Michael was born in England, surely in South Wingfield, Derbyshire, soon after 1612. His parents were William Wood and his wife, Margaret Gibbens. No record of Michael's marriage has been found, but he was surely married in England, soon before 1638. His wife's name was Mary; her family name is unknown. They came to New England in 1638, with his parents and sister Ruth, and settled in Concord, Massachusetts. Michael & Mary had at least eight children, probably all born in Concord. The birth record of only two of their children has been found. Those births were Abigail, in 1642 and Jacob, in 1662, possibly the first and the last of their children.
In the first settlement at Concord, Michael had a house near the common. He later settled his family on a farm further away from the town center. Concord's first major industry dates back to 1658 when the Iron Works Farm was established by the falls of the Assabet River. Michael was heavily involved in this iron works. Michael was also granted a license from the town "to sell strong liquours to the labourers about the Iron Works for their necessary releef and to no others."
Michael died on May 13, 1674. He left no will, an uncommon thing in those days. A clue as to what was happening in his life, is a court finding on June 19, 1672. The court is answering Michael's creditors. The finding calls Michael Wood, "bereft of his understanding", and names his wife, John Smedly and John Flint to be "feoffees in trust". Feoffees, in feudal law, are persons who are granted the right to hold possession of a freehold estate. It appears that Michael was suffering some sort of mental illness.
When he died two years later, Michael was probably buried in the Old Hill Burying Ground, as it was the only cemetery in use at the time of his death. There is no record of the death of his wife in Concord, but Torrey thinks that Mary might have had a second husband named Thomas Read, and there is a record of a marriage between Thomas Read and Mary Wood in Sudbury on March 7, 1678, and the deaths of Thomas Read on September 13, 1701, and Mary Read on February 21, 1707. That woman may very well be Mary, the widow of Michael.
In the first settlement at Concord, Michael had a house near the common. He later settled his family on a farm further away from the town center. Concord's first major industry dates back to 1658 when the Iron Works Farm was established by the falls of the Assabet River. Michael was heavily involved in this iron works. Michael was also granted a license from the town "to sell strong liquours to the labourers about the Iron Works for their necessary releef and to no others."
Michael died on May 13, 1674. He left no will, an uncommon thing in those days. A clue as to what was happening in his life, is a court finding on June 19, 1672. The court is answering Michael's creditors. The finding calls Michael Wood, "bereft of his understanding", and names his wife, John Smedly and John Flint to be "feoffees in trust". Feoffees, in feudal law, are persons who are granted the right to hold possession of a freehold estate. It appears that Michael was suffering some sort of mental illness.
When he died two years later, Michael was probably buried in the Old Hill Burying Ground, as it was the only cemetery in use at the time of his death. There is no record of the death of his wife in Concord, but Torrey thinks that Mary might have had a second husband named Thomas Read, and there is a record of a marriage between Thomas Read and Mary Wood in Sudbury on March 7, 1678, and the deaths of Thomas Read on September 13, 1701, and Mary Read on February 21, 1707. That woman may very well be Mary, the widow of Michael.
Michael was born in England, surely in South Wingfield, Derbyshire, soon after 1612. His parents were William Wood and his wife, Margaret Gibbens. No record of Michael's marriage has been found, but he was surely married in England, soon before 1638. His wife's name was Mary; her family name is unknown. They came to New England in 1638, with his parents and sister Ruth, and settled in Concord, Massachusetts. Michael & Mary had at least eight children, probably all born in Concord. The birth record of only two of their children has been found. Those births were Abigail, in 1642 and Jacob, in 1662, possibly the first and the last of their children.
In the first settlement at Concord, Michael had a house near the common. He later settled his family on a farm further away from the town center. Concord's first major industry dates back to 1658 when the Iron Works Farm was established by the falls of the Assabet River. Michael was heavily involved in this iron works. Michael was also granted a license from the town "to sell strong liquours to the labourers about the Iron Works for their necessary releef and to no others."
Michael died on May 13, 1674. He left no will, an uncommon thing in those days. A clue as to what was happening in his life, is a court finding on June 19, 1672. The court is answering Michael's creditors. The finding calls Michael Wood, "bereft of his understanding", and names his wife, John Smedly and John Flint to be "feoffees in trust". Feoffees, in feudal law, are persons who are granted the right to hold possession of a freehold estate. It appears that Michael was suffering some sort of mental illness.
When he died two years later, Michael was probably buried in the Old Hill Burying Ground, as it was the only cemetery in use at the time of his death. There is no record of the death of his wife in Concord, but Torrey thinks that Mary might have had a second husband named Thomas Read, and there is a record of a marriage between Thomas Read and Mary Wood in Sudbury on March 7, 1678, and the deaths of Thomas Read on September 13, 1701, and Mary Read on February 21, 1707. That woman may very well be Mary, the widow of Michael.
In the first settlement at Concord, Michael had a house near the common. He later settled his family on a farm further away from the town center. Concord's first major industry dates back to 1658 when the Iron Works Farm was established by the falls of the Assabet River. Michael was heavily involved in this iron works. Michael was also granted a license from the town "to sell strong liquours to the labourers about the Iron Works for their necessary releef and to no others."
Michael died on May 13, 1674. He left no will, an uncommon thing in those days. A clue as to what was happening in his life, is a court finding on June 19, 1672. The court is answering Michael's creditors. The finding calls Michael Wood, "bereft of his understanding", and names his wife, John Smedly and John Flint to be "feoffees in trust". Feoffees, in feudal law, are persons who are granted the right to hold possession of a freehold estate. It appears that Michael was suffering some sort of mental illness.
When he died two years later, Michael was probably buried in the Old Hill Burying Ground, as it was the only cemetery in use at the time of his death. There is no record of the death of his wife in Concord, but Torrey thinks that Mary might have had a second husband named Thomas Read, and there is a record of a marriage between Thomas Read and Mary Wood in Sudbury on March 7, 1678, and the deaths of Thomas Read on September 13, 1701, and Mary Read on February 21, 1707. That woman may very well be Mary, the widow of Michael.
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