Many thanks to Esther Rancier for sharing her information on the Greenwood family. Esther is researching in Richland and Mexico the Soul/Soule, Brace and Daniel P. Smith families, and would appreciate hearing from anyone researching these surnames.   Esther Rancier at: [email protected]

      Thomas Greenwood, son of a Thomas Greenwood, born in Heptonstall, England on 4 June 1643 came to America where he married Abigail Spring of Watertown, MA.  They lived in Cambridge, MA where on 14 October 1689 their son William Greenwood was born.  On 21 June 1715 in Newton, MA William wed Abigail Woodward.

 William and Abigail had ten children all born in Sherborn, Middlesex Co., MA.  Their oldest son William, born 4 November 1721, wed Abigail Death.  They had ten children also.  The family removed to New Hampshire after 1766.  During the Revolutionary War their sons Joshua, William, Eli and son-in-law Moses Greenwood fought in the Revolutionary War representing Dublin, Cheshire Co., NH where they all lived. 

 During the war Joshua served in Captain Josiah Brown’s Co. on 6 May 1777.  He also was found on the roll of 28 June 1777 in Captain John Millen’s Co.  Further he took part in the Rhode Island Campaign of 1778.  All three companies were part of the 14th Regiment.  Joshua died 1 December 1827 at Dublin and was buried there.

 Joshua Greenwood had married Hannah Twitchell, daughter of Gershom and Hannah (Sawin) Twitchell.  They wed on 22 August 1779 in Dublin.  They eventually had 11 children between 1780 and 1799, all born in Dublin.

 Joshua’s oldest child Sarah, born 7 June 1780, married Philo Sage from Connecticut about 1800.  They moved to Richland, Oswego Co., NY.  It may have been their decision to go westward that caused several of Joshua’s other children to follow them. 
 The Sage’s settlement had an impact on the early Town of Richland.  Their presence was noted.  The area round their residence became called officially the Sage School District, the site of an early school.  By the 1820 Richland census they had four sons and one daughter.  By 1840 Philo and Sarah had removed to Sandy Creek.  In the 1850 Sandy Creek census Philo, age 72, and Sarah, age 70, had a net worth of $6,000.  Their places of birth were given as Philo from Connecticut and Sarah born in NY which was certainly an error.  No children remained at home.

 Philo’s pleasure with his situation in Richland certainly influenced his brothers-in-law, Abner, John and Joshua Greenwood. Their time of arrival in Richland remains unknown, but they came after 1810.  Joshua and John Greenwood joined Parkhurst’s Battalion of the NY Militia along with Philo Sage as privates probably in early 1814 prior to the battles in Oswego, Henderson and Sackett’s Harbor.  Both John and Philo made claims to the State of New York for lost equipment in the war.  Each man requested $21.00 for losses.

     By the 1920 Richland census Joshua, born 3 August 1789 in Dublin, NH, had one son, John R. and one daughter.  His wife was Eunice.  Joshua died before 9 July 1825 when his estate was presented before the Oswego County Surrogate Court.  In the 1830 Richland census with Eunice as head of household, she had John R. with her plus two daughters.
 In the 1850 census Joshua and Eunice’s son John R. Greenwood’s family was enumerated thusly:

 Greenwood, John R.-34-farmer---NY-$2600
 Greenwood, Mary J.-30-wife------NY
 Greenwood, William-7-son--------NY
 Greenwood, Edell-5-son-----------NY
 Greenwood, Augusta-4-daughter-NY
 Greenwood, Mary J.-1-daughter—NY

 By the 1870 Richland census John had changed occupations.  His financial situation had improved little.  A broader or roomer had been added to the household which was shown as follows:

 Greenwood, John-58-carriage manufacturer-NY=$2900
 Greenwood, Mary J.-49-wife--------------------NY
 Greenwood, John-17-son------------------------NY
 Greenwood, Emily-24-daughter----------------NY
 Greenwood, Augusta –23-daughter------------NY
 Greenwood, Mary H.-20-daughter-------------NY
 Foreman, Edward-30-sailor--------------------NY

 By 1880 John R. Greenwood died and the household no longer existed.  In the Pulaski 1880 census Mary J., age 56, was shown as the mother-in-law in the household of her daughter Emily A., age 31, who had wed Edward D. Foreman, age 39.  This couple had two children: Louisa A. Foreman, age 7 and Marshall E. Foreman, age 4.

