William Wodell

William Wodell b. est 1615 d. bet 8 Sep 1692 and 2 May 1693 Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island, United States. Seen as son of Gershom Wodell without supporting evidence.

Biography

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Wodell-1

According to early records of the Town of Portsmouth, William’s surname is spelled variously as Wodell (Woadel, Woadell, Wodall, Woddell, Wodel, Woodel, Woodell).[1]

Disputed Origins

There are no sources for Gershom Wodell as father of William Wodell. There is strong evidence, however, that William was born at Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England in 1617/18 and was the son of Richard Odell.

“Wm son of Rich Woddell, bpt. 6 January 1617 at Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England”[2]

“William Woddell, son of Richard Woddell, bpt. 6 January 1618 at Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England“[3][4]

---

Family

The following information from Descendants of John Odell by James O’Dell confirms what is known of William Wodell and his family through primary sources. It also confirms Mary’s surname as Lawton.[11]

“119. William WODELL (Richard6, Thomas5, William4, John3, Thomas2, John1) was christened from 6 Jan 1617 to 6 Jan 1618 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England and died in 1697 (sic) in Portsmouth, Rhoade Island at age 80. General Notes: Baptized Parish Records V. 27. 3.
William Wodell married Mary Lawton on 16 May 1637 in Elstow, Bedfordshire, England. Mary was christened on 28 Oct 1611 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England and died on 23 Mar 1676 in Portsmouth, Rhoade Island at age 64.
Children from this marriage were:

1. Alice WODELL was christened on 18 Nov 1637 in Cranfleld, Bedfordshire, England. General Notes: Baptized Parish Records V. 27. 6. Alice Died young.
2. Mary WODELL was bom in Nov 1640 in Portsmouth, Rhoade Island. Mary married Daniel GRINNELL.
3. Gershom WODELL was born on 14 Jul 1642 in Portsmouth, Rhoade Island. [. Mary Tripp; Mary Tripp married second, Jonathan Gatchell, and third, William Wodell, Gershom’s father (as his second wife)]
4. Sarah WODELL was born in 1644 in Portsmouth, Rhoade Island. Sarah married Samuel SANFORD.
5. Alice WODELL was born on 10 Feb 1650 in Portsmouth, Rhoade Island. Alice married Abraham ANTHONY.
6. Frances WODELL was bom on 6 Jul 1652 in Portsmouth, Rhoade Island. Frances married John ANTONY.

William Wodell married second, Mary Tripp (1646-1716), widow of his son Gershom Wodell and widow of Jonathan Gatchell.

Mary Tripp married first, Gershom Woodall.[19] He was born July 14, 1642 to William and Mary Woodall, members of the Society of Friends.[20]

Mary (Tripp) Wodell married secondly, Jonathan Gatchell on March 5, 1682/3 at Portsmouth, Rhode Island.[19][21][22][23]

Jonathan died prior to Aug. 1692, as his widow Mary (Tripp) Wodell Gatchell married thirdly, William Wodell, father of her first husband by 1692/3. This marriage between in-laws was frowned upon by the Society of Friends at Newport and expressed as such on Aug. 2, 1692.[24]

The Will of William Wodell is dated 8 September 1692 in "Little Compton, alias Pocasset"[28] and proved 2 May 1693 at Pocasset.[26] <link>

Notes

William Wardwell, was living in Boston by 1637. He soon found himself in political trouble, accused of treason against the colony. Charges were based on "the opinions and revelations of Mr. Wheelwright and Mrs. Hutchinson which seduced and led into dangerous errors many of the people here in New England.“[12] Resisting the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, William was nevertheless brought before the court in Boston on 2 November 1637, and ordered with others, including Thomas Wodell (spelled Wardell for both), by the town council to give up all arms and ammunition.[12] Banished from Massachusetts and receiving a letter of dismissal from the church at Boston, William Wardwell went to New Hampshire with Rev. John Wheelwright’s company, where he was one of the founders of Exeter in 1638. He wasn’t there long before he moved to Ipswich, Massachusetts, dying at Boston in 1670.

