Even though I have started with Christopher
Woodward since he was our first provable Woodward ancestor, to understand
him and the lands that he held, it would almost make better sense
to begin with his son, Pleasants Woodward. It is through many of Pleasants
Woodward's records that we can trace the lands that his father held.
Christopher Woodward must have been born
by 1740, assuming he was at least age 20 when his oldest known son,
Jordan Woodward, was born in 1760. However, it is possible that Christopher
Woodward could have been born as early as 1700 if he lived to the
age of 85. There is not enough information to narrow the span further.
My guess is that he was born around 1730, give or take a few years.
He may have lived in Nansemond Co., VA prior to his arrival in Wake
Co. His great-grandson, Andrew Jackson Woodward, believed Christopher
had lived in Jamestown prior to Pleasants Woodward's birth but had
emmigrated from England at some earlier date. Neither case can be
proven.
Wake Co. was created in 1771 from Johnston,
Cumberland, and Orange Counties. Therefore, when Christopher Woodward
first appeared in this area in 1766, the Middle Creek community was
considered part of Johnston Co. The earliest NC record that reflects
the presence of Christopher Woodward comes from Orange Co., NC Will
Book A in which Christopher Woodward, William Barker, and Lewis Barker
witnessed the will of Samuel Lehman dated 18 Oct 1766. The next NC
record that has been found for him comes from the Johnston Co. court
minutes. The Apr. 21, 1767 entry listed Christopher Woodward as serving
on the Petty Jury. His first appearance in the deed books was in Johnston
Co. in 1769 when he witnessed the deed from Benjamin Womack of Johnston
Co. to John Bradford, Jr. of Halifax Co. In 1770 in Johnston Co.,
he witnessed a deed in which Edward Earp (possibly Harp) transferred
the ownership of several Negroes to his grandson, William Harp (possibly
Earp).
Since none of Christopher Woodward's earliest
records state the location of the land on which he was living or lands
that he held, it's not known if he first lived in the Middle Creek
vicinity or elsewhere in Orange or Johnston County. Shortly after
the 1767 Johnston Co. Petty Jury record, Christopher Woodward was
recorded again in the Johnston Co. court minutes as security for the
defendant in the case Stephen Phillips vs Thomas Horn. In 1762, Thomas
Horn had witnessed a deed from Joseph Lane to William Utley for land
on the N side of Swift Creek. Both Joseph Lane and William Utley held
lands near Middle Creek and Swift Creek. So it seems likely that Christopher
Woodward was residing nearby at that time. Although there were earlier
records in Orange Co., Edgecombe Co., and Northampton Co. for his
neighbor, William Utley, there have been no previous records found
for Christopher Woodward in any other county in NC prior to 1766.
Most of the land that he held later in Wake Co. was located in the
Middle Creek and Swift Creek vicinity, but there was one piece of
land that he held somewhere on Crabtree Creek. It is not known if
he ever lived on the Crabtree Creek land. That seems doubtful. By
1778, he was living on Middle Creek, and by 1781 he owned and operated
a mill on the same piece of land.
The Nov. 11, 1769 deed from Benjamin Womack
to John Bradford, Jr. does offer another clue as to where Christopher
Woodward first lived when he arrived in the area. The land involved
was located on Terrible Creek in Johnston Co. Terrible Creek lies
just south of the lands later held by Christopher Woodward on Middle
Creek. Since witnesses were frequently neighbors, this, too, would
tend to indicate that Christopher Woodward was already living in the
Middle Creek area by 1769. John Bradford, Jr. was closely associated
with the Joseph Lane family mentioned earlier. It's interestin of
Lewis Jones, Sr. (See p. 222) I can't help but wonder if Samuel Lehman
whose will Christopher Woodward witnessed in 1766 was related to Duncan
Lamon and the will simply reflected a different spelling for the name.
I believe I read somewhere that only landholders
could serve on juries. If that's true, then Christopher must have
owned land in Johnston Co. by 1767 when he served on the Petty Jury.
I have never been able to find a record of any land that he held at
this time. Could he have inherited land and the records for the estate
involved were lost?
It seemed strange to me that the earliest
NC record found for Christopher Woodward was not earlier than 1766.
