Walter Woodworth
Encyclopedia
Walter Woodworth was among the original colonial settlers of America and ancestor of many prominent Americans.
, coming from Kent, England in 1633. He first appeared in the tax records of the Plymouth Colony in 1633. Woodworth settled in 1635 amongst the "Men of Kent" in Scituate, Massachusetts
, which included Nathaniel Tilden, Edward Foster, Humphrey Turner, Isaac Chittenden, and William Hatch, who were influential in the building the settlement.
Walter took up residence at the third lot on Kent Street along the oceanfront at the corner of Meeting House Lane, where he built a home. He would acquire more property throughout his life in Plymouth Colony including a tract on the Herring Brook, a tract on Walnut Tree Hill, which in colonial times was referred to as Walter Woodworth Hill, and 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) in Weymouth. He would serve as surveyor of highways (1645-1646, 1656) and arbiter (1645, 1662-1663).
He was a member of the First Church and had 10 children, who were Thomas, Sarah, Benjamin, Elizabeth, Joseph, Mary, Martha, Isaac, Mehitable, and Abigail.
. Notable descendants of Walter include William Woodworth
, Samuel Woodworth
, Charles W. Woodworth
, Robert S. Woodworth
, and Bill Gates
. Walter was also the progenitor of the Woodworth political family
.
Plymouth Colony
Walter settled in the Plymouth ColonyPlymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement, which served as the capital of the colony, is today the modern town...
, coming from Kent, England in 1633. He first appeared in the tax records of the Plymouth Colony in 1633. Woodworth settled in 1635 amongst the "Men of Kent" in Scituate, Massachusetts
Scituate, Massachusetts
Scituate is a seacoast town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, on the South Shore, midway between Boston and Plymouth. The population was 18,133 at the 2010 census....
, which included Nathaniel Tilden, Edward Foster, Humphrey Turner, Isaac Chittenden, and William Hatch, who were influential in the building the settlement.
Walter took up residence at the third lot on Kent Street along the oceanfront at the corner of Meeting House Lane, where he built a home. He would acquire more property throughout his life in Plymouth Colony including a tract on the Herring Brook, a tract on Walnut Tree Hill, which in colonial times was referred to as Walter Woodworth Hill, and 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) in Weymouth. He would serve as surveyor of highways (1645-1646, 1656) and arbiter (1645, 1662-1663).
He was a member of the First Church and had 10 children, who were Thomas, Sarah, Benjamin, Elizabeth, Joseph, Mary, Martha, Isaac, Mehitable, and Abigail.
Descendants
There would be over 60 descendants of Walter Woodworth who served in the American RevolutionAmerican Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. Notable descendants of Walter include William Woodworth
William Woodworth (inventor)
-Early life:William Woodworth was born around 1780, probably in Massachusetts. He later moved to Hudson, New York where he was a carpenter and carriage maker. He worked on the Livingston family estate as a superintendent of their mill. He was the father of William W...
, Samuel Woodworth
Samuel Woodworth
Samuel Woodworth was an American author, literary journalist, playwright, librettist, and poet.-History:...
, Charles W. Woodworth
Charles W. Woodworth
Charles W. Woodworth was an American entomologist. He founded the Entomology Department at the University of California, Berkeley, and made many valuable contributions to entomology during his career....
, Robert S. Woodworth
Robert S. Woodworth
Robert Sessions Woodworth was an influential American academic psychologist of the first half of the twentieth century. A graduate of Harvard and Columbia, his textbook Psychology: A study of mental life, which appeared first in 1921, went through many editions and was the first introduction to...
, and Bill Gates
Bill Gates
William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
. Walter was also the progenitor of the Woodworth political family
Woodworth political family
The Woodworth political family is a collection of American and Canadian politicians who descend directly from colonial settler Walter Woodworth. They rose to prominence in the 19th century, serving in several states, in the United States House of Representatives, the Canadian House of Commons, and...
.