Norwood

This page tells the story of John Norwood and his daughter Susanna Norwood, who married John Howard. There are several branches of the Norwood family in England (which probably are all distantly related). Some of these are described in another, more inclusive Norwood web page Although I have not done the primary research myself, I offer what seems to me to be the most accurate ancestors.

I am hopeful that readers may be able to help me fill in more information about the lives of John and Susanna and their immediate families or predeceasors. If you have documentation, I would be very grateful if you would e mail me at .

Possible English Ancestors

The Norwood family has been said to be traced back to Godwin^R, Earl of Wessex (d. 1053). He rebelled against Edward the Confessor in 1052, attacking the royal manor of Milton Regis in the district of Swale, Kent. He burned the church roof and the village (then to the east of the present Kemsley village). The village was rebuilt in its present location near the head of Milton Creek. The church was rebult, too, with heightened walls and added chancel and south transcept. The building was rededicated in 1070. Godwin's daughter Edith married King Edward the Confessor. Godwin's son, Harold^Q Godwinson, became King in 1066, falling at the Battle of Hastings to William the Bastard's invading forces. However, since this website resolutely refuses to be sidetracked into early medieval history (that is a story for another time and place), readers may check out the early Norwood ancestors or the King Harold II connection.[0] See an explanation of the National Genealogical Society's numbering system that is used on all my web pages.

In the middle ages some Norwoods, perhaps ours, lived in Milton Regis, Kent. When the Norwood family became lords of the manor, it lost its "Regis" and became simply Milton. The honorary "Regis" was restored early in the twentieth century. Anyway, the Norwood family was instrumental in rebuilding Holy Trinity Church in the fourteenth century. Between 1320 and 1340 the porch, south-west section, and the tower were built. The porch door, checkerboard gate (now at the back of the church) and most of the woodwork in the ceiling of nave and chancel date to this time. The tower is the most massive in all of Kent and the third largest in England. In the early 1400s the Norwoods had a chantry chapel built in the southeast corner for the purpose of saying masses for the souls of departed Norwoods. It had a rood loft -- a raised platform with a rood (crucifix) in the middle -- where the gospel was read so that it could be heard more easily. It also has a fine sedilla, in the right arch of which is an oak board with a set of brasses to Sir John and Lady Norwood (ca. 1496) with their coat of arms. The original placement of the brasses is unknown. The church's own description continues, "High on the north wall of the chapel is the support which formerly held the gauntlets and jousting helm of Sir John Norton, High Sheriff of Kent and brother-in-law of Sir John Norwood. The gauntlets have long since perished however the Norwood Helm is now in the Armouries of the Tower of London on extended loan from the parish. The altar tomb beneath is that of Sir John Norton." During the Civil War and Commonwealth the frescoes in the church were whitewashed to prevent their destruction by Puritan iconclasts, thus indicating the general political and religious preferences of the town.[1]

Our line of descent is supposedly charted from John^G and Elizabeth (ELTON), whose son John^F (b. ca. 1440; d. ca. 1509) removed to Gloucestershire. There he married Eleanor GIFFORD (b. 1450; d. ca. 1496), daughter of Sir John and Ann Gifford. Eleanor brought with her (as her marriage portion?) Leckhampton Manor. Although it had been built in the fourteenth century, the Tudor chimneys and "fine perpendicular porch" were added by John Norwood. The family lived here for the next 300 years. Their son William^E (~1475-1537) begat Robert^D, who begat Thomas^C, who begat John^B (d. 1588, the year the great Spanish armada came to grief) who married Anne (TYRINGHAM). John and Anne had two sons, Tyringham^A (1576-9/16/1629) who married Anne (BOTELER) and William^A who married her sister, Agnes (Boteler). Either Tyringham or William is said to be the father of our Captain John¹ Norwood (1605-1672).[2] I have done none of the above research myself and cannot vouch for its accuracy. Caveat emptor.

