Ethel Baker wrote this passage about Stephen Wood back in 1950:
STEPHEN WOOD, my great grandfather, father of Adelia Augusta Wood, was born in Vermont in February 1769. He married Deborah Knowles, born September 1779. Deborah was undoubtedly a member of the family for which the town of Knowlesville was named. They, Stephen and Deborah, lived and died in Knowlesville. He died November 4, 1853 and she died July 30, 1845. On one of our trips to New York, Margaret and I visited the cemetery where they were buried and I copied the inscriptions from their tombstones. I regret that I did not make more inquiries about the Wood family while we were in Knowlesville as my information concerning them seems to be very meager and copious correspondence has not brought anything to light.
From “The Vermont Historical Gazetteer” for Hawley Family of Arlington, Vol. 1, pg 133 (1867)
Josiah [Hawley] married Hannah, eldest sister of Col. Seth Warner. Their children were Amos, Gideon, Lemuel, Rhoda and Silence. Amos who married Elizabeth Spinche and removed to Ohio; Gideon who married and died in Canada; Lumuel who married Philo Hard, Rhoda who married Martin Deming, and Silence who married Stephen Wood of Knowlesville, N.Y.
From “Memorial of the Walkers of the Old Plymouth colony; embracing genealogical and biographical sketches of James, of Taunton; Philip, of Rehoboth; William of Eastham; John, of Marshfield; Thomas, of Bristol; and of their descendants from 1620 to 1860”, by J.B.R. Walker (1861)
Children of JONATHAN WALKER, [43] of Dighton.
Elizabeth, b. Sept. 29, 1743. She m. May 1766, Thomas Knowles, of Swansey, a farmer, first in Dighton, then removed to Norton, and d. about 1838. Had 6 sons, and 3 daus. (1) David, Res. Washington, D. C. (2) Henry, Res. W. (3) Asa, Res. Norton, and d, about 1821. Had 5 chil. (4) Edward, Res. Providence, d. about 1825. Had children. (5) Jonathan, m. Ruth Richmond, and Lydia Walker. (See No. 194.) Res. Norton, and d. 1855, ae. 84 yrs. (6) William, removed to W. (7) Polly, m. Edward Kingman. Res. Mansfield, She d. May, 18.55, ae. 82. Had 6 sons and 5 daus. (8) Betsey, m. Richard Newcomb, of Norton, a farmer. Had 8 chil. (9) Deborah, m. Elijah Avery, farmer. Res. Vermont. 5 chil.
From History of Pittsford, Vt. by AM Caverly
On the 5th of October, 1798, Elijah Avery bought of Alexander Ewings one-half of an acre of land lying south of Abraham Walker’s house-lot on the east side of the highway in the Village. This included the house-lot now owned and occupied by S. D. Winslow. fl[r. Avery married Deborah Knowles and located on that place.
Stephen Wood, a stone-cutter by trade, married Deborah Avery, July 13, 1806, and located on the place formerly owned by Dr. William Frisbie. His principal business was the making of gravestones, and he quarried his stone from a ledge now owned by Abraham Owen, and lying a little southwest of the residence of Abel Morgan. He changed his residence several times while a citizen of the town and left it about the year 1814.
From “Rutland County Land Records” Vol. 11, page 517, Recorded 19 Oct 1822.
A quit claim for $1 by Wm A Gilbert and wife Eliza Gilbert of Lions, Ontario, NY and Harry Avery of Lyons, Ontario, NY to Stephen and Deborah Wood of property in Pittsford, Rutland, VT which the wife holds as her endowment of the estate of her late husband Elijah Avery.
From “Rutland County Land Records” Vol. 12, page 161, Recorded 4 Feb 1823.
A quit claim for $10 by Levi Hayward and wife Jane Hayward of Boston, MA and Harry Avery of Lyons, Ontario, NY to Stephen and Deborah Wood of property in Pittsford, Rutland, VT which the wife holds as her endowment of the estate of her late husband Elijah Avery.
from “Orleans Co NY Deed Books”, Vol 26, pg 107, Recorded 27 Apr 1846 (familysearch.org)
A quit claim for $10 on 10 Dec 1845 between between Stephen Wood, Robert L Hill and Adeline A Hill his wife of the town of Ridgeway, Orleans NY, Walter Durkee and Mary Durkee his Wife of the town of Barre, Orleans NY and Levi F Hayward and Jane Hayward his wife of the city of Boston MA parties of the first part and William Wood of the Town of Ridgeway party of the second part.
This death in 1845 of Deborah would have triggered this transaction. It involves one daughter, Jane Hayward, from her first marriage to Elijah Avery, and three children from her second marriage to Stephen Wood, Adelia Hill, Mary Durkee and William Wood. Child Eliza Gilbert was excluded because she died in 1841. Harry Avery was not mentioned, so he likely died some time previously.
Jane Hayward mn Avery age 84y 4m, born Boston to Stephen & Deborah, died 30 Jul 1881 in Boston MA
Adelia A. Hill, age 72 years 11 months, a widow, born Pittsford, VT to Stephen Wood b. NY and Deborah Wood b. MA, died 16 Jul 1891 in Medina, Orleans, NY
William A. Wood, age 74 years 6 months, born Vermont to Stephen Wood b. MA and Debora Wood b. MA, died 30 Jan 1892 in Ridge, Orleans, NY of La Grippe. Burial in Knowlesville on 1 Feb. Informant Miss Helen Wood.
Mary Durkee, a 79 yr widow, born Vermont to Steven Wood resident of Vermont died on 13 Dec 1895 in Paw Paw MI of pneumonia. Recorded on 6 Aug 1896.