Person:James Woods (49)

Quoting from Source:Edmund Rice (1638) Association website's page on Deacon James Woods to describe the controversy about identifying the parentage of Deacon Woods:

There is some controversy over the parentage of this James Woods. Ward (p. 114) gives his birth date as 1685 and his parents as Deacon James Woods and Hopestill Ward. The Rice Genealogical Register (p. 6) gives his birth date as 30 October 1694 and his parents as Deacon John Woods and Lydia Rice. Both of these are real persons, as confirmed by the vital records of Marlborough, but obviously only one can be this James.

The fundamental reason for resolving this controversy in favor of the James, s/o John, b. 1694, is that the gravestone actually says his age at death was 77, not 87, and is right next to those of his two wives. The compiler of the Marlborough Vital Records relied on notes of Andrew Henshaw Ward and so gave the wrong age at death, misleading many other researches (e.g., Source:Cutter, William Richard. Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Boston and Eastern Massachusetts, p. 2:1095).

1. ↑ Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States. Vital Records of Marlborough, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849. (Worcester, Massachusetts: Franklin P. Rice, 1908)
   206.

   Woods, James, s. John Sr. and Lidiah, Oct. 30, 1694.

2. ↑ Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States. Vital Records of Marlborough, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849. (Worcester, Massachusetts: Franklin P. Rice, 1908)
   404.

   Woods, Dea. James, April 10, 1772 [a. 87, W]
   [Note: the source "W" are notes of Andrew Henshaw Ward. The age at death appears to be off by 10 years^S3.]

3. ↑ Spring Hill Cemetery, Marlborough, in Find A Grave
   Deacon James Woods.
   In Memory of
   Deacon
   JAMES WOODS
   who departed this
   life April y^e 10^th
   A D 1772
   AEtatis 77