Silas Wood

     Silas Wood was born on 16 May 1787 in Cow Neck, Queens County, L.I., New York.² He was the son of Samuel Wood and Mary U. Searing.² Silas Wood married Julia Ann Chew Brock, daughter of Joseph Brock and Ann Chew, on 17 April 1816 at Home of Ann Chew, Fredericksburg, Virginia.² Silas Wood died on 30 June 1852 at age 65.²
     
Silas Wood has ID 19 in The Wood Family.² Silas Wood met for worship at at New York Monthy Meeting.¹ He met for worship at at Purchase Monthly Meeting.³ He was a Quaker at birth.² He was in the Wholesale flour business.² He was disowned for bearing arms and performing military duty on 4 January 1815.¹

The manner in which Silas Wood laid the foundation of his large fortune was somewhat romantic. He was in England at the time when Napoleon escaped from Elba, and all Europe was alarmed at the possibility of a renewel of war. It was apparent that the price of all sorts of provisions would rise, and Silas Wood, together with several other merchants, the in London, took the first ship sailing for America, each thinking to be the first to arrive and take advantage of the circumstances. There being no steamers, and no cable, their ship would bring to America the first information of the impending disaster in Europe. They had a favorable passage, and, upon arrival at Sandy Hook, the ship anchored in the lower bay for the night. After dark, Silas wood lower himself over the ship's side, and being a powerful swimmer, reached the shore safely, where he immediately went to a farmer's house, and, buying a horse, set off on a long race against time for Fredericksburg. No one knows how many horses he killed in his mad ride. Long before his fellow voyagers appeared in Virginia, he had bought up evcery bushel of grain in the state. The price of all foodstuffs rose tremendously, and he realized several hundred thousand dollars' profit by the transaction. Silas Wood afterwards became the head of the large house of Wood, Johnson & Burritt.²

He was an Episcopal (shortly after marriage) circa 1816.²
It is noted that his childern who died between 1825 and 1836 are recorded in Quaker records as buried in the Houston Street Cemetary. His daughter Beverly who died in 1820 is not, nor are the children who lived later includeing Wilmer C. who died in 1839. As noted previously he was disowned in 1815 prior to his marriage, and no record of him being restored is found. The meaning of this is unclear. Silas Wood is head of household on the census of 1 November 1850 at New York, New York, New York. Enumerated with Silas Wood were Julia Ann Chew Brock, Mary Chew, Virginia Beverly Wood, Beverly Chew Wood and Wilmer Sanard Wood.⁴