 John Greenwood, born 26 January 1785 in Dublin, NH, had wed Polly Mason in March 1811 at Dublin.  Polly was the daughter of Thaddeus and Sarah (Morse) Mason.  John and Polly had six children.  Adaline M., born 7 December 1812, married John Twitchell.  They had three sons.  Alfred H., born 29 May 1815, wed Clarissa.  Julia A., born 25 May 1819, wed Loring Champney.  They had three children.  Emily J. was born 25 May 1829.  Martha A. was born 3 October 1834.  The youngest child, Delpha H. was born 28 June 1839. 

 John died before 1850.  In the 1850 Richland census Polly led the household.  Their listing gave the following data:

 Greenwood, Polly-58-----NH
 Twitchell, John-44--------VT
 Twitchel, Adaline M.-38-NH
 Twitchell, Hubbard-18---NY
 Twitchell, Homer G.-15--NY
 Greenwood, Emily J.-21—NY

 In another 1850 household there was more data on John’s son Alfred H.  His wife was Clarissa Adams whom he wed in 1839.

 Greenwood, Alfred H.-35-farmer-----NY-$3000
 Greenwood, Clarissa –33-wife--------NY
 Greenwood, Alversa E.-8-daughter---NY
 Greenwood, Sarah J.-6-daughter------NY
 Greenwood, Clarissa Annette-5-daughter-NY 
 Greenwood, John Q.-2-son------------------NY

 Later Alfred became a fruit grower on his farm.
 Abner Greenwood, born 30 August 1781 in Dublin, NH, wed Mary “Polly” Edson, born ca. 1790 in Vermont.  They were married on 28 July 1807 in Chester, VT.  By the 1820 Richland census Abner had two sons and four daughters.  By the 1850 Richland census, the following family was listed:

 Greenwood, Abner-68-farmer-NH-$1200
 Greenwood, Mary-66-wife-----MA
 Greenwood, George-26-son----NY
 Greenwood, Asa-24-son--------NY
 Phelps, Eunice-9-??-------------NY

 Next door to this family lived Henry Hinman and Ursula his wife who remained lifelong friends with George and his family.
 On 24 April 1854 Abner died.  His son Asa wed Mary L. _____.  They were quite poor in 1870 with a net worth of $350.  Two children were listed with them: Anna, age 4, and Eddie, age 1.
 By the 1880 Richland census their household was as follows:

 Greenwood, Asa-53-farm hand-NY
 Greenwood, Mary L.-41-wife----NY
 Greenwood, Delano H.-19-son—NY
 Greenwood, Anna-14-daughter—NY
 Greenwood, Edmund-11-son-----NY
 Greenwood, Wesley –4-son------NY

After 1880 another child, Ritta, was born in 1881.  Asa died in 1888.  He and Ritta were both buried in the Mexico Village Cemetery.  Ritta died in 1913. Abner’s other son George W. Greenwood, age 26 in 1850, wed Adelia _____, born ca. 1824.  In many records she referred to herself as Delia.  The 1870 Richland census gave the following information:

 Greenwood, George-46-farmer----NY-$5,434
 Greenwood, Delia-46-wife----------NY
 Greenwood, Fayette-16-son--------NY
 Greenwood, Arletta-15-daughter—NY
 Greenwood, Hubbard-12-son------NY
 Greenwood, Alta-9-daughter-------NY
 Greenwood, Walter-6-son----------NY
 Greenwood, John-2-son------------NY

 By the 1880 Richland census the household had changed thusly:

