Henry Wood (-1730) of Woodend

Henry inherited Woodend, and was the last Wood of Woodend.

He was mentioned in the 1666 will of his great-uncle Thomas Wood of Woodend, being given 10s. He was executor in 1706 for his uncle Henry Wood of Kelton Wood. His mother in her 1712 will mentioned him as father of Elizabeth, Sarah, Deborah and Abigail. Their older sister Mary Wood, by now 15, was separately favoured in the will.

He married 16-06-1696 in Ennerdale to Frances Towerson of Meerbeck in Ennerdale [actually Low Meerbeck]. They had five children, all girls:  Mary (baptised 14-03-1697), Elizabeth (baptised 03-03-1700), Sarah (baptised 16-03-1703), Deborah (baptised 28-04-1706) and Abigail (baptised 13-03-1709). Mary was baptised in Ennerdale, the rest in Lamplugh.

He made his will 26-06-1730 and was buried in Lamplugh 05-07-1730. The inventory was taken the next day. Although there is a bond, I don't have a record of it.

He appointed his daughters Sarah and Deborah as joint executors. The overseers were his-brother-in-law Peter Peile and his 'cousin' John Dickinson of Streetgate [this may indicate that the marriage two years later between their children Abigail and Daniel was already arranged]. The witnesses were John Dickinson [of Streetgate], John Dickinson [of Woodend] and Thomas Dickinson [of Redhow].

The prizers of the inventory were: Nicholas Jenkinson, John Dickinson, Daniel Dickinson and David Dickinson [of Lackerton Wood]. The inventory was valued at £460 6s.

The Inheritance of Woodend

The crucial question, that must have preyed on Henry's mind for decades was: who would inherit Woodend? With five daughters and no son, the estate was up for grabs. The death of his only brother George in 1718, a joiner in London, with an unquantified inheritance for his nieces (under challenge in the Court of Chancery), may have triggered the courting process. it was clear that the farm was up for grabs - and that each daughter was due for a payout. The vultures began circling.

One potential problem was the legal status of the tenement itself. This was resolved in 1719/20 when Woodend was enfranchised (in other words, made into a freehold).

The general principle that seems to have operated in these circumstances was that the man who married the elder daughter provided a sufficient cash sum to give fair portions to the others - getting the estate in return. The difficulty, presumably, lay in finding a suitable male of the right age, and a family that could raise the cash (though this seems usually to have been done by mortgaging the acquired estate).

The needs of five daughters must have made the negotiations especially complicated. In this case the Sumptons were a perfect fit for the eldest - an old family that, at Wright Green, had been neighbours of the Woods since at least the sixteenth century.

The marriage contract gave half of Wright Green and another property as the dower, while Henry provided half of Woodend and £100 as the dowry. The marriage took place in June 1720, and the other moiety of Woodend was transferred in 1726, with Henry to have occupation during his lifetime.

Children

Mary Sumpton (1697-) of Wright Green in Dean

Mary was born in Ennerdale, married in Lamplugh, and buried in Dean. She married 02-06-1720 to John Sumpton of Wright Green. They had children: Mary, Sarah, John and Abigail.

Her father, in his 1730 will, made very clear that she already had a moiety of Woodend ("whereas I have formerly made one half of all that my Mortgage & Tenement called Woodend also Birkhow unto my daughter Mary the wife of John Sumpton and to her heirs for ever") and that he was now giving her the rest ("by those present give & declare all the other half of all that my Messuage & Tenement of freehold land called Woodend also Birkhow unto my daughter Mary Sumpton"). But there was one condition: she had to pay her sister Abigail £200 within five days of his death.

Elizabeth Jackson (1700-) of Arlecdon

Elizabeth married 31-05-1725 in Lamplugh to John Jackson of Arlecdon.

She was given £60 in her father's will.

Sarah Nicholson (1703-) of Hudscales in Caldbeck

Sarah married 28-04-1730 in Brigham to Richard Nicholson of Hudscales in Caldbeck. They had a number of daughters, of whom Mary was the oldest.

It would appear that the contact came about through Sarah's uncle, Peter Peile of Whitehaven, mariner, as his son was eventually trustee for Richard Nicholson.

She was co-executrix with her sister, Deborah, of her father's will.

Deborah Pearson (1706-1740) of High Cross in Loweswater

Deborah, aged 21, married John Pearson of High Cross, aged 45.  John also owned an estate at Branthwaite Gate in Dean. John died in 1735 and Deborah soon after in 1740. They had children: John and Jane.

She was co-executrix with her sister, Sarah, of her father's will. In her own will, she appointed her brothers-in-law, John Sumpton of Wright Green and Daniel Dickinson of Streetgate, as trustees for her daughter Jane. She signed her will.

Abigail Dickinson (1703-1741) of Streetgate

Abigail married 18-12-1732 in Dean to Daniel Dickinson [1704-1742] of Streetgate.  At the time of her marriage she was described as of Loweswater (she was staying at High Cross with her sister, Deborah). The marriage was considered so significant that a two-handled loving cup of Irish silver was commissioned (engraved with the assumed arms of both parties). She, like her husband, died young.

They had children: John, Richard and Jane.