On January 12, 1643, William Wodell of this profile and ten others, including Samuel Gorton who was expelled from Massachusetts for heresy, bought of Miantonomi for "144 fathoms of Wampum" a tract of land called by the Indians Shawomet (Warwick), founding the historic charter colony of Warwick, Rhode Island. Here began his trouble with Massachusetts Bay Colony, who claimed jurisdiction and title to Rhode Island. September 12, 1643, William with others of Warwick was notified to appear at general court at Boston to hear complaint of two Indian sachems, Pomham and Soconocco, as to "some unjust and injurious dealings toward them by yourselves." The Warwick men declined to obey the summons, declaring they were legal subjects of the King of England, and beyond the limits of Massachusetts territory, to whom they would acknowledge no subjection. Soldiers were sent, who besieged the settlers in a fortified house. In a parley it was said "they held blasphemous errors" which they must repent of "or go to Boston for trial." November 3, 1643, having been brought with others before the court at Boston charged with heresy and sedition, they were sentenced to be confined during "the pleasure of the court," and should they break jail or preach their heresies or speak against the church or state, on conviction their sentence would be death. William Wodell was sent to Watertown, but not to prison, and remained at large until the following March and was then banished from both Massachusetts and Warwick. He then returned to Portsmouth, Rhode Island and became a prominent Friend or Quaker.[5][9][13][14]

William was one of the company of Gorton in 1643, serving in the Colonial Wars.[5] He serves as deputy to the General Court of Portsmouth for sixteen years.[1][9]

The following is from Wodell in Ancestral Lines, 3rd Edition by Carl Boyer:[25]

[William] was survived by his wife, who was at least the wife of a 2nd marriage made late in life, Mary (Tripp)(Wodell) Gatchell, who had married first his son Gershom Wodell, and second, ... Jonathan Gatchell. Marriage to "in laws" was frowned upon and the Friends Records of Newport, RI for 1 Aug 1692 show that, "Danll Gould Jacob Mott John Borden Returne theare Answer they were with Wm Wodall and delt tendley with him But the substance of what wee Could Gett wass that hee does still Justifie his marriage with his daughter in Law." The records of four weeks later, "Danll Gould, Walter Clare: & Tho: Rodman hat drawne of A Testimoney agaynst Wm Wodalls practic & that sperit that Leades him to Justifie the practis; ffor him to mary the woman that was his owne Sones wife." But three months later this entry was made: "The sevvrall Tender dealings of theis meeting William Woodall hath Ended in that hee was Taken ought of the Bodey By death soone After ffrends sent him Copey of Theare deneyall of his marriage."
[original records seen in RI Monthly Meeting, Men's Minutes 1676-1773, film "Box 12" in RI Hist Soc. ? of 4 mo 1692, pp 86-9; 30 of 6 mo 1692 p.70, 27th of 7 mo 1692 - Quarterly Meeting; 22nd of 9 mo, 1692, p. 71.]

1693 POCASSETT, RI JOHN PEARCE SIGNED BY WM. WODELL BANISHED FROM MASSACHUSETTS <Land Deed>

• SmartCopy: Sep 1 2020, 17:22:27 UTC
• Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Sep 1 2020, 17:26:18 UTC
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Wodell-1 cites

