John Wood/Atwood was born 4 February 1568 in Sanderstead Manor, Sanderstead, Surrey, England to John Atwood (1550-1644) and Olive Harman (1548-1603) and died 27 February 1644 Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts of unspecified causes. He married Joan Coleson (1587-1654) 25 July 1612 in London, Greater London, England.
- John "The Leather Seller"
Biography
John Wood, (AKA: John Atwood) the oldest immigrant ancestor of the Wood family, came to Massachusetts in 1635 aboard the ship Matthew. Most of his adult children followed him to America soon after.
Sanderstead Birth Record
John Wood is also known as John Atwood in some records; his baptismal name is Johanem Wood according to E. F. Atwood; however, I have yet to locate that record, so it may be a mistake. In the Sanderstead parish birth records his name is recorded as "Johannes" (not Johanem) with a date of 4 Feb 1582. Johannes is the Latinized version of John, often used in official records. He was a twin to Dericke who died in infancy. His baptism was recorded in both Sanderstead and Gatton parishes. It is not known why his birth was recorded at Gatton (a parish that is also located in Surrey, about three miles from Reigate), but it leads me to speculate that John's mother may have originally come from that parish.
From the Sanderstead Parish Register of baptism records:
1582 Feb 4, Johannes t Dericke Woode gemille Nicholaj Woode translation: 1582 Feb 4, John and twin Derick Wood born to twin bearing (father) Nicholas Wood
Since John Wood was baptised in Sanderstead, Surrey, England on 4 February 1582, it is likely that he was born about that time because it was customary to baptise infant children. He was probably born in Sanderstead since that is where his father, Nicholas and mother Olive (Harman) had a home. The Wood family had been associated with Sanderstead since about 1400 and had constructed a manor house there known as "Sanderstead Court." The title to the lands in Sanderstead are somewhat confusing at this point in time and it is not entirely clear whether the family was actually living at Sanderstead Court or in one of the other houses in the parish.
1635 Migration to New England
Supposedly John Wood and his family sailed on the Matthew in 1635 from London. The ship's passenger roster lists to John Wood, both much younger than this one. Doesn't seem to match.
- Matthew Roster - Packrat-pro.com
Marriage and Family
John Wood married Joan Coleson (1587-1654) of Saint Martin's Parish, London in the summer of 1612. They had at least seven children, all born in England, five were sons and two were daughters. Johanna and Agnes are questionable children; they are included here until their ancestry is confirmed fully. Philip is sometimes included as a child of John and Joan, however, this is not the case. Most of the other children were baptised at St. Martins in the Fields church in London. E. F. Atwood believes that after the birth of his second son, John (in 1613), he and his family moved to Chancery Lane in London. He does not provide documentation for this assertion, however.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| John Wood (1614-1675) | |||
| Henry Wood (1615-1670) | 1615 Sanderstead Manor, Surrey, England | 30 September 1670 Middleborough, Plymouth County, Massachusetts | Abigail Jenney (1621-1674) |
| Stephen Wood (1616-1694) | |||
| Philip Wood (1620-1701) | |||
| William Wood (1622-) | |||
| Susanna Wood (1622-1655) | 1622 England | 23 March 1655 Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts | Samuel Jenney (1623-1688) |
Siblings
References
- John The Leather Seller Wood - GENI