William Wood was born 15 January 1693 in Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts, the son of Thomas Wood and Hannah Rider.

William married Keziah Martin, eldest child of Melatiah Martin and Rebecca Brooks and born 9 September 1697, Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts.

They wed on 18 February 1716 in Rehoboth.

William and Keziah were the parents of nine children, eight of whom grew to adulthood and married.

Children:

1. William, born 5 May 1717, Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts; married Patience Weaver, 17 June 1738, Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts
2. Hannah, born 13 June 1719, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts; died 26 December 1756, Providence, Providence, Rhode Island; married Nathaniel Finney, 3 September 1740, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts
3. Keziah, born 1 July 1722, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts; died 11 September 1788, Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts; married Clark Harrington, 14 February 1742, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts
4. Barnard, born 16 August 1724, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts; died 20 March 1809, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts; married Sarah Herington, 17 February 1743, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts
5. Elizabeth, born c1726; died 22 March 1812, Fort Ann, Washington, New York; married Nathan Mason, 10 July 1748, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts
6. Patience, born 18 October 1727, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts; married Benjamin Horton, 23 April 1748, Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts
7. Mary, born c1733; died before 1766; married John Vaughn, 3 January 1754, Scituate, Providence, Rhode Island
8. Joseph, born c1735; no further record
9. Benjamin, born c1736; married Naomi Smith, 3 May 1761, Scituate, providence, Rhode Island

Keziah (Martin) Wood died after 15 march 1753 when a couple of land deeds were recorded by her husband. William Wood died before 14 January 1766, probably in Scituate, Providence, Rhode Island.

Thomas Wood & Hannah Rider are an interesting couple in terms of colonial New England. Both were likely born during the 1660s, but there is a lot of confusing and conflicting information to be found online pertaining to each of their purported parents.

Therefore, this family sketch will omit references to their parentage and will instead focus on the hard facts that detail their lives.

Thomas Wood was born c1664, whether in England or New England is uncertain.

There is quite a bit of commentary pertaining to his wife, Hannah Rider, but everyone seems to have overlooked – or not bothered to research themselves – the commentary found in The Great Migration Project pertaining to the Thomas Rider family and the fact that his daughter Hannah Rider, born in 1654/55, was too old to be giving birth to children in the early 1700s.

However, it is a fact that Thomas Wood married a woman named Hannah Rider on 1 May 1690 in Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts.

Thomas and Hannah raised a family of seven children and spent the remainder of their lives living in Swansea.

Children (All events in Swansea unless noted otherwise):

1. Patience, born 27 February 1691; died 10 August 1773, Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts; married Samuel Perry, 16 February 1715, Bristol, Bristol, Massachusetts
2. William, born 15 January 1693; died before 14 January 1766, Scituate, Providence, Rhode Island; married Keziah Martin, 18 February 1716, Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts
3. John, born 17 January 1695; no further record
4. Thomas, born 16 January 1697, Bristol, Bristol, Massachusetts; married Martha Child, 24 December 1730, Barrington, Bristol, Rhode Island
5. James, born 28 January 1699; no further record
6. Mary, born 6 January 1701; married David Pierce, 26 November 1719
7. David, born 12 May 1703, died before 2 November 1784; married Mary child, 26 March 1730

Thomas Wood reportedly left a will which was proved in Bristol County, Massachusetts court on 2 April 1754, but I have not been able to access the will or find a transcription. Thomas’s death is recorded in Swansea on 2 February 1754. No death record has been found for his wife, Hannah.