1. Portsmouth (R.I.); Perry, Amos, 1812-1899; Brigham, Clarence Saunders, 1877-1963. The early records of the town of Portsmouth. E.L. Freeman & Sons, state printers. Providence, R.I. 1901. William Wodell, pp. 430-4
2. Emmison, FG (transcription & ed) Bedfordshire parish registers (Bedfordshire County Record Office, Bedfordshire,1931) Vol 27 pg. 3
3. "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NB9C-GX3 : 22 March 2020), William Woddell, 1618.
4. Find My Past : England Births & Baptisms 1538-1975 William Woddell : accessed 12 Aug 2020, $subscription site
5. Savage, J., Dexter, O. P. (Orrando Perry)., Farmer, J. (186062). A genealogical dictionary of the first settlers of New England: showing three generations of those who came before May, 1692, on the basis of Farmer's Register ... Boston: Little, Brown and company. Waddell or Wodel
6. The Descendants of Thomas Lawton of Portsmouth, Rhode Island Eliza Lawton, 205 East 89th. St., New York 21, NY ! BAPTISM: Cranfield Register, 28 Oct. 1611; Cranfield, England pg. x-xi
7. Pack rat-pro Lawton
8. "Rhode Island Births and Christenings, 1600-1914", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4GHR-XL6Z : 22 January 2020), Mary Woddol.
9. Austin, John Osborne. The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island: Comprising Three Generations of Settlers who Came Before 1690, with Many Families Carried to the Fourth Generation. Genealogical Publishing Com, 1887. Wodell, pg. 434
10. The Shurtleff and Lawton Families: Genealogy and History. William Shurtleff Pine Hill Press, Jan 1, 2005 - 541 pages. Page 74. "The First Lawtons in America."
11. Descendants of John Odell by James O’Dell 119. William WODELL, pg. 26
12. Winthrop, John. The History of New England from 1630 to 1649. Little, Brown and Company. Boston, 1853. pg. 296
13. Wikipedia : List of early settlers of Rhode Island William Wodell
14. Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs: Parker The Woodell Line : accessed 15 Aug 2020
15. Perry, Amos, 1812-1899; Brigham, Clarence Saunders, 1877-1963. The early records of the town of Portsmouth. E.L. Freeman & Sons, state printers. Providence, R.I. 1901. William Woadell, pp. 39-40
16. Emmison, F. G. (Frederick George), 1907-1995, editor. Bedfordshire parish registers : Elstow Marriages. Publisher Bedford, County record Office, 1931. 16 May 1637 William Oddle and Mary Latton, pg. A51
17. Torrey, Clarence Almon. New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore, 1985. Wodell, pg. 832
18. Emmison, FG (transcription & ed) Bedfordshire parish registers (Bedfordshire County Record Office, Bedfordshire,1931) Vol 27 Alice, d. of Wm Woodell, joiner, pg. 6
19. Great Migration 1634-1635, G-H. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume III, G-H, by Robert Charles Anderson. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2003.
20. Vital record of Rhode Island : 1636-1850 : First Series : Births, Marriages and Deaths : A Family Register for the People, Vol. VII: by James N. Arnold, Narragansett Historical Pub. Co., Providence, RI, 1895
21. Perry, Amos, 1812-1899; Brigham, Clarence Saunders, 1877-1963. The Early Records of the Town of Portsmouth. E. L. Freeman & Sons, state printers. Providence, RI, 1901. pg. 303
22. Newport Co., Vol. 4: Vital record of Rhode Island 1636-1850: First Series: Births, Marriages and Deaths: A Family Register for the People, by James N. Arnold, Providence, RI: Narragansett Historical Publishing Co., Providence, RI
23. One Hundred and Sixty Allied Families, by John Osborne Austin, Salem, MA, 1893: Reprinted, Genealogical Publishing Com, Jun 1, 2009
24. Ancestors of Charles A. Stymus and his wife Ella C. Smith: Orleans County New York back through early New York-New Jersey-New England, 1620-1989, by Marion Reed Page, 1989
25. Wodell in Ancestral Lines, 3rd Edition by Carl Boyer (Santa Clarita, CA: Self, 1998), p. 693.
26. New England Historical and Genealogical Register - "Bristol County Probate Records", vol 63, p. 328-329 Will via Internet Archive
27. Mrs. Lucy Hall Greenlaw, "Abstracts from the first book of Bristol County Probate Records" New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Reference Volume 63 (1909) page 77
28. This quotation from the Bristol County probate records is hard to explain as Pocasset was the original name for Portsmouth, Rhode Island rather than an alias for Little Compton (part of the Massachusetts Colony by 1692). Equally intriguing, given William's earlier banishment from Massachusetts, is why the will was recorded at a probate court in Bristol County, MA rather than at a court in Rhode Island. A possible explanation for both mysteries is that William's estate included lands in Little Compton (see the 1689 deed for his purchase of land from Edward Gray in actual Little Compton https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/27069/images/dvm_G...) and his heirs wanted this acknowledged by a Massachusetts court.
29. FamilySearch Link accessed March 3, 2022
30. Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Directory: Immigrants to New England, 1620–1640 Wardwell, Thomas, 1634, Boston. Wardwell, William, 1633, Boston. [Archived website, Wayback Machine, captured 20 January 2016
31. Family Search William Wodell in Records of the Town of Portsmouth : accessed 12 Aug 2020
32. William Wordell on Find A Grave: Memorial #176618558 retrieved 16:18, 23 October 2017 (EDT) Note: data no longer matches anything on this profile
33. Virkus, Frederick A., editor. Immigrant Ancestors: A List of 2,500 Immigrants to America before 1750. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1964. 75p. Repr. 1986. page 74
34. See also: Wodell, Eli. Genealogy of a Part of the Wodell Family, from 1640 to 1880: With Notices of ... Publication date 1880 Publisher s.n.
35. Portsmouth Historical Org Andrews, Janet Tripp, edited by Jan E. Tripp © November, 2016. John Tripp, 1611 - 1678, A Glimpse into Our Founder's Life