Abiel was born in Middleborough, Massachusetts and probably lived there his entire life as his marriage is recorded there, his eight children were born there, and he died there as well. Abiel is a Biblical name--in one case, he is the grandfather of Saul, and in another he is one of King David's valient warriors.
Abiel's father Henry Wood, emigrated to the Plymouth Colony from England in about 1635, and his mother, Abigail Jenney, was born in Leyden, Holland as her parents were part of the original Puritan immigrants who left England for Holland before coming to America.
When Abiel's father, Henry Wood, moved from Plymouth to Middleborough, it was little more than a frontier settlement, though it was only fifteen miles from Plymouth. All of the houses of Middleborough prior to the end of King Phillip's war in 1675 were made of logs and the Indians who resided in the district vastly outnumbered the English settlers. This did not deter the settlers who purchased land from the Indians, and many also traded with them as well. Abiel's father, Henry Wood, died when Abiel was only 12 years old. This must have put a strain on the family as three of Abiel's older brothers were made guardians of the Morton family who also resided in Middleborough. We don't know the exact relationship of these Wood family children with the Morton's. This guardianship probably meant that the children were raised by the other family--sometimes these "foster children" were raised on an equal footing with their new family, and sometimes they were treated as "servants" who were expected to work for their new family.
John, Abiel's older brother, died in 1673 only three years after his father, Henry, and left his estate to Abiel and James. Samuel, another brother, was named the executor of John's estate, but only turned over the property to Abiel and James after a court ordered him to do it. It is not known why John chose Abiel and James to inherit his estate; perhaps he felt they would benefit most since they were fatherless young teenagers at the time.
Abiel married Abijah Bowen when he was 23 years old. Their marriage is recorded in Vital Records of Middleborough, Mass. which also states that the marriage was conducted by Maj. William Bradford who was the son of Gov. William Bradford and one of Abiel's uncles. Abijah's grandfather, Thomas Bowen, immigrated from Wales to the Plymouth Colony in about 1640; there is no record of where her mother, Elizabeth Nichols, was born, but some genealogies have her birth place as Fairfield, Connecticut. I can find no record of a second marriage between Abiel Wood and Abijah "Brown" as is reported in some genealogies--I believe that this marriage did not occur and probably resulted from confusion over Abijah's last name Bowen (corrupted to Brown by some people).
Abiel was 17 when King Philip's War broke out in 1675. This war was named after the Wampanoag chief, Metacomet, who was known to the English settlers as "King Philip." On 8 July 1675 the Wampanoags attacked Middleborough and Dartmouth. Middleborough was a small settlement at the time, according to Hurd's History of Plymouth, only about 16 families were living there. Many houses in Middleborough was burned by the Indians, and a pitched battle was fought a little north of the "Town House" across the Nemasket River. Abiel and his family would have undoubtedly been a part of this bloody battle and probably retreated to the safety of Plymouth until the war's end in 1676.
More than 2,600 settlers were slain and at least 600 men and 12 officers were killed in battle during King Phillip's War. It has been estimated that one-sixth of the adult male population of New England was killed or wounded in this war. By the war's end, twenty-five English towns had been destroyed and more than 1,200 homes had been torched.
In addition to lives and property, the colonists lost more than 8,000 head of cattle, along with many thousands of bushels of wheat, peas and other grains. The war was a blow to the New England economy that would took an entire generation to overcome. The Indians fared worse, however, as about 6000 were killed, wounded, or sold into slavery in the West Indies. Scores of their villages were destroyed.
Abiel was a Captain in the Grenediers in Middleborough, Mass. which was the local militia. There was no standing army in the Plymouth Colony, and the militia was the way that the colonists organized themselves to provide protection. Each male over the age of 18 was expected to have a gun and to become a member of the militia.
His name appears in the Plymouth Colony Records as one of the citizens who was admitted as a freeman on 2 June 1691 by the General Court of Plymouth giving him the rights and responsibilites that went with the position (the ability to vote as well as the responsibility to be a member of the milita and serve on juries).
