Peleg Wood (b. 1722)

Heather’s 6th great grandfather

When Peleg Wood was born on March 20, 1722, in Little Compton, Rhode Island, his father, Henry, was 35 and his mother, Content, was 30. He married Ruth Shaw on December 18, 1746, in his hometown. They had three children in 10 years. He died in January 1796 in Little Compton, Rhode Island, at the age of 73.

Peleg’s birth date and parentage is confirmed by Rhode Island vital extracts in Little Compton. Peleg is also mention in his father Henry’s will.

The rest of his biography below is entirely the result of the research of Dorothy Wood Ewers.

His profession was “weaver”.

After his marriage in 1746, his daughter Elizabeth was born in October 1747.

His son Reuben was born in 1752.

He was made a Freeman of Little Compton in May 1757. I had to look up what this means. The Wikipedia definition is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeman_(Colonial)

He was a Quaker, a member of the Society of Friends.

His son Abner was born in 1758.

He inherited land from his father. The Little Compton clerk’s records show that Peleg was involved in several land transactions from 1760 through 1793. The records give descriptions of locations, named neighbors, etc.

Peleg wrote his will on 24 Oct 1793. Little Compton probate records have the entire text, which Mrs. Ewers transcribed. I include part of it here: I give to my son Abner Wood the house where he now lives and all my Lands there that I have not before disposed of I give to him, his heirs, and Assigns forever. I give to my wife Ruth Wood the one half of all my household stuff and my Great Bible and that half she shall choose. I give the other half of my household stuff to my two sons Reuben Wood and Abner Wood, equally divided between them. I give to my grandson Peleg Wood one silver spoon marked C.T. I do will and order my son Reuben Wood to find my wife all the necessaries of life suitable for her in sickness and in health if she shall cease to live with him and if not and shall choose to live with my son Abner then to have the use of the Great Room and the Bedroom joining it. I do will and order then my son Reuben to find my said wife yearly and every year two cords of wood cut and delivered at the door and to pay her twenty silver dollars a year and every year so long as she shall remain my widow…I do order my two sons Reuben and Abner to pay that debt that I owe to Rebeckah Wood equally between them.

His daughter Elizabeth died in 1770, which is why she is not mentioned in the will. I do not know who is the Rebeckah Wood that he owes debt to, but he does have a sister by that name. I like that he refers to household “stuff” just as we do today.

Peleg died January 1796 in Little Compton, and his will was proven 3 Feb 1796.

In 1811, his widow Ruth sold some of her land to a Charles Wood.