Mysteries Home Page
When vital records are missing what do you do? The discipline of investigating the merits of circumstantial evidence and triangulating between unknown and proven relationships can build a fair-minded case for the most probably scenario. Because members of the Wood families of Essex were Nonconformists — or had strong nonconformist leanings — baptisms are missing. Many relationship must be established using clues that requires assessment and testing.
On This Page
Mystery Reports explained
Core Districts explained
Reference Tree explained
Downloads explained
Districts Where Most Wood Families Lived
Where did your Wood family reside? The Essex Record Office holds registers for more than 400 parishes, including areas on the borders of Essex that are no longer part of its modern boundaries. Of the 400, there are at least 160 parishes that have clusters of records for the Wood surname dated before 1800. The list of 160 parishes is a composite of three sources: 1) Marriages with emphasis before 1800, 2) Wills with emphasis before 1800 and 3) a list of parishes that researchers are investigating. The 160 parishes represent 21 Registration Districts. The top four Districts form a convenient island in the center of Essex. To reduce complexity, the initial focus is on the Wood families residing in the Districts of Billericay, Chelmsford, Maldon and Ongar.
Parish Research Tools
Most Wood families lived in the heart of Essex in one of the seventy-one Parishes of the four core Districts. Where did your ancestor live?
The Ring Project examines the proximity and social ties of parishes to Thorndon Hall, the seat of Lord Petre during the 18th century.
Reference Family Tree
Wm Wood, age 45, born 1837
The Wood family of Hutton and Ingrave was large, with cousins in all four of the core Districts in the heart of Essex. As such, its tree is a useful launching pad to sort out the unrelated Wood families living in the same parishes. Knowing the structure of one family tree from 1800 back to 1600 simplifies the task of placing individuals who do not belong in the tree into alternate family groups. The identification of Wood branches living in the core Districts will go a long ways to clarify relationships in the the rest of Essex.
The Thumbnails and Foundation Reports, which are FREE and available to all, introduce the Wood family of Ingrave. The Thumbnails are one or two page summaries that profile the Wood family of Ingrave. The Foundation reports dig deeper providing additional evidence and context.
The Deep Dive reports evaluate evidence and solve riddles. Only Research Partners have access to these report. Become a Research Partner by signing up.
Reports about the Wood family of Hutton
- Thumbnails
- First Looks
- Children of 1777
- In-Laws
- Wives
- Woods of Hutton
The Thumbnails are one and two-page sketches that introduce the Wood family of Ingrave and Hutton Essex. Joseph Wood was a Catholic charged with recusancy during the 1630’s. He afterwards owned a farm in Hutton. His descendant James Wood, who was the father of Barnaby Wood, moved to Ingrave in 1765.
Thumbnail Reports include: Direct Line, Spouses, People and Places, and Ingrave. Download these reports now.
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Barnaby Wood was a Victuraller, Brewer, and Landlord. He was born in 1748 and his family moved to Ingrave when he was 17 years old. His son was William who was born in 1777, Pilgrim Hatch. William was a Blacksmith, Victualler, and Farmer. William’s son was William who was born 1811 in Mountnessing. He was a Butcher.
First Looks include: William 1811, William 1777, Introduction to the Children of William 1777, and Barnaby Wood. These Download these reports now.
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The Children of William Wood (1777) were born in London, Mountnessing, Heybridge Basin, and Latchingdon. His sons became a Sailor and a Butcher. His daughters married a Sailor, Ship Captain, Iron Worker, Postman and Blacksmith. His youngest daughter married after William (1777) died.
Children Deep Dives include: Susannah, Joseph, Mary Ann, Lucy, Frances, Eliza, and Unmarried Children. Register to download these reports.
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The Wood family of Ingrave were Victuallers, Blacksmiths, and Butchers. Many of their sons and sons-in-laws prospered in these trades. Due to religious and business connections, the parish footprint of nonconformists covered more than one parish.
In-Law Deep Dives include: Mary Ann Wiffen, James May Gigney, and Elizabeth Gentry. Register to download these reports.
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Researchers dispute the wives of William and Barnaby, disagreeing about who they were and the spelling of their surnames. We can guess that William’s first wife was Elizabeth Wager. We can be confident that the father of his second wife was John Robeson. Barnaby’s wives were Martha Gotts and Susannah Baker, a widow.
Wives Deep Dives include: Elizabeth Wager, Lucy Robeson, Martha Gotts, and Susannah the Widow. Register to download these reports.
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Martha Gotts 1 0 download |
Wives | 2023-07-02 | Download |
The Wood family of Hutton can be traced to 1600. Joseph Wood and Ann Nash met while working in the household of the White family of Mountnessing. Six generations of their descendants remained in parishes near Mountnessing, including Hutton, Ingrave, Pilgrim Hatch, and South Weald.
Hutton Deep Dives include: Children of Barnaby, The Hutton Years (1650 – 1720), and Joseph and Ann. Register to download these reports.
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