Francis NORWOOD was born in England by about 1636 and emigrated to Massachusetts sometime before 1657. According to a 1923 article by Leila Norwood Adams, "Cape Ann Shore", he was a gentleman and used a coat of arms consisting of a cross gules on a field of ermine with an alert motto Nunquam Non Paratus 'never unready'.

Francis was in the area of Lynn or Saugus, Massachusetts, by 1657, when he first appears in records as witness with James Ford of an indenture made between William Warrener and Cornelius Waldo on May 28th. Ebenezer Pool, a descendant of Francis, says that he settled at Annisquam in 1662 after having kept a tavern at Lynn for a time. After Francis obtained his first lot of land in Gloucester--"23 Mar 1664, Given unto ffrancis Norwood att the Towne meeting, six akers of upland liinge bye Goose Cove"--he built a house, which according to law must have been built by August, 1664. In 1923, the Old Norwood Homestead in Annisquam included seven acres of land and was the residence of Madame Hyatt at 698 Washington Street. From 1664 until 1878, this house had remained in the hands of Francis's descendants, but Mrs. Hyatt's husband, Alpheus Hyatt, bought the house in 1878 and started the first marine biological laboratory in the country there. This laboratory was subsequently moved to Woods Hole. By the time of his death in 1709, Francis Norwood, Sr. had increased his original six acres of land in Gloucester to 170. He married Elizabeth COLDOM, daughter of Clement COLDOM (and perhaps Mary PIERCE or PEARCE), on 15 Oct 1663 at Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts. The couple had ten children.

Ebenezer Pool's notes include the following:

[Click above for E. Pool's family correspondence]

"Judge Norwood was a Regicide. His son Francis Norwood was born in England 1640 or about, came to Gloucester, settled at Annisquam in 1663. He married Elisabeth, daughter of Clement Coldom Oct. 15 1663. He died March 4th 1709.

"Francis Norwood born in Essex Co., England about 1640 was the son of Judge Norwood one of the Regicides or advisors to put Charles I to death. He was imprisoned for life as supposed in 1660 and his large estate was confiscated. Large estates in London, Co. of Essex, England.

"Judge Francis Norwood of England was born about the year 1600. He owned a large estate located in Norwood Park. Soon after the settlement of Salem [1629], Massachusetts, a son of said Francis came here and for a time stopped in Salem, but settled in Lynn where he had a family. Francis Norwood a son of said M. Norwood born 1640 and grandson of old Francis of England took up his residence at Annisquam, Gloucester about 1662. He was married to Elizabeth Coldom of Lynn. She was the daughter of Clement Coldom of Lynn."