Joseph E. Woodworth was a ship builder, merchant, and member of the Woodworth political family

Woodworth political family

The Woodworth political family is a collection of American and Canadian politicians who descend directly from colonial settler Walter Woodworth. They rose to prominence in the 19th century, serving in several states, in the United States House of Representatives, the Canadian House of Commons, and...

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Life

Joseph was born in 1837 in Nova Scotia, the son of Benjamin B. Woodworth, a Justice of the Peace and important business figure in Kings County

Kings County, Nova Scotia

Kings County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.Kings County is located in central Nova Scotia on the shore of the Bay of Fundy with its northeastern part also forming the western shore of the Minas Basin....

, as well as a United Empire Loyalist. He was the brother of Douglas Benjamin Woodworth

Douglas Benjamin Woodworth

Douglas Benjamin Woodworth was a lawyer and member of the Woodworth political family from Nova Scotia, Canada. He represented Kings in the Canadian House of Commons from 1882 to 1887 as a Liberal-Conservative member....

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He was educated in Kings County, and began a career as a shipbuilder, constructing the largest vessels in the county at that time. Woodworth eventually moved west, becoming a pioneer of Manitoba

Manitoba

Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...

 after settling in Brandon

Brandon, Manitoba

Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...

. There he began a career as a merchant and real-estate broker.

In 1883, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba

Legislative Assembly of Manitoba

The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...

, representing Brandon in the 5th Legislature. He won that election with 57% of the vote.

Marriage and children

Joseph married Nancy Cox, daughter of Joseph Cox and Mary Bigelow, and had two children:

• Abel Woodworth, who became a lawyer in New York City
• Benjamin F. Woodworth, who moved to New York City