 Greenwood, George-56-farmer---NY
 Greenwood, Adelia-56-wife-------NY
 Greenwood, Betsy -65-sister------VT
 Greenwood, Fayette-26-son-------NY
 Greenwood, Herbert-22-son------NY
 Greenwood, Alta-19-daughter------NY
 Greenwood, Walter-16-son---------NY
 Greenwood, John-12-son-----------NY
 Stenson, Nina-5-grandaughter-----NY

 Nina Stenson may have been the child of Arletta.  Sister Betsy was another child of Abner’s.  Where she had been living previously was not determined.   Hubbard was transcribed as Herbert. George W. wrote his will on 10 September 1880.  He died before 19 October 1880 when his will was presented for probate by Mrs. Delia Greenwood, according to Surrogate Court records.

The following is a transcription of the will:
 “In the name of God, Amen. 
 “I, George Greenwood being of sound mind do make this my last will and testament.
 “First- I give to my wife and son Fayette Greenwood all my real estate provided they make a home for my sister Betsy during her life.  At the death of my wife and son Fayette, the property if any remains to be divided equally among the other children.
 “I give to my granddaughter Nina Stenson the sum of one hundred dollars.  I want my personal property to be divided equally among the children after all my personal debts are paid.
George Greenwood
 “This will was made at the residence of Geo. Greenwood in Richland, Oswego Co. N.Y. this 10th day of September 1880 in the presence of Ursula Hinman, Francis Hinman and Adelia Greenwood and Frank Low who here inscribed ourselves as witnesses.

Ursula Hinman
Frances Hinman
Adelia Greenwood
Frank L. Low”

 On 3 November 1880 this will was accepted for probate in Oswego County.
 George W.’s son John, age 12 in 1880, wed Lorinda ____.  By the 1920 Richland census this family was enumerated thusly:

 Greenwood, John –52-farmer-----NY
 Greenwood, Lorinda –43–wife----NY
 Greenwood, Stewart –23-son------NY
 Greenwood, George –21(?) -son---NY
 Greenwood, son?-19-------------- --NY
 Greenwood, son?-?----------------- NY
 Greenwood, Fayette –65-brother -NY 
     ?                  -23-daughter-in-law-NY

 The handwriting on this census page has faded beyond readability for some data.
 In the Richland census District 53 in 1930 the family still lived very much as usual.

 Greenwood, John E. –62-farmer-----NY
 Greenwood, Lorinda –53-wife--------NY
 Greenwood, Leon T. –16-son----------NY
 Greenwood, Bessie B. –29-daughter-NY
 Greenwood, Lawrence –9-grandson—NY

 John and Lorinda had been married 27 years in 1930.  Leon T. Greenwood, born 14 July 1913, died on 13 July 1997 near Pulaski, NY according to Social Security records. 

Sources:

 Cemetery Census for the Town of Mexico, Oswego County, New York.  Mexico: Mexico Historical Society, 1894.
 Der, Samuel Carroll.  A List of the Revolutionary Soldiers of Dublin, N.H. Columbus: 1901.
 Hatcher, Patricia Law.  Abstracts of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots, v. 2. Dallas: Pioneer, 1987.
 Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the War of 1812. (LDS microfilm #0882603).
 N.Y. Adjutant General’s Office.  Index of Awards on Claims of the Soldiers of the War of 1812.  Albany: 1860.
 N.Y. Oswego Co.  Letters Testamentary and Administrative.  (LDS microfilm #0872720).
 N.Y. Oswego Co. Probate, V. O, p. 61-62.  (LDS microfilm # 0872714).
 Social Security Death Index. Available [online] http://ssdi.rootsweb.com [15 February 2004].
 U.S. Census, Dublin, Cheshire Co., VT 1790 & 1810.
 U.S. Census, Pulaski, Oswego Co., NY 1880.
 U.S. Census, Richland, Oswego Co., NY 1820, 1830, 1850, 1870, 1880, 1920 & 1930. 
 U.S. Census, Sandy Creek, Oswego Co., NY 1840 & 1850.
 WorldConnect Project. Available [online] http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com [13 February 2004].