First Proved Generation

John Norwood¹, grandson of John and Anne (Tyringham) Norwood, was born in 1605 at Wyckham Abbey, Spalding, Lincolnshire, England. Many web pages say that he married Anne HARRINGTON, said to be the daughter of Sir James Harrington, sometime before 1634. However, this appears to be incorrect.[3] He died before 19 June 1672 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, when the Administration of his estate was filed.[4]

Spalding is a market town and parish in the wapentake of Elloe, forty-four miles southeast by east from Lincoln. There is a spring of chalybeate water that has provided for a spa since Roman times. The town is on the river Welland, in a "fenny" (clay) district. By the nineteenth century it was well-drained, providing pasture for sheep and a thriving wool industry. Spalding had a market for fat cattle on Tuesdays, and George I granted fairs on April 27 and June 30, but that was after our Norwoods left. They would have recognized the town hall which was built in 1620 by John HOBSON, and perhaps their sons attended the free grammar school established in the 30th year of Elizabeth I's reign. The church of Saint Mary and Saint Nicholas was built in about 1284 by Clement HATFIELD, Prior of Spalding. It is mostly in the decorated and later English styles, with a "fine tower surmounted by a crocketed spire". There were considerable additions made in 1466, including a "beautiful north porch". The roof collapsed in 1810, so it is no longer the one that would have been familiar to our Norwoods.[5]

John Norwood seems to have gone first to Virginia, where he bought land from John WATKINS. There Norwood was a neighbor of Edward DORSEY. John was sheriff, and appears in the records when, in 1648, he was called to court to account for his stewardship of the glebeland on Lambert's Point. He was expected to lease it to raise revenue to support a minister should they ever get one. The implication was that John's business sense -- or his integrity -- was lacking. However, the court agreed that the land was too poor to farm. John was completely vindicated and the vestry had to dispose of the land as best it could.[6]

The lack of freedom of religion in Virginia, coupled with an invitation to move north, led between 400 and 600 settlers to migrate to Maryland, mostly to Anne Arundel and Calvert Counties. The hard-core Puritans, coalescing around the preacher William DURAND settled at Greenberry Point, almost opposite the present Naval Academy. In 1651 they were permitted to take a modified Maryland oath and sent representatives to the House of Burgesses. The larger group of immigrants from Virginia, whose religious affiliations are not known, included Edward DORSEY, John Norwood, Matthew HOWARD, Thomas TODD, and Nicholas WYATT and their families who settled in and around Annapolis. John Norwood's 1658 land acquisition is indicated in green. (Click on the map to enlarge it.) It is in the correct area, but the boundaries make no pretense to accuracy. These families had owned land near each other in Lower Norfolk County, Virginia, and soon acquired tracts near each other along the Severn River in Maryland. There was Proctor's Landing just below Todd, with Richard Acton just above him. A Hall was in the same neighborhood. Above Dorsey, Norwood, and Wyatt, were Marsh, Howard, and Hammond in a continuous bloc. Warfield and Gates were to the west of them. Their children and grandchildren intermarried.[7]

In February 1651 John Norwood and Edward Dorsey were granted a warrant for 400 acre "Norwood" in Maryland. It was adjacent to Norwood's Creek (now called Weem's Creek) and included Norwood's Point (now called Horseshoe Point), in what is now the Wardour section of Annapolis.[8] Capt. John Norwood and George YATE got a warrant for another 400 acres. George Yate's will was probated in Anne Arundel County in 1691. He owned about 2,000 acres in Baltimore and Anne Arundel Counties.[9] Lord Baltimore had instituted the English practice of granting and patenting tracts of land under proper names. Acreages named "Howard", "Todd", and "Wyatt" were laid out for other members of the group, with their locations specified in the records.[10]

Presumably John was in the local militia, with the rank of Captain, since that is how he is referred to in the records. He is said to have received his title "Captain" in the Battle of the Severn 25 March, 1655. The Anglican forces of Gov. William STONE attempted to reestablish control over the Puritan areas of Maryland, but were defeated by the well organized Puritans. Captain John Norwood, as High Sheriff, took control of the captured prisoners. Twelve were sentenced to death, but after pleas for mercy from the women and soldiers, only four were executed.[11] In 1661 Capt. John Norwood commanded all the forces from the head of the Severn to the south side of the Patapsco. He also served as sheriff.[12]

John Norwood is said to have procured land in Maryland in 1662 for his brother-in-law John HARRINGTON.[12a] If this could be documented it would help settle the surname of John's wife.

John served as a justice in Anne Arundel County. On 13 September 1664 he heard the case of a master accused of murdering his indentured servant. Although two other servants alibied for his innocence, the master was found guilty and hanged by order of the Provincial Court (county courts could not pass a death sentence). The two servants were charged with perjury.[13]

John Norwood died in 1673 without a written will. Anne died in 1674 or 1676.

