Leeds County, Ontario, Canada was first surveyed in 1792 in preparation for the United Empire Loyalists settlers. In 1850, Leeds County merged with Grenville to create the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville.
Captain John Wood was born on October 28, 1739 in New York.
John married Rebecca Cain on March 26, 1789 in Claverack, Columbia County, New York.
John and Rebecca's children may have included:
William Wood (1789, married Mary Woodcock)
Betsey Wood (1791, married Ebenezer Moore)
Christina Wood (1794, married James Watson)
Isaiah Wood (1795, married Huldah Mallory daughter of Enoch Mallory)
Mary Wood (1795, married John W. Armstong)
Dorcas Wood (married Abel Page),
David Wood (1802, married Emma Jane) and
George C. Wood (1809, married Elizabeth Churchill).
Mallorytown, County of Leeds in the Province of Ontario, Canada
David Cain and John Cain personally before me and being duly sworn solemnly swear they knew Capt. John Wood being our brother-in-law came to Canada November seventeen hundred and ninety-four lived joining farm and was not out of the County of Leeds during the remainder of his life he Capt. John Wood died April twenty-eight eighteen hundred and six.......Ira Mallory, J.P.
John and Rebecca's children may have included:
John
was captain of a company of the Orange County, New York militia during the American Revoluton. For his service he received land in Cayuga County, New York.
In the year 1779, the Captain was captured by the British at Quebec, put in a dungeon four years and ten days. During the captivity his wife and children came over to Canada, and in 1791, he went in search of them, and finding them settled in Caintown in the township of Yonge, County of Leeds, Province of Upper Canada,
John and Rebecca moved from New York to Leeds County in the 1790s.
On October 19, 1801
Petition of John Wood of Yonge Twp., Leeds Co., Johnstown District dated at York -- desirous of improving the reserve lot No. 12 - 3rd concession of Yonge on the terms of leasing offered by Government, and prays a lease may be made in his name. (Source - Archives of Ont. U.C. Land Petitions - RG 1 L3 - Yonge 1801, Leases & Licenses of Occupation/142 - Vol. 556)
1802 Census
1 man - John
1 woman - Rebecca
2 male -William & Isaiah
4 female children - Betsey, Christina, Dorcas & Mary
In 1804 the household included two sons and five daughters.
April 18, 1806 - Death of Capt. John Wood (age 67) of black measles [Rocky Mountain spotted fever]-- buried at Junetown, Yonge Twp.
The body of Captain John Wood was disinterred (in Canada) by his grandson George Wood Armstrong, and reburied in the Lewis Corners Cemetery, Granby Township, New York.
In 1808 the John Wood, household had five males and seven females.
In 1811 the household had sons and four daughters.
Mary Wood married John Armstrong on January 22, 1815 in Yonge Township.
Dorcas Wood married Abel Page October 23, 1817 in Yonge Township. The witnesses were Thomas Page and Isaac Cain.
Rebecca Cain Wood died in 1825.
The Leeds County militia records for 1828 - 29 include Isaiah, 34, David, 26, and George Wood, 19.
George C. and George, David, John, and Isaiah were in Yonge in the 1840s.
Not to be lacking in any modern development, Carthage has her own centenarian, Mr. Isaiah Wood was born in 1794, and his 100th birthday was commemorated at the residence of his son, July 21, 1894, by kindly visits from many appreciative friends.
Mr. Wood came of good old Scotch parentage, and seems to have inherited the sturdy characteristics of that race.
His parents removed from Albany county shortly before his birth to Canetuck (Caintown), Canada, 12 miles above Brockville, where his boyhood was spent. Returning to this county with his parents, they settled in St. Lawrence county, and there he grew to man's estate and married.
He lived in the vicinity of Hammond and Morristown until 1857, when he moved to Michigan After four years he came to Deer River, to reside near his son, Mr. John B. Wood, now of Carthage, who from that time has made him the recipient of the most constant care. His health is fair, though sight and hearing are much impaired. His mind is yet bright and active.
The first European settlements in Ontario were after the American Revolution when 5,000 loyalists left the new United States.
from Brockville Recorder & Times
August 15, 1905
Going away back to the time of the religious strife between Catholics and Protestants in Germany, in the year 1530, a family from thence named William, James and Elizabeth Wood came to New York. William married an English lady, by whom he had a son John, who became a baker by trade. This John, the baker, also married, and among his sons was one John, who became proprietor.
The hotelman reared a family, one of whom was John Wood, who was a U.S. pioneer and later became Capt. John Wood in the Continental army in New York. He married there and had a son and daughter, William and Betsey. She afterwards was Mrs. Ebenezer Moore.
In the year 1779, the Captain was captured by the British at Quebec, put in a dungeon four years and ten days. During the captivity his wife and children came over to Canada, and in 1791, he went in search of them, and finding them settled in Caintown in the township of Yonge, County of Leeds, Province of Upper Canada,
he never returned to live in the States but became subject to Great Britain, and being of a somewhat jovial turn of mind, often said he would flog a son of his who would refuse to become a British subject.
His children are William, Betsey, Isaiah, David, Mary, Hafey and George.
Mary married John H. Armstrong whose son George W. began about 18 years ago to search for evidence in the case of his grandfather, Captain John Wood, regarding Governmental bounty for his services in the U.S. revolutionary war, and for which he had never received remuneration. He had been very successful in obtaining important evidence, and is hopeful of securing a sum from the funds of Uncle Sam. The military commissioners at Washington, D.C. have acknowledged this much.
