The Forwood family were farmers whose homestead comprised 124 acres located on Marsh Road in Brandywine Hundred, north of Wilmington, Delaware. Corn, oats, and wheat were grown on the property, which had been a marsh. During the first decade of the nineteenth century, the Forwood family began to purchase and sell livestock.

The family patriarch, William Forwood (1692-1777), immigrated to the United States from England, but was born in Dublin, Ireland. He married Maria Stedham (1693-1783) on November 6, 1716, at Holy Trinity Church in Wilmington, Delaware. The Early Church Records of New Castle County, Delaware, records his last name as Forehead.

William Forwood's grandson, Jehu Forwood (1764-1850), was the property owner between 1790 and his death in 1850. In 1790, Jehu Forwood married Mary Robinson (1770-1838). The couple had ten children. Their children worked on the farm, most notably their sons Valentine Forwood (1804-1892) and Jehu Forwood Jr. (1812-1886).

The Cherry Island Marsh Company was a private corporation formed for the benefit of the marsh owners. The charter was granted in 1810. There were thirty-five owners that were part of the company, owning 1,000 acres. The land owners held meetings; gave notice of sales, purchases, or property changes; and had collective representation in legal matters.

The Brandywine Hundred Mutual Horse Company for the Recovery of Stolen Horses was incorporated in 1861 for the purposes of recovering stolen horses and insuring owners. A group of people came together to form the company, one of which was Lot Cloud (1811-1894), whose son, William Cloud (1845-1924), served as secretary. Jehu Forwood Jr. was also a founding member.

The Forwood farm was a major timber supplier to the DuPont Company. The farm stayed in the family until 1889, when it was sold by Robert Forwood (1821-1896), the grandson of Robert Forwood (1767-1844), Jehu Forwood Sr.’s brother.