Children of John and Anne (Harrington) Norwood:

1. Andrew Norwood², b. 1634 in England; d. 1 Mar. 1701/2; m. Elizabeth HOWARD, daughter of Cornelius and Elizabeth (TODD) Howard. Elizabeth m (2) Andrew WELLPLAY (d. 1708). Andrew's estate was probated 7 Mar. 1701/2. Andrew and Elizabeth's children were: Elizabeth (1686-1735; m. 19 Aug. 1708 John BEALE who d. 1734, probably the son of Thomas Beale who d. 1713); Anne (b. 1688, will pr. 1773); Hannah (b. 1690; d. after 1776), and Andrew, Jr. (m. Eliza WELLPLAY, daughter of Andrew Jr's step-father). Andrew Jr., John HOWARD (ca. 1709-1805) and Vachel DENTON (ca. 1696-1752) became the wards of John BEALE. He was a Protestant, planter, elected from Anne Arundel Co. to the Lower House; served as clerk in the Secretary's office, the Provincial Court, and the Council; although his estate was valued at £1,558.14.8, including books, 13 slaves, and ca. 1,628 acres, he was in debt and land was sold after his death.[14] Andrew was in the 1678 tax duplicate for Anne Arundel Co., listed for 200 lbs. of tobacco. In 1681 he was listed for only 60 lbs.[15] Andrew and Elizabeth had children:

   a) Andrew Norwood, m. Eliza WELLPLAY, daughter of Andrew, she was b. 1684 in Anne Arundel Co., d. perhaps 1722.
   b) Elizabeth Norwood, b. 1686; m. John BEALE; "was a distinguished attorney" "whose coat of arms upon his will at Annapolis does not show a 'ringing bell,'." Their daughter, Elizabeth Beale, married William NICHOLSON.[15a]
   c) Anne Norwood, b. 1688 in Anne Arundel Co.,, signed her will 1773.
   d) Hannah Norwood, b. 1690; d. after 1776;
   e) daughter, d. before 22 June 1734.



2. Samuel Norwood, b. ca. 1636 in Eng.; d. 12 June 1709 in Anne Arundel Co.; m. Sarah GARRETT, daughter of Amos. His will was dated 21 Nov. 1706. Samuel and Sarah had 4 children:

   a) Anne Norwood, b. 30 Jan. 1702; d. after 1709;
   b) Samuel Norwood, Jr., b. 26 Nov. 1705; bur. 2 Apr. 1706;
   c) Sarah Norwood, b. 9 Dec. 1706; d. 1717;
   d) Samuel Norwood, chris. 22 Jan. 1708.[16]

3. Phillip Norwood, b. 1638 in Eng.; d. Jan 1724; buried 6 Jan 1724 at St. Ann's, Anne Arundel, MD; married Hannah (__) 2 Jun 1704 at St. Ann's, Anne Arundel, MD;[17] On the face of it, being born in 1638 and not getting married until 1704 seems like this might be conflating two generations?


4. John Norwood, b. ca. 1638 (meaning he was a twin of Phillip?) in Eng.; d. by 6 Feb. 1673 when his estate was pr. in Calvert Co., Md.; m. Elizabeth BEALE ca. 1670; his estate was probated 6 Feb. 1673 in Calvert Co., when his widow Elizabeth, accompanied by witnesses, told the court that John had said he would give land to his son and the residue to his wife.[18] had children:

   a) John Norwood, b. ca. 1672; d. 1700 (his will pr. 10 Dec. 1700); m. 1695 Sarah DORSEY, daughter of Edward Dorsey and Sarah WYATT;
   b) Mary Norwood, posthumous daughter, b. 6 Feb. 1673.

5. Susannah Norwood, b. 1639 in Eng.; m. twice, to Charles STEVENS, and John HOWARD.


6. Joseph Norwood, d. 1684 intestate in Kent, Md.; m. Sarah (__) who was b. 1642.[19]


7. Edward Norwood, b. 1646 in Virginia; d. 1699 in Patapsco Hundred, Baltimore Co.m. and had at least one son:

   a) Edward Norwood, b. 1689 in Baltimore; m. 1718 in Baltimore Ruth OWINGS, said to be the daughter of Capt. Richard Owings and Rachel (Robert?).[20] Edward perhaps had a son Samuel Norwood, who had a daughter Ruth Norwood who m. 3m/22/1774 Charles "Blackhead" RIDGELY.[20a]

