WOODWORTH REUNIONS

WOODWORTH REUNIONS - HISTORY
by Melanie Woodworth

Many “Woodworths” who were interested in their Woodworth genealogy gathered in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 2005.   They decided to conduct reunions every two years. During the first reunion in 2005 we visited Plymouth MA with side trips to Scituate MA. We were in Plymouth again in 2007 and visited Little Compton, RI and a Woodworth house. Corning NY was the site in 2009, and Griswald CT in 2011 where we visited Lebanon CT.  We met in Wolfville, Nova Scotia in 2013 where we met many of our Canadian cousins. In 2015 we met in Lake George NY. We toured the site that was owned by Ephraim Woodworth and confiscated by General Horatio Gates and used as his headquarters in 1777, at the Battle of Saratoga, and learned how the Underground Railway system worked. The 2017 reunion was held in Jacksonville, IL where we visited the Lincoln Museum and in Hannibal MO to learn more about Mark Twain’s childhood. Then in 2019 we were in Stafford England, the birthplace of our progenitor, Walter Woodworth.

The reunions covered the start of the Woodworth clan in the Americas by visiting Scituate MA where Walter immigrated, to areas of the country where his progeny spread, and finally to his birthplace in England.

Lowell Woodworth organized the earlier reunions.  Beginning in 2013 Diane Woodworth Liebert and husband, Dale, accepted the role of organizing the following reunions. Robert/Bob Woodworth took the lead on the 2023 Vermont reunion.  Melanie Woodworth has done the directory and name tags for all the reunions.

These are the places where we have met.

As a family we have learned much of our Woodworth history from Jeanette Behan’s book, “The Woodworth Family of America. Descendants of Walter Woodworth of 1630 Through Six Generations, “Vol. 1 (1988).  Marvin (Woody) Woodworth’s online site (www.woodworth-ancestors.com) has been invaluable.  These reunions have been invaluable in our getting to meet and socialize with our cousins and understanding and appreciating our genealogical connection with one man who lived 400 years ago.

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