Francis Norwood, of Gloucester

Francis Norwood (1638-1709) from Leckhampton, Gloucestershire, England first appears in records as witness with James Ford of an indenture made between William Warrener and Cornelius Waldo on May 28th in the area of Lynn, Saugus and Gloucester, Massachusetts. He is known to have run a tavern in Lynn during this period. According to his descendant Ebenezer Pool he was living in Annisquam in 1662. He purchased six acres of land in Gloucester on 23 Mar 1664: “Given unto ffrancis Norwood att the Towne meeting, six akers of upland liinge bye Goose Cove." He built a house there by August, 1664. He would eventually accumulate 170 acres. The family residence at 698 Washington Street was passed down the family line until 1878 when it was purchased by Alpheus Hyatt. Alpheus started a marine biology research center in the house which later moved to Wood Hole.

A young female descendant who was in a practice common embroidered the Norwood coat of arms in 1738 which included a cross gules on a field of ermine with an alert motto Nunquam Non Paratus 'never unready'. This was probably sourced from a book by a local carriage painter. There is no evidence that the crest existed before this time as claimed by 1923 in an article by Leila Norwood Adams, "Cape Ann Shore." Francis Norwood married Elizabeth COLDOM (c 1640 – 1703) the daughter of Clement COLDOM (and perhaps Mary PIERCE or PEARCE), on 15 Oct 1663 at Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts. They had ten children. There have been various theories proposed about the origins of this Norwood family. But current DNA evidence seems to refute them. G. Marion Norwood Callam, a genealogist in England, wrote a three volume set: “The Norwoods.” She posited that Francis Norwood was the son of a Captain Thomas Norwood of the Leckhampton Court branch of the family in Goucestershire, England. However, no records have ever been found to support this theory. Moreover Y DNA analysis of samples from three descendants of Francis Norwood shows that he belongs to haplogroup R-DF27, subclade CTS11567 which does not match other descendants of the Norwoods of Goucestershire. Therefore they cannot possibly be related. This haplogroup is more likely to be from Normandy or possibly across the channel around northern East Anglia. His direct descendant Ebenezer Pool (born July 16. 1787) wrote the following about Francis Norwood: "Judge Norwood was a Regicide. His son Francis Norwood was born in England 1640 or about, came to Gloucester, settled at Annisquam in 1663. He married Elisabeth, daughter of Clement Coldom Oct. 15 1663. He died March 4th 1709.

"Francis Norwood born in Essex Co., England about 1640 was the son of Judge Norwood one of the Regicides or advisors to put Charles I to death. He was imprisoned for life as supposed in 1660 and his large estate was confiscated. Large estates in London, Co. of Essex, England.

"Judge Francis Norwood of England was born about the year 1600. He owned a large estate located in Norwood Park. Soon after the settlement of Salem [1629], Massachusetts, a son of said Francis came here and for a time stopped in Salem, but settled in Lynn where he had a family. Francis Norwood a son of said M. Norwood born 1640 and grandson of old Francis of England took up his residence at Annisquam, Gloucester about 1662. He was married to Elizabeth Coldom of Lynn. She was the daughter of Clement Coldom of Lynn."

These statements if they hold any validity certainly help to refute the Leckhampton Court origins theory because they were staunch royalists. However, verification of neither story has been found to date.

Links

• http://records.ancestry.com/Francis_Norwood_records.ashx?pid=323853
• http://rootsandblood.blogspot.com/2013/12/norwood-heraldry.html