Heywood, Benjamin, 1746-1816

Benjamin Heywood (1746-1816), son of Phineas, a prominent Shrewsbury farmer, served an apprenticeship to a housewright and ran his own carpentry business for a year or two, until he decided to prepare for attending Harvard in 1771. At the university, where he excelled in math, Heywood joined fellow students in the Marti-mercurian Band, which eventually, with other troops, fought the British on April 19, 1775.

Heywood soon joined the army, rose to Captain in 1776, and was appointed paymaster, attached to Col. Nixon's regiment. At the war's end he was appointed to a committee with General Henry Knox and Col. Brooks to recommend measures to appease disgruntled soldiers whose pay had been postponed. He also served on a committee to adjust the accounts of the Massachusetts officers and soldiers. In this capacity he negotiated with the Legislature and prepared long reports.

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