Rev. James W. Wood, D.D., Page 1

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="0a5d05a3.jpg"> <div> Orange County, New York</div> <div> American History and Genealogy Project</div> <div> Rev. James W. Wood, D.D., Page 1</div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="0a6d2123.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ny/county/orange/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ny/county/or"><U>Orange County AHGP/ALHN</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ny/state/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ny/state/"><U>New York AHGP/ALHN</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://ahgp.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://ahgp.org"><U>AHGP</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://alhn.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://alhn.org"><U>ALHN</U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="623" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 730 WIDTH="617"><div> <IMG SRC="047bc0c0.jpg" border=0 width="188" height="268" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >M</FONT>R. WOOD was “of the Manor born.”  He belonged to the once large Wood family in Orange County.  By marriage the well-known families, in the county, of the  Armstrongs, Wisners, Vails, Dusenburys, McDowells, Seelys, Dunnings, Woods, were united, and a friendly intercourse existed gave an abundance of wholesome pleasure to social life.  The house of Mr. Wood's birth stands on the west side of the road between Florida and Warwick, about one-half a mile from the first-named town.</div> <div>      The immigrating ancestor of the family was Timothy Wood (I) from Yorkshire, England.  Timothy landed in his country in 1700, and joined his brother Jonas, then living near Huntington, Long Island.  In 1727 Timothy was killed by the Indians.  His body was found pierced with seven poisoned arrows.  He left three sons, Timothy, Daniel (II) and Andrew.  The two older sons moved to Orange County in the Spring of 1728. Timothy settled in Goshen, Daniel (II.) near Florida, and Andrew moved to New England.</div> <div> Daniel, (II.) the ancestor of this sketch, bought in 1733 what was afterwards called “the Wood farm” for one dollar an acre, and for 112 years it remained in the family.  By a first wife there were these children: John, Jonas, Mary, Elizabeth, and Deborah.  By a second wife there were two sons, Daniel and Andrew (III.).</div> <div>      Daniel became a physician, and served in the army as a surgeon during the Revolution.  His record is most excellent.  His son John founded Quincy, Ill., and became Governor of the State.</div> <div> Andrew (III.) continued at the homestead. He married a cousin, Elizabeth Wood, daughter of John Wood, from Longford, Ireland, thus uniting two branches which had separated in the old country.  The children by this marriage were Jesse Wood, Elizabeth Totten, Andrew Wood (who became a Methodist minister in Ohio), and James Wood (IV).</div> <div>      James Wood (IV.) was born April 18th, 1778.  He remained at the homestead, and in addition to farming learned the trade of a cabinet maker and carpenter.  A high clock frame, made by him as a wedding gift to his bride, and now (1897) owned by a descendant in Easton, Pa., illustrates his handiwork.  He married March 9, 1799, Mary Armstrong.  This Francis Armstrong sailed from Ulster County, Ireland, August 6th, 1728, and landed in New York, December 10th, 1728.  He was a straight, strict and trusted Presbyterian.  He was one of the founders of the Presbyterian Church at Florida, and his character may be pictured from the following “memorandum,” copied from the original, as written by Rev. J. Elmer, Pastor, September 11th, 1758:</div> <div>      “Mr. Francis Armstrong, Elder of the Presbyterian Congregation in Florida, has in every article fulfilled his obligation to me as a Minister on the account of my support while I lived in the congregation, and much more than ever was his proportion for which I do forever acquit him from all subscription made to me, and heartily and earnestly recommend him as an example to others which if they would follow they need not want a preached gospel.”     J. Elmer.</div> <div>                                                              “September 11th, 1758.”</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="pg13.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rev. James W. Wood, D.D., Page 2"><U>Next Page</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="pg1.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Table of Contents"><U>Table of Contents</U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>