John Atwood (colonial administrator)

John Atwood (1576–1644) was an assistant governor of the Plymouth Colony, in the future US state of Massachusetts, in 1638.

His parents were Nicholas Wood (abt. 1539–1586), of Sanderstead Court in the English county of Surrey (now Greater London), and Olive Harman (1548–1603), daughter of the wealthy London merchant, James Harman (abt. 1527–1581). He had nine brothers, two sisters, and one half brother (from his mother's marriage to John Buck in 1592).

Atwood's baptism record in Saint Martin in the Fields Church in London is dated 20 September 1576 and identifies him as "John Woode." His baptism is also recorded in Sanderstead parish church under the Latin form "Johannes". Despite being baptised as John Woode, he apparently went by the name Atwood, for this is the name he uses in his will prepared in 1643 and is also the name that Governor William Bradford uses when referring to him in his book Of Plymouth Plantation. To add confusion to the family names, John had a younger brother who was also named John ("Johanem" was his younger brother's baptismal name); this younger brother, John Wood (1582–1644), was a leather seller in London who emigrated to America in 1635.

He is mentioned in a legal proceeding in England in which his half brother, Oliffe (Oliver) Buck, claimed that both John and Harman Atwood (one of John's brothers) attempted to defraud him. Oliffe maintained that John owed him money, but that the two brothers conspired to hide John's assets so they could not be collected. The case also mentions that "John Attwood, became decayed in estate, was sued and cast into prison." Harman Atwood claimed he was innocent and that others had attempted to defraud Oliffe.

Atwood married Anne Lee, but they did not have any children; Anne died in Plymouth in about 1654. While he appears to have been a merchant in England before coming to Plymouth, Atwood's reasons for emigrating have never been explained. He was in America at least by 1637, and possibly as early as 1635.

He apparently had contact with colonists in Plymouth before he left England, because in 1633 Walter Harris signed a contract with him in London to become an indentured servant. In the contract Walter was expected to go from England to the Plymouth Colony and then work for a colonist named John Doane. John Doane became an Assistant Governor in Plymouth in 1633. Thomas Roberts is mentioned as being a servant to John Atwood in 1637 as are John Long and Richard Clark on 24 October 1638.

It appears that Atwood was in Plymouth at least by 1637 as there is a reference to him in Davis' Ancient Landmarks of Plymouth:

"As nearly as can be ascertained, the remainder of the land fronting on the north side of North Street, below the westerly boundary of the garden lot east of the Winslow house, was occupied by Thomas Prence as a place of residence while he was Governor of the colony, for the first time in 1634, and sold by him in 1637 to John Atwood. After the death of Mr. Atwood, which occurred in 1644, his widow, Ann Atwood, sold it in 1649 to Benjamin Vermayes." (Benjamin Vermayes was the husband of Mercy Bradford, Governor Bradford's daughter.)

John Atwood became an Assistant Governor in Plymouth in 1638. This position to which he was elected by other colonists who had taken the Oath of a Freeman indicates that he was viewed as a person of stature within the colony.