Second Known Generation

Susannah Norwood², only daughter of Capt. John and Anne (Harrington) Norwood, was born in 1639 in England, and died 30 December 1695 in Maryland.[21] Susannah was married first, in 1653, to Charles STEVENS.[22] In 1663 with John HOWARD, Charles took up tracts of land named "The Woodyard" and "Charles Hills" on the south side of the Severn. After Charles died in 1658, Susannah married John Howard.[23]

After Susannah's death, John married Elinor (__), widow of John MACCUBIN.[24]

Children of Susannah (Norwood) and her first husband Charles Stevens:[25]

1. Elizabeth Stevens


2. Susan Stevens


3. Sarah Stevens


4. Charles Stevens[26]

Child of Susannah (Norwood) Stevens and her second husband John Howard:

1. John Howard², Jr., b. 1667; d. 1703/4[27]; m(1) Mary WARFIELD; m(2) Katherine (GREENBURY), the widow of Henry RIDGELY.

To continue the story of this family, go to the Howard page.

If you have additions or corrections to this web page, I would be delighted to hear from you. Contact me via e mail at .

See some other colonial Maryland families that link one way or another with these Norwoods:  Addison,  Bale,  Brooke,  Browne,  Dent,  Dorsey,  Ely,   Hall,  Hatton,  Holliday,  Howard,  Isaac,  Molton,  Owings,  Randall,  Ridgely,  Sim,  Smith,  Stone,  Tasker.  Warfield.  and Wilkinson.   A hard copy book is being prepared on these Southern Connection families with lots of social and historical context. It may be published in 1213.

Go to the index of Other Lines that are included in this website (not all of them have been posted yet).

Go to the Paxson home page.

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This page was posted 3m/8/2004, and updated most recently on 5m/10/2013.

Notes and Sources

The full bibliographical citation is given the first time a source is mentioned, but is not repeated each time that source is cited. Scroll up til you find the first mention and there you will find the complete citation.

0. See James G. Dempsey, Norwood-Northwood families of Kent, Warwickshire, and Gloucestershire, and Ian Walker's biography of Harold.



1. "The Parish Church of Holy Trinity Milton Regis", on Trintity's own web page, updated 12/07/2008, seen 10m/14/2011.



2. Information provided by Brian and Kitty Crowley and formatted for the web by Richard C. Norwood, Jr. 23 February, 1999.



3. Anne Harrington, daughter of Sir James, is found all over the internet, for example, in Kitty Crowley's research posted at www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/4805/tnfpexp.htm citing G. Marion Norwood Callam, The Norwoods III (n.p.: n.pub., n.d.), 179. However, they do not give their sources, or only quote one another. A better source, it seems to me, is Visitations of the County of Rutland In the Year 1618-99, 38-39. This is a volume in the Publications of the Harleian Society. There it is stated that Anne, daughter of James and Frances, mar. (1) John Molyneux, and mar. (2) Thomas Foljambe.



4. Kitty Crowley, on www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/4805/capjno.htm citing Test. Proc. 5, f. 290.
   
   
5. Samuel Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of England, comprising the several counties, cities, boroughs, corporate and market towns, parishes, and townships, and the islands of Guernsey, Jersey, and Man, with historical and statistical descriptions, . . . 5th. ed., 4 vols.( London: S. Lewis & Co., 1842), 4:147.


6. Caroline Kemper Bulkley, "Identity of Edward Dorsey I: A New Approach to an Old Mystery", in Maryland Genealogies from the Maryland Historical Magazine: A Consolidation of Articles from the Maryland Historical Magazine, indexed by Thomas L. Hollowick, 2 vols., 1:393.



7. David W. Jordan, "'Gods Candle' within Government: Quakers and Politics in Early Maryland", William and Mary Quarterly, ser. 3, v. 39, no. 4 (Oct. 1982), 629; Bulkley, "Identity of Edward Dorsey I", 1:396, 397; Maxwell J. and Jean Muir Dorsey and Nannie Ball Nimmo, The Dorsey Family: Descendants of Edward Darcy-Dorsey of Virginia and Maryland For Five Generations and Allied Families (Baltimore: authors, 1947), 2, citing Patents 3, State of Va., f. 179. The map is from The Dorsey Family: Descendants of Edward Darcy-Dorsey of Virginia and Maryland For Five Generations and Allied Families, 5.



