Benjamin Heywood

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Benjamin was born on October 25, 1746 in Shrewsbury, MA to Phineas and Elizabeth (Moore) Heywood.  He was the eighth of their eleven children. The births of his five oldest siblings were recorded in neighboring Worcester, MA, so the original family farm was likely there.

From a young age he was trained as a carpenter and housewright and was fairly skilled, but was more interested in scholarship than pursuing a trade.  Benjamin studied hard and entered Harvard in 1771, showing a particular affinity for mathematics. He was an Ensign in a student militia company at Harvard and marched on the Lexington Alarm on April 19, 1775.  Later he served as a Regimental Paymaster in Colonel Nixon’s Regiment.  At the end of the War Captain Heywood was on the committee that settled the pay accounts of soldiers and officers.

After the War he moved to Worcester, MA to farm. From 1802 to 1811 he served as a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas and Justice of the Peace, and later as a Magistrate.  Mr. Heywood was also a trustee of the Leicester Academy and a trustee for the Hassanamisset Nipmuc who lived (and still live) in neighboring Grafton.

On a national level he was twice chosen as a member of the Electoral College for Massachusetts, and helped elect the President and Vice President of the United States. 

Mr. Heywood was a member and treasurer of the Society of the Cincinnati.  The Society of the Cincinnati is a fraternal organization formed for and by past officers in the Continental Army. He was also a Mason, joining the Morning Star Lodge in Worcester in 1798. He became a Senior Warden of the lodge in 1802.

He married Mehitable Godard on March 19, 1785 after having filed their intentions to marry on February 5, and they had seven children: Mehitable “Hitte”, Nathaniel Moore, Elizabeth, Benjamin Franklin, Joseph, Lucy, and Anna "Nancy".  Mehitable had been born in Suton, MA. Her mother died when she was fifteen months old and so she was sent to live with her father's sister in Worcester. Hitte, Elizabeth, and Nancy never married and remained with their parents. Hittie died in 1839 a few months after her mother, while Elizabeth died in 1877. Nancy died in 1814 at the age of 16. Nathaniel Moore became a merchant and moved to Virginia. Benjamin Franklin graduated from the Yale College of Medicine and practiced medicine in Worcester with Dr. John Green. He also served in the city government. Joseph has proved elusive in the town records. Lucy died in 1796 aged 5 1/2 months.

Mr. Heywood died on December 7, 1816 in Worcester. He died intestate, which is rather interesting since he had been the executor for many of his family members and friends. He was originally buried in the burial ground on Worcester Common but was moved to Rural Cemetery where he currently resides.