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Daniel Woodward (1653–1711/3), son of George Woodward and Mary Unknown

Elizabeth Dana (1662–living 1713), daughter of Richard Dana and Anne Bullard


Daniel, the son of George and Mary Woodward, was born on 2 April 1653 in Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. [1] He died between 16 April 1711 and 8 September 1713, probably in Preston, New London County, Connecticut. He married Elizabeth Dana on 14 January 1679 in Medford, Middlesex County. [2]

Elizabeth, the daughter of Richard and Anna Dana, was born on 20 February 1662 in Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. [3] She died after 13 October 1713.

Daniel is one of the children of Richard Dana who signed an agreement to divide his estate on 10 April 1691[?].

There are several records for a Daniel Woodward serving as a soldier during King Philip's War. Daniel would have been in his early twenties at the time and some or all of these records might pertain to him. A Daniel Woodward was a soldier under Captain Nathaniel Davenport and Captain Ting on 24 June 1675. A Daniel Woodward was at the garrison in Chelmsford, Middlesex County on 24 June 1676. A Daniel Woodward is on a 24 August 1676 list of those serving under Captain Joseph Syll and is also on a list with the same date of soldiers to be paid by the town of Cambridge. [4]

After King Philip's War, Daniel settled in Medford, Middlesex County and on the first Monday in February 1677 he took the oath of fidelity there. [5] He was on a 31 August 1688 town tax lists. [6] In 1690 Daniel was licensed by the selectman to open the first house of entertainment in Medford. [7]

Daniel and Elizabeth moved to Preston and were admitted to communion at the First Congregational Church by a letter from Cambridge on 16 April 1711. [8]

Elizabeth, the widow of Daniel of Preston, deceased, posted bond on his estate on 8 September 1713. She made oath to the inventory on 13 October 1713. Stephen Frost, Joseph Hide, John Richards and John Asbury acknowledged receipt of their portions of their father Woodward's estate. An estate paper, probably from late 1713, records Daniel's children and their ages: Elizabeth, 33, Mary, 31, Daniel, 29, Abigail, 27, Sarah, 25, Hannah, 23, Amos, 21, Susanna, 19, Jonathan, 17, Joseph, 15, Benjamin, 13, [illegible], 11. [9]

Children of Daniel Woodward and Elizabeth Dana: Births, except for Hannah and the last two, are recorded in Medford. [2]

i. Elizabeth Woodward was born on 22 April 1681. She is probably the wife of Stephen Frost who died on 15 February 1726/7 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut. [10] She married Stephen Frost of Charlestown on 1 February 1699/700 in Charlestown. [11] Stephen, the son of Joseph and Hannah (Miller) Frost was born on 9 March 1673 in Charlestown. [11] He is probably the Stephen who died on 12 March 1728 in Canterbury. [10]

ii. Mary Woodward was born on 15 April 1683. She might be the daughter who married Joseph Hyde. Joseph might be the Joseph, son of Jonathan and Mary (French) Hyde, who was born on 27 May 1672 in Cambridge, died on 24 April 1759 in Newton, and had a wife Mary. This Mary died on 30 March 1749 in Newton. [12]

iii. Lieutenant Daniel Woodward was born on 5 January 1684. He died on 24 May 1752. [13] He married Thankful Gates, the daughter of Stephen (Stephen, Stephen) Gates and Jemima (Joseph, John) Benjamin on 1 March 1701/[2]. [13] Thankful was born on 7 August 1687. [13] If this is to be believed, Thankful was very young when she got married.

Thankful, the wife of Daniel, renewed the covenant and was baptized at the First Congregational Church in Preston on 7 August 1715. [8]

Daniel wrote his will on 20 May 1752; it was proved on 24 June 1752. [13]

iv. Abigail Woodward was born on 14 February 1686/7. She married John Richards on 12 June 1707 in Preston. [10] He is probably the John who died on 18 September 1756 in Preston. [10]

Abigail, the wife of John, renewed the covenant at the First Congregational Church in Preston. She was admitted to communion on 8 April 1716; John was admitted on 24 April 1726. John and Abigail were church members on 14 March 1744. [8]

v. Sarah Woodward was born on 5 June 1689. She was living in 1713.

vi. Hannah Woodward was born on 7 May 1691 in Woburn. [11] She was baptized on 10 October 1697 in Cambridge. [3] She married Stephen Gates on 6 November 1713 in Preston. [10]

Stephen was probably the brother of Hannah's sister-in-law Thankful Gates. Thus, they were the grandchildren of Daniel and Hannah's aunt Sarah Woodward and the both Daniel and Hannah married their first cousins once removed.

vii. Amos Woodward was born on 5 June 1693. Amos and his sister Susanna were baptized on 10 October 1698 in Cambridge. [3]

Hannah, the wife of Amos, was admitted to communion at the First Congregational Church in Preston on 6 June 1714. [8]

viii. Susanna Woodward was born on 25 December 1695. She died on 29 April 1790. She married first William Adams. She married second Captain Joseph Adams.

ix. Jonathan Woodward was born about 1697. He was baptized on 22 May 1698 in Cambridge. [3]

Jonathan might be the Jonathan who shows up in the Plainfield, Windham County records. This Jonathan had a wife name Sarah who died on 2 May 1733. [10]

x. Joseph Woodward was born about 1699. He baptized on 9 March 1700/1 in Cambridge. [3]

xi. Benjamin Woodward was born about 1701. He was living in 1713.

xii. Unknown Woodward was born about 1702. He or she was living in 1713.

Map: Google Maps

References:

1. Watertown Historical Society, Watertown Records (Watertown: Fred G. Barker, 1894, 1900), vol. 1: 17.

2. Vital Records of Medford, Massachusetts, To the Year 1850 (Boston: New England History Genealogical Society, 1907), 169, 326.

3. Thomas W. Baldwin, Vital Records of Cambridge, Massachusetts: To the Year 1850 (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1915), vol. 1, 185–8 (Dana), 783 (Woodward).

4. George Bodge, "Soldiers in King Philip's War," New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 39 (1885): 258; 41 (1887): 409; 43 (1889): 262, 276.

5. D. Hamilton Hurd, History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts: With Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men,  volume 3 (Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1890), 813.

6. "Town Rate of Medford, Mass," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 32 (1878): 316–7.

7. Proceedings of the Celebration of the Two Hundred and Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of the Settlement of Medford, Massachusetts:  (Medford: The Executive Committee, c.1906), 42.

8. "Connecticut, U.S., Church Record Abstracts, 1630–1920, database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/3032) > Volume 92 Preston, image 164–6 (Richards), images 230–1 (Woodward).

9. "Connecticut, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1609–1999," database with images, Ancestry (2015 : https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/9049) > > Hartford > Probate Packets, Wood, Ezra–Wright, Martha, 1675–1850, images 1130–53.10.

10. "Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), 1630–1870," database with images, AmericanAncestors > Canterbury, images 81–82 (Frost); Preston, images 168–9 (Richards), image 219 (Woodward); Plainfield, image 149 (Woodward).

11. "Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1620–1850," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org > Charlestown, vol. 1: 1, 25, 87, 185; Woburn, vol. 1: 282.

12. William Henry Harrison Stowell, "Descendants of Jonathan Hyde," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 71 (1917): 257, 267.

13. Clarence Almon Torrey, "Stephen Gates of Hingham, Lancaster and Cambridge, Mass., and Some of His Descendants," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 120 (1966): 161–70.


12-Feb-2023