8. www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/4805/tnfpexp.htm



9. www.mdgenweb.org/annarundel/wills/yate-g.txt



10. Hester Dorsey Richardson, Side-Lights on Maryland History with Sketches of Early Maryland Families (Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins Company, 1913) 2 vols., 1:257; Dorsey, Dorsey, & Nimmo, Dorsey Family, 2; Bulkley, "Identity of Edward Dorsey I", 1:398.



11. www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/4805/tnfpexp.htm; There is a good summary of the Battle and its causes by Contemporary Review Company Ltd. in association with The Gale Group and LookSmart, at http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m2242/1598_274/54405265/p4/article.jhtml?term= It does not mention Norwood, however.



12. Robert Henry McIntire, Annapolis Maryland Families (Baltimore: Gateway Press, 1980), 520.
    
    
         12a. E mail from Al Wootten, 11m/10/1997, who said his statement, "Procured land for his brother-in-law John Harrington in Maryland 1662." came from "a printed page listing the Norwoods back a ways in England, from one of my wife's cousins. She was more the 'look it up in a book' type of genealogy researcher, with few hard proofs. . . . Most of her info she got from Warfield's book, as well as Anne Arundel Gentry, though I do not know for a fact the source of this information."



13. Aubrey C. Land, Bases of the Plantation Society (New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1969), 212-220.



14. Md. Calendar of Wills, 2:232; 3:106; Edward C. Papenfuse, Alan F. Day, David W. Jordan, and Gregory A. Stiverson, A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature, 1635-1789 (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1979) 2 vols., 2:168; Dorsey, Dorsey, & Nimmo, Dorsey Family, 203-5 (citing inter alia, Chanc. Rec. C.D., f. 825). See also Kitty Crowley's research posted at www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/4805/capjno.htm citing Callam, Norwoods III, 178-79; and, Eleanor Davis McSwain, The deNorthwode, Norwood Family of Early England and Early Southeast United States (855 Second Street, Macon, Georgia 31211: Jones and Grissom Printers, 1993), 429.



15. www.mdgenweb.org/tax.lists.htm
    
    
    
    
       15a. Joshua Dorsey Warfield, The Founders of Anna Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland: A Genealogical and Biographical Review from wills, deeds and church records (Baltimore: Kohn & Pollock, Publishers, 1905), 102. Facsimile available on googlebooks.



16. Crowley on www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/4805/tnfpexp.htm citing Callam, Norwoods III, 178; McSwain, The Norwood Family, 432; Dorsey, Dorsey, & Nimmo, Dorsey Family, 206-7 (citing Wills 12, Pt. 2, f.68); and, F. Edward Wright, Anne Arundel County Church Records of the 17th and 18th Centuries (Westminster, Md.: Family Line Publications, 1991), 30-1.



17. Crowley on www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/4805/tnfpexp.htm, citing Dorsey, Dorsey, & Nimmo, Dorsey Family, 206; Wright, Anne Arundel County Church Records.



18. Raymond B. Clark, Jr. and Sara Seth Clark, comps., Calvert County, Maryland, Wills, 1654-1700 (St. Michale's, Md.: Raymond B. Clark, Jr., 1974), 52; Crowley on www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/4805/tnfpexp.htm citing Callam, Norwoods III, 178-79; Dorsey, Dorsey, & Nimmo, Dorsey Family, 205-6 (citing, inter allia, Wills 1, f. 578).



19. Dorsey, Dorsey and Nimmo, The Dorsey Family, 207.



20. Dorsey, Dorsey and Nimmo, The Dorsey Family, 207, citing Balt. Co. Adm. Accts. 1, fol. 49.
    
    
         20a. E mail from a descendant, Cora Baltzell Key Rubidoux, Feb. 2013.



21. Callam says she died in 1686, Callam, Norwoods III, 178.



22. Crowley on www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/4805/tnfpexp.htm, citing McSwain, The Norwood Family, 437; and Callam, Norwoods III, 182.



23. J. D. Warfield, The Founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland (Baltimore: Regional Publishing Co., 1980), 69; Crowley on www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/4805/tnfpexp.htm, citing Callam, Norwoods III, 182.



24. Warfield, The Founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, 69; Sharon J. Doliante, Mary and Virginia Colonials (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1991), 361.



25. While Callam, Norwoods III, 182. lists the three girls, Kitty Crowley does not.



26. Callam, Norwoods III, 182.



27. Callam, Norwoods III, 182.

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If you have additions or corrections to this web page, I would be delighted to hear from you. Contact me via e mail at .