His eldest son, Jordan Woodward, stated in his Revolutionary War pension
application that he was born in NC in 1760, but there are no known
records for Christopher Woodward in NC prior to the Orange Co. record
of 1766. Was Jordan Woodward mistaken about his place of birth? Or
was Christopher living in another county in NC in which the records
have been lost? The records of Johnston Co. have been well-preserved,
so if our Christopher Woodward had been a resident of Johnston Co.
from 1760 to 1767, there would almost certainly be some record of
him in the court minutes or deed books during that period. The fact
that there were no such records leads me to believe that Christopher
Woodward was living elsewhere, perhaps in NC as Jordan stated, but
maybe in another county, or perhaps even in another colony if Jordan
was mistaken.
There are no records of any deeds, patents,
land entries, or grants that associate Christopher Woodward with any
land until eleven years after his first appearance in the Johnston/Wake
Co. area.
From Wake Co. NC Land Entries 1778-1846:
May 15, 1778 Christopher Woodard enters
two hundred acres of Vacant Land in Wake County lying on both sides
of Crab Tree Creek joining the land where Marck Phillips lives including
the improvement made by Abraham Blechendon.
May 16, 1778 Lewis Jones enters six hundred
acres of Vacant Land in Wake County lying on both sides of Beassills
Creek joining the lines of Christopher Woodward & John Utley including
the plantation he, Jones, now lives on.
May 16, 1778 Christopher Woodward enters
three hundred & twenty acres of Vacant Land in Wake County lying
on the South side of John Uttleys land joining his line & including
the improvement he (Woodard) now lives & bought of David Howell.
May 16, 1778 Christopher Woodard enters
five hundred acres of Vacant Land in Wake County lying on both sides
of Middle Creek joining the lines of Jacob Uttley including the improvements
made by William Honeycut, George Rainey Turner & Drewry Honeycut
now lives on.
The 320 acres south of John Utley's land
was the site of the home of Christopher Woodward in 1778 according
to the land entry record. There is no earlier deed reflecting the
purchase of this land from David Howell (or Harvill or Harwell or
similar), so it's impossible to tell how long Christopher Woodward
might have held this land. However, it is apparent that he had purchased
this land or the rights to the land prior to these 1778 records, but
whatever records there might have been reflecting that purchase no
longer exist. There was no requirement that deeds be recorded at the
courthouse, so this deed might not have been recorded, or the record
of it might have been lost as so many others were.
The Wake Co. court minutes dated Sept. 7,
1778 listed Christopher Woodward as the tax gatherer in Capt. Utley's
district. The court minutes of June 8, 1780 included the following:
Capt. district: Capt. Utley Assessor: Jacob
Utley
Justice: Hardy Sanders Constable: Christopher
Woodward
John Utley, brother of Jacob Utley, was
often called "Captain Jack", probably because he served
a number of years as the captain of the military district in Wake
Co. which included all or part of the Middle Creek area. Each district
had its own captain, justice, assessor, and constable, so Hardy Sanders,
Jacob Utley, and Christopher Woodward each held their positions within
Capt. Utley's district which obviously was located in the Middle Creek
vicinity. Hardy Sanders' wife, Lucy Utley, was the sister of John
Utley and Jacob Utley. So Hardy Sanders was the brother-in- law of
John and Jacob Utley, both sons of William Utley, Sr and Elizabeth
Turner. A letter from Lt. Col. Hardy Sanders to Gen. Sumner headed
"Camp Middle Creek, Near Woodward's Mill, Wake Co., Aug. 21,
1781" was published in State Records of North Carolina by Walter
Clark, vol. IV, p. 612. This heading establishes that Woodward's Mill
which was owned by Christopher Woodward and later left to his son,
Pleasants Woodward, was built in the Middle Creek area by 1781, perhaps
a number of years earlier. From later records, we can determine that
his home and the mill were on the same piece of property, so this
must have been the property bought of David Howell. We have no way
of knowing if the mill had already been built when he purchased the
land, or if Christopher Woodward built the mill himself. With this
information, we can surmise that he probably made his living as a
planter and miller, at least from the late 1770's until his death.