Abiel and his wife, Abiah, were among the first twenty founders of the First Church of Middleborough on 26 Dec 1694 and he is identified as being "the son of Henry from England." Abiah's mother Elizabeth and her husband Rev. Samuel Fuller were also among the first twenty founders of the church, and Rev. Samuel Fuller was ordained its first pastor. From this information, it appears that both Abiel and his wife, Abiah, were devout Puritans. Samuel Wood, Abiel's brother, is also counted among the first twenty founders of the church.
Abiel and his brother Samuel are mentioned in the First Church of Plymouth Records involving the dismissal of a pastor who was "addicted to drinking":
"Upon ye request of 3 of ye brethern from ye church of Middleboro (viz. Abiel Wood, Samuel Wood, and John Cobb with the advice and concurance of sundry inhabitants of said town) this church made choice of Maj. Bradford and Capt. Warren ye pastor and ye elder thither to join in council with ye elders and messengers of ye churches of Bridgewater and Taunton and ye New Society to have their complaints against Mr. Thomas Palmer ye pastor of ye chuch there relating to Intemperance and excessive drinking etc. and upon a full hearing ye cases ye council judged it proved that he was a man addicted to drinking etc. and thereupon disapproved of his continuance any longer of his exercise of ye Evangelical Ministry there, and advised him to make a peaceable and orderly secession ye from and ye church accordingly to dismiss him with such expressions of Love and charity as became ye Gospel and to be waiting upon God by earnest supplication for ye performance of that promise 3 Jerimiah 15 I will give ye pastors after mine own heart. Make all ye pastors of thy flocks such! Amen."
Abiel was probably a farmer, but Middleborough was emerging as a manufacturing center for Massachusetts, so he may also have been employed in some kind of trade as well.
"Administation of the estate of Abiel Wood was given to Abiel and Elnathan Wood 18 December 1719. Inventory was taken on the same date and totaled £397.16s, including "The Homestead at £275, a fifty acre Lot Adjoyning to ye Homestd at £40, a ¼ of Lot of meadow in the Upper meadow at £2." A division and settlement was made 23 June 1720 among the widow (£16.16.8 for her third part), eldest son Elnathan (£8.8.4, a double portion), and Abiel, Timothy, Ebenezer, Thomas, Abijah, and Jerusha (each £4.2.2)."
Citation: Williams, Henry Wood of Middleborough, Massachusetts
Abiel is buried in the Nemasket Hill Cemetery, Middleborough, Mass.:
"Abial Wood, died Oct. 10, 1719 in his 61st year"
We find Abiel mentioned in several genealogical records of New England:
"WOOD, or WOODS, ABIEL, Middleborough, s. of Henry, m. 1683, Abiah Bowen, had Elnathan, b. 14 Apr. 1686; Abiah, 20 Feb. 1689.; Abiel, 19 Mar. 1691; Timothy, 13 Oct. 1693; Jerusha, 11 Nov. 1695; Ebenezer, 4 Aug. 1697; Judah, 28 July 1700; and Thomas, 30 Jan. 1703. With his w. he was among the found. of the first ch. at M. 1694; and d. 10 Oct. 1719; and his w. d. 21 May 1746, aged 83."
Citation: Savage, Genealogical Dictionary
WOOD , ABIEL, Middleboro', son of Henry, m. Abiah Bowen, and had Elnathan, 1686; Abiah, 1689; Abiel, 1691; Timothy, 1693; Jerusha, 1695; Ebenezer, 1697; Judah, 1700; Thomas, 1703.
Citation: Davis, Ancient Landmarks of Plymouth
7. 26 Dec 1694 o.s., Abiel WOOD, s of Henry, fr Eng, (8) d 10 Oct 1719, ae 61st
Citation: First Church of Middleborough, Catalog of Members
