He immigrated on 26-Mar-1634 to Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts; aboard the ship Planter. On 1670 licensed issued keep and in or ordinary for lodging and to sell beer. In 1670 John Heywood was listed as a freeman. On 1672 licensed issued keep and in or ordinary for lodging and to sell beer. He held the position of constable in Jun-1676. "Concord this 13:June 1676"
"Honord Gouernor Leuert
"Inasmuch as heare has bin a sad accident befallen us through the ocation of nedglegent persons; which had trust Imposed to them; to keep sentery over three old squas & one papoose, these watchmen fell all asleep, and in the meanetime ye squas made theire escape; from them; which may produce a greate deale of damage to us yt are resident in Concord; because we are affraid they are aquainted with ye Condition of or towne, & what quantyty of men we have gon out; & which way they are gone; which may prove very obstructive to or army in their design; we had a Capt: appoynted over the magaseine; which I thought to be suffitient to give a Charge to 12 men; to keep senternalls over three old squas; I hope yor honor will be pleased to take it into Consideration & send us some more strength to suport us from or enimies; for we are in dayly fear; yt they will make an asault on or towne; So hopeing yor honor Cannot Impute any Blame to him; who wish to yor honor ye best yt may be: by yor honors most Humble Servant
John Haywood;
Constall."
(Mass. Archives, 113-193.).
The surname Heywood is distinct from Haywood, Hayward and Howard, although the spelling of each in every possible way makes it difficult not to confuse the families, especially where Heywards, Howards and Heywoods were living in the same town. The derivation of the name Heywood is given in a pedigree prepared by Peter John Heywood, of Whitehaven, England, in 1781, and published in “Hunter's Life and Times of Oliver Heywood,” who was a non-conformist clergyman of note in the days of Charles I. The pedigree runs back to the year 1164, a period when surnames were beginning to come into use in the mother country. The earliest authentic document containing the name of Heywood, or its prototype, is a title deed still preserved for a tract of land in Lancashire, from one Adame de Burgo or de Bury, who held the Knight's fee to a large section of territory in the vicinity to Peter de Ey-wood, that is “of wooded island.” The latter was the reputed founder of the Heywood family in England, from which the American family is descended. This estate remained in the possession of the descendants of Peter Heywood more than five hundred years, or until 1717, when Robert Heywood sold it to John Starkey of Rochdale, whose grandson, James Starkey, dying intestate, allowed the place to pass into the hands of the Crown. It is now an attractive public park, having been donated for that purpose by Queen Victoria. The English line from this Peter Heywood is traced in an unbroken line to the emigrant in America. James and John Heywood, both about twenty-two years old, brothers, came together in the ship, “Planter,” in 1636. They were both certified from Stepney Parish, London. James Heyvood settled in Charlestown, and later went to Woburn, where he died November 20, 1642.
From THE HEYWOOD HISTORY
John Heywood of Concord, Massachusetts
Compiled by Frieda Heywood Massara
http://go.to/heywoods
It is presumed that he must have been married before his marriage to Rebecca, because the founders of Concord frowned upon unmarried men. No such record has been found. He was 44 at the time of his marriage to Rebecca, which was quite old for first marriage in those days. Perhaps he lived in another community before he came to Concord, however, according to "The Social Circle Memoirs" 1st series Page 112, John Heywood came to Concord before 1650 and was one of the first settlers of the town.
John kept an ordinary (inn) for which he had a license. According to the book, "Concord in Colonial Times" by C.H. Walcott published in 1884, Page 139, John Heywood "was allowed to keep a house of entertainment for strangers, for lodging and to sell beer and cider." The year was 1670. In 1672, John renewed his license and had liberty to retail strong waters to the travelers and sick people.
John took the Freeman's Oath in 1670.
13 June 1676, John was made a Constable of Concord.
He is mentioned as an heir to part of the estate of William Allan, who married Susanna Atkinson, widow of Thomas Atkinson. His wife's sisters Susanna and Hannah Atkinson were the other heirs.
Cutler and Adams in their "Genealogies and Personal Memoirs", Vol. III, Page 1820 mention a third wife, Priscilla; however, I have found nothing to substantiate this.
Origens of the Name:
Hayward, Heyward:
"The original duties of the hayward seem to have been to protect the fences round the Lammas lands when enclosed for hay, hence his name (OE) hegeweard 'guardian of the fence or hedge'. This...was a dead hedge easily erected and removed, forming an enclosure (OE [ge]haeg) from which, to judge from the early and regular variation between heiward and haiward, and from his more general duties or preventing cattle from breaking through into the enclosed fields and growing crops, the hayward seem also to have been called (ge)haegweard 'enclosure-protector'.
In the Parish Register of Horringer (Suffolk) c1670-80 Hayward is regularly written Howard, and in the Walthamstow Toni court-rolls from 1678 to 1882 the marshbaley is often called the hayward or howard, so that some of our Howards were probably Haywards."
Haywood, Heywood, Heawood, Highwood:
"From Haywood (UK: Hereford, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire) or Heywood (UK: Lancashire, Wiltshire) or from numerous minor places."
[excerpt from Oxford Dictionary of English Surnames, Reaney & Wilson, pub. OUP 1997]