Although there are no records of Christopher
Woodward serving in the militia during the Revolutionary War, there
are vouchers which prove that he sold 140 pounds of "neat pork"
and 134 pounds of bacon to Wake Co. Commissioner Thomas Wootten in
1781. The meat was purchased for the use of the military. This same
Thomas Wootten appeared on another record dated April 1, 1781 as the
Commanding Officer of the Wake Co. Militia. (See p. 369) Even though
these vouchers do not prove active military service, the DAR does
recognize them as proof of Revolutionary service since they establish
that the provider was sympathetic and supportive to the cause. To
the best of my knowledge, no descendant of Christopher Woodward has
ever applied for DAR membership on these vouchers, probably because
his descendants have been so difficult to prove. Mrs. Vircenoy Baker
Macatee, a descendant of Jordan Woodward through his son William Dabney
Woodward, sent me copies of these vouchers which will be included
in the documents section.
Christopher Woodward wrote his will in 1784.
His son Pleasants Woodward was left the mill and home plantation.
(See p. ?) Surely Woodward's Mill of the 1781 record must have been
the same mill, and it was no doubt located on the land which lay to
the south of John Utley's land and had been the location of Christopher
Woodward's home in 1778 according to the land entry.
From Abstracts of the Early Deeds of Wake
Co., NC 1785-1802 by Joseph W. Watson:
Deed Book K, p. 106: State of NC Grant #1151
to Christopher Woodward May 18, 1789 320 acres both sides Middle Creek
adjoining John Utley and Thomas Driver.
The Wake Co. index to deeds shows this deed
as recorded Dec. 4, 1796. The number of acres agrees with the land
entry that was described as south of John Utley and the location of
the Woodward home. Notice that this grant and the following grant
were made after Christopher Woodward's death in 1785. By this time,
Pleasants Woodward had inherited the land. This record also establishes
that the land on which the mill was located was still in the possession
of Christopher's heirs (in this case his son Pleasants) as late as
1796. Since the land was not granted to Christopher Woodward until
after his death, perhaps it was only the rights to a patent or warrant
or entry that had been bought of David Howell.
Deed Book K, p. 156: State of NC Grant #1275
to Christopher Woodward's orphans Jan. 12, 1798, 40 acres on Buck
Branch adjoining Smith, Rhodes, Phillips, warrant dated Aug. 19, 1778.
The Wake Co. index to deeds lists this as
recorded Apr., 24, 1799. I have found no record of the earlier warrant.
The name Phillips is suggestive of the Crabtree Creek land entry,
but the number of acres does not agree. The 1887 map shows a Buck
Branch as a branch flowing south into Swift Creek just west of another
Reedy Branch and east of Dutchman's Creek. (The Reedy/Ready Branch
mentioned in Christopher Woodward's will was certainly Reedy Springs
Branch which flows into Middle Creek.) Buck Branch can also be found
in a similar location on the grants map. (See map section)
Even though this grant was made fourteen
years after Christopher Woodward's death, it still indicates that
he had an interest in the land before his death in 1785, and his children
had an interest in the same land until at least 1799. The grants map
shows nearby grants to Theophilus Hunter, John Rice, John Whitaker,
and William Brown. All of these names were associated with the Woodwards
as friends, bondsmen, or acquaintances in later years. John Rice sold
land in Bladen Co. to Christopher Woodward shortly before his death.
William Brown was the bondsman for the marriage of Christopher Woodward's
son, Pleasants Woodward. John Whitaker was the bondsman for the marriage
of Pleasants Woodward's son, Joseph Woodward. A grandson of Pleasants
Woodward was named Theophilus Hunter Jones. But the grants map shows
no Smith, Rhodes, or Phillips in the nearby area. Without more information,
it is impossible to tell if this grant was located near Crabtree Creek
or near Swift Creek. Christopher Woodward's will did not mention land
on Buck Branch, and I have seen no later Woodward deeds mentioning
Buck Branch.
Today we think of Crabtree Creek as lying
west of Raleigh where the shopping center that bears its name is located.
