Princeton, MA, Families

Princeton, Town of, History of Princeton.

page 298, Princeton Families

WOODS.

SAMUEL(l )WOODS born in England, 1686, came to this country soon after the year 1700. He settled in Chelmsford, where he married in 1717, Mary Parker, daughter of John and Mary Parker. Their son Samuel(2), born in Chelmsford, June 19. 1722, resided some years in Rutland and removed to Princeton.

WOODS Samuel(2), son of Samuel(1) and Mary (Parker) Woods, was born in Chelmsford, June 19, 1722, married (pub.) Aug. 31, 1751, Tabitha Eveleth, born April 4, 1831, daughter of John, and Hannah (Haynes) Eveleth of Sudbury. After living some years in Rutland, he moved to Princeton, in 1761-2, purchased a tract of land of Gov. Moses Gill, on which he built his house, taught his school (the first school in princeton) and lived during the remainder of his life. While cultivating his farm he did not allow the care of it to interfere with his love of teaching, in which through nearly fifty years' experience, he acquired a wide reputation as a skilful and successful teacher. His first wife Tabitha. died Oct. 20. 1770. He married (2nd) Aug. 26, 1772, Abigail (Whitney) Underwood of Hubbardston. widow of Israel Underwood. He died Nov. 8, 1808, ae. 86. She died Feb. 28, 1826, ae. 81 (g.s. Jany. 31, a. 85). Children of first wife:

i. MOLLY, b. March 3. 1752, in Rutland, d. Nov. 18. 1771.

ii. HANNAH, b. Aug. 13, 1755, in Rutland, d. Dec. 21 1777.

iii. SAMUEL, b. June 1, 1757, in Rutland.

iv. LYDIA, b. Aug. 4, 1759, in Rutland, m. (int.) May 15, 1777, Daniel Gibbs.

v. ANNA, b. June 30, 1761, in Rutland, m. (int.) June 15, 1782, Capt. Charles Hastings.

vi. SARAH, b. July 6. 1763, in Princeton, m. Col. Joseph Jewett of Ashburnham.

1. vii. REV.-ABEL, b. Aug. 15,1765, a Baptist Minister, of marked ability.

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viii. ____, b. Oct. 28, 1767, d. a few days old (C.R.).

ix. JOHN, b. Dec. 14,1768, farmer in Asbburnham, d. ae.95.

x.____, b. ___, d. in infancy .

Children of second wife:

2. xi. REV.-LEONARD, b. June 19, 1774, well known Clergyman and Educator.

3. xiii. ASA, b. April 30, 1776, farmer, m. Pamelia Mirick.

xiv. HANNAH (2d), b. May 13, 1778, m. Oct. 16, 1800, Nahum. Wilder.

xiv. LUCY, b. Nov. 16, 1780, pub. June 25, 1801, James Brickett of Newbury.

xv. MOLLY (MARY), b. Feb. 15, 1783, m. Thomas Wilder.

1. WOODS Rev.-Abel (3) (Samuel(2), Samuel(1)), son of Samuel (2) and Tabitha (Eveleth) Woods, born in Princeton, Aug. 15, 1765, ordained as a Baptist Clergyman, in Shoreham. Vt., February, 1795, where he remained as pastor of the Baptist Church in that town and surrounding region, for fifteen years. He died at Hamilton, N. Y., Aug. 11,1850. His son Rev.Alva Woods, D.D., a prominent educator, President, and Professor, in several universities, including Brown, with which latter he was connected in various capacities, for nearly fifty years.

2. WOODS Rev.-Leonard(3) (Samuel(2), Samuel(1)), son of Samuel(2) and Abigail (Whitney) Underwood Woods, born June 19, 1774, in Princeton, in 1796, he graduated at Harvard College with the highest honor of his class, in June 1798 was ordained pastor of the Congregational Church in Newbury, Mass., in 1808, appointed Professor of Theology, in the Andover Theological Seminary , where he labored for thirty-eight years. Of his large family of ten children his son Leonard Woods, born in West Newbury, Oct. 24, 1807, and died in Boston, Dec. 24, 1878, ae. 71, was for twenty-seven years, President of Bowdoin College.

3. WOODS Asa(3 ) (Samuel(2). Samuel(l)), son of Samuel(2) and Abigail (Whitney) Underwood Woods, born April 30, 1776, married April 16, 1799, Pamelia Mirick. He was a farmer. In 1805 he removed from town, and settled in Ashburnham.

Children:

i. LEONARD, b. March 25, 1800.

ii. WILLIAM, b. Feb. 14, 1802.

iii. ADALINE, b. March 25, 1804.

This record is transcribed from photostat copies of the Princeton History and VR book at the town hall of Princeton, MA. that were mailed to me by the town clerk.