Nancy Norwood was born at Pigeons Cove, Cape Ann, Gloucester, Massachusetts on September 10, 1875 the 5th of 10 children born to Gustavus and Abigail Sargent Norwood. Gustavus (b.1752 d.1841) was the son of Jonathan (b.1712 d.1791) and Elizabeth Davis (b.1712 d.1775) Norwood. On January 14, 1804 Nancy married Abraham Norwood (b.1780 d.1844), the son of Jonathan (b.1740 d.1799) and Elizabeth Davis (b.& d. unknown) Norwood. Whereas Jonathan and Gustavus were both sons of Jonathan (b.1712 d.1791) Norwood and Elizabeth (b.1712 d.1775) Davis Norwood, they were first cousins.
Nancy and Abraham’s first three of fifteen children (Ann, born 1804, Eliza, born 1805, and Abraham, born on December, 28, 1806) were all born in Pigeons Cove, Cape Ann, Gloucester. Her next child, Abigail, was born in Biddeford in November, 1808, which indicates she and Abraham moved to Biddeford about 1807.
Deeds for land purchased from Israel Lassell on 11/6/1829 for forty acres; from John Patten on 5/10/1830 an additional 40 acres; and on 1/22/1840 from Ether Shapley another 40 acres, show that Abraham and Nancy were purchasing large areas of land in Biddeford at the mouth of the Saco River
Several other documents show transfer of ownership of other parcels of land adjacent to the original land purchases to Abraham Norwood and then to several of his children including Eliza and Susan Norwood.
A deed dated Feb. 24, 1840; records Abraham Norwood purchasing additional land (indicating he may already own some) on Wood Island from James Chase of Saco for $61.67.
Another deed dated July 13, 1871; shows Abraham purchased “One eighth part of Wood Island, situated at the mouth of Saco River, or so much that is not owned by the United States. Said eight part containing about three and one half acres, being in common and undivided, from Thomas Butts, Esq.”
Nancy’s husband Abraham was the first lighthouse keeper on Wood Island, on which they lived with several of their children including Mary
1810 United States Census (1st year of census) and 1820 U.S. Census list Nancy Norwood (age 25 and 35) living with her husband Abraham in Gloucester. 1830 and 1840 Census shows her living in Biddeford with Abraham.
1850 United States Census shows her at age 64 living on the Norwood homestead in Biddeford with her daughters Hester, Lucinda, and Susan and her son Jonathan and a child, Mary A., age 1 month.

Nancy Norwood died on October 30, 1852 1844 at the age of 67 and is buried along side of her husband Nancy in the Oaks Cemetery, a beautiful location on the Pool Road in Biddeford on land which they owned near their home at the mouth of the Saco River with Wood Island Light House in the distance in Winter Harbor. Many of their children are also buried there. A monument listing all their names was later purchased by their son Albert.