it shalbe desireing the Lord to fitt mee for himself & for death when ever it come that I may wth joy & comfort resigne up my Soule into the hands of God my Creator & the Lord Jesus Christ my Redeemer & the holy Ghost my Sanctifyer & comforter to have full comunion wth them in another & better world when this life shalbe noe more: I doe make this my Last will & testamt in manner & forme following, that is to Say — “After my debts being paid & my funerall expences discharged by mine Executor whom I shall name after, I will yt what soever estate I have eyther given mee by the Town or bought with my money, whether it be house or homelott or the Addition belonging thereto or whatsoever meddow grownd I have besides what I have Sold eyther what I have already in possession or have wright to by gift from ye Towne, as also what So ever estate I have besides in cattle or swine or household Stuffe, I will yt after my desease it be given to my three daughters, that is to say I give to my daughter Mary & to her children my Eight acre lott next my Son Sheldens lott: I give also to my Daughter Mary my great kettle, only that her two Sisters Hannah & Sarah shall have the use of it till they cann provide one for themselues: I give also to my daughter MARY my Cubbard & my biggest pewter platter & my bedsted whereon I used to lye wth my bolster & one pillow & a paire of sheetes:” I give also to my Daughter Hannah & to her children half my lott in rayn bow, & half that I have in Munhan & one acre & a rood in ye great Swampe: & also I give to my Daughter Hannah my feather bed I used to lye on & a trundle bedstead & one paire of sheets & one pillow & one pewter platter & my meale trough & my great Chest: And I give to my Daughter Sara & to her children if shee live to have any children liveing after herself I say I give to her half my lott in rayne & half yt I have in Munhan: I give also to my Daughter Sarah my little chest & box & iron pot wth ye rest of ye small houshold Stuffe: And for my house & barne & orchard & homelott wth ye addition over the brooke & the allowance for yt in Munhan wch joyne to it I will it be prized according to ye worth of it & that it be devided equally between my three Daughters, but in case my Daughter Sarah should be taken away by Death & have noe children liveing after her that then I will yt what I gave to her be given to her two Sisters Mary & Hannah equally: I will also yt my Son Isaak Shelden be my Executr & that mr Williams & Henry Cunliffe be my Overseers & witnesses to see this my will fulfilled: I give also to my Daughter Hannah my new bible: & my other bookes as mr Buttons & Doctor Prestons wth ye rest & mr Bifeilds I give them equally amongst my three Daughters, desireing the Lord that he would give them a heart to make a good use of them: And that this is also my will I have sett to my hand: Thomas Woodford And in case my Son in Law Nehemiah allin doe build anything for his own conveniency of his own charge upon my house lott before my decease I will yt he shalbe paid to ye worth of it, if he doe not live there himself; That this also is my will witness my hand & seale. Thomas Woodford: Witnesses to this Arthur Williams / Henry Cunliffe An inventory of Thomas’s estate was produced, which I do not yet have but will put on the site in the future. The footing of the inventory shows the estate to have been worth £197-19-06, of which £119 were in real estate. Among the items of personal estate were: “A muskett Sword bandaliers belt powder bullets match,” all worth £01-10-00.

CHILDREN OF THOMAS & MARY (BLOTT) WOODFORD

1. MARY WOODFORD, born perhaps in 1636 at Roxbury, Mass. or Hartford, Conn. She married Isaac Sheldon.
   
   
2. Hannah, born about 1642; mar. 29 Nov 1659 at Northampton, Samuel Allen of Northampton, Mass.
   
   
3. Sarah, baptized at Hartford on 2 Sep 1649; mar. (1) 21 Sept 1664 at Northampton, Nehemiah Allen; mar. (2) 1 Sep 1687 at Northampton, Richard Burke; and mar. (3) 11 Jul 1706 at Northampton, Judah Wright.

MARY WOODFORD

MARY WOODFORD, born perhaps in 1636 at Roxbury, Mass. or Hartford, Conn. She married about 1653-1654, ISAAC SHELDON (born about 1629) of Windsor, Conn., and Northampton, Mass.

Go to ISAAC SHELDON

PRIMARY REFERENCES

Goodwin, James J. Various Ancestral Lines of James Goodwin and Lucy (Morgan) Goodwin of Hartford, Connecticut, comp. Frank F. Starr for James J. Goodwin. Vol. II Morgan Lines (Hartford, CT, 1915) "The Family of Thomas Woodford", pp. 183-191. Starr relies heavily on the abundance of local records and cites his sources. I will not do it here.

The Memorial History of Hartford County, Connecticut, 1633-1884, in 2 vols., by J. Hammond Trumbull (Boston, MA: Edward L. Osgood Publ., 1886), p. 270. [Here referred to as "Trumbull"].

Hale, House and Related Families, Mainly of the Connecticut River Valley, by Donald Lines Jacobus and Edgar F. Waterman (Hartford, CT: The Conn. Historical Society, 1952), two pages for "Thomas Woodford". SLC 929.273 H135j.

Some of the data on the children was taken from A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, in 4 volumes, by James Savage (Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1994); some from the Sheldon Family Association records.

SECONDARY REFERENCES

Family History, comp. by Mary K. A. Casper & Mabel E. Ashley (Salem, Mass.: Higginson Book Co., reprint, 1943) sec. 1029-1030 on pp. 103-104 (and more). Get 1065-66; 1149-50 (re. Woodford).

Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut, ed. William R. Cutter, New York: Lewis Historical publishing Co., 1911, pp. 456ff.

Generally I like William Cutter’s book, Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut, ed. William A. Cutter (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1911). However, in the case of Thomas Woodford, some of Cutter’s facts about Woodford appear to be inaccurate when matched with other respected genealogical and historical writers and the documents they cite. E.g., “In 1633 he was one of the party led by Rev. Thomas Hooker to Hartford, of which he became one of the founders.” Memorial History of Hartford by Trumbull, p. 270, states: “He came to Agawam [Springfield, Mass.] with Mr. Pynchon’s company, where he signed the agreement of May 16, 1636, and had an allotment of land.” As opportunity arises, this writer will pursue the research into this and change the information presented here if warranted.

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