Actually, Crabtree Creek runs through Morrisville, then east through
Raleigh, and on to the Neuse River. The Wake Co. grants map shows
Thomas Phillips and John Rhodes as holding lands near Crabtree Creek
to the northeast of Morrisville. In the same area is a grant to Aaron
Johnson. It was probably a descendant of this Aaron Johnson who years
later was so closely associated with Christopher Woodward II, Pleasants
Woodward's son and Christopher Woodward's grandson. (See p. 173) It's
possible that the Crabtree lands that Christopher Woodward held were
somewhere near Morrisville, but if Christopher Woodward II later lived
on those same lands, it's not likely that he ever inherited or owned
them.
To better understand where these various
lands were located, it will be necessary to refer to several maps
of the area included in the maps section. The map of Wake Co. land
grants is a relatively recent map which was prepared about 200 years
after the grants were issued. The reliability of the information contained
in the map depends on the availability of records (many were lost
or never recorded), the accuracy of the descriptions in the records
(often confusing or ambiguous), and the interpretation of these descriptions
when the map was prepared. There is plenty of room for error. The
names of the creeks are the present names and sometimes do not match
the names used in earlier deeds and on earlier maps. For example,
the creek which flows north into Middle Creek on the grants map and
is labeled Basal Creek on this map has been referred to as Brazel,
Brazil Creek, or Braswell Creek on other maps. These names could easily
be confused with Braswell Creek which is shown on some maps as the
western part of Middle Creek. Other maps label this western part of
the creek as Middle Creek and the southern branch as Braswell Creek.
A current map shows the southern branch as Basal Creek, but a housing
development built on the creek now bears the name Braswell Creek.
A careful comparison of the creeks as shown on the grants map to the
same creeks as shown on other Wake Co. maps will reveal that Braswell
and Basal Creeks as labeled on the grants map are not drawn correctly
in relation to Middle Creek.
The sources for the information to prepare
this map were not given but must surely have been the early grants
records. In my opinion, the available records would only allow a rough
estimate as to where the grants were located. Many land records for
Wake Co. have been lost. Sometimes land was transferred, but the deed
was never recorded by the new owner. In some cases, land granted to
one person was soon sold or transferred to another person. Sometimes
the records of these transfers can be found, and sometimes no record
can be found, as in the case of the David Howell land which had been
sold to Christopher Woodward. There is no record of the transfer of
the land to Christopher Woodward, no record of a land entry or grant
to David Howell, and no record of a transfer of the land from an earlier
owner to David Howell. It cannot be determined who the original grantee
was from the existing records or the various later transfers which
eventually led to the sale of the land to Christopher Woodward by
David Howell. Christopher Woodward may have been the first to receive
a grant for this particular piece of land if no grant was ever issued
to Howell.
It should be remembered that the grants
map only shows the believed location of grants and the dates of those
grants. In comparing the grants records to the grants map, I have
found many dates that do not agree. I have found other cases in which
the descriptions as given in the grants do not seem to agree with
the placements of these grants on the map. The large section of land
supposedly granted to John Utley is not dated at all on the map. The
reason for this is not known, but it would seem that no date could
be determined. Perhaps it could be determined that land had been granted
to John Utley in that general area, but the exact grants and dates
could not be found. It is also possible that the location of John
Utley's grant as it is placed on this map is in error.
It should also be remembered that even though
the map shows grants made as late as 1780 to 1800, neighbors at the
time of these later grants may or may not be reflected by the map.
The neighboring land granted at some previous date might have been
transferred in the interim, possibly several times. When the later
grants were made, the original grantee of the adjoining land may no
longer have been in possession of that land.
Because of the missing Wake Co. deeds and
land records that would reflect the later transfers of granted lands,
it is frequently difficult or impossible to trace the later owners
of these granted lands. Although some land which might have been held
by Christopher Woodward may never be determined, we do have his will
written Aug. 27, 1784 and probated Oct. 25, 1785 from Wake Co. Will
Book B p. 66 which establishes the land which was in his possession
shortly before his death. His will reflects much more property than
there are records for in the deed books. We will probably never know
if the land reflected in his will was granted to him prior to his
death, was held by warrants, or had been purchased from other landowners.
Christopher Woodward of Wake County and
State of N. Carolina Being well in health and perfect Memmory, do
mak Constitute and Ordain this to be my last will and Testament in
Manner and form Following Vis:
Item. I give unto my Son Jordan Woodward
all my land that lieth on the East side of Camp branch and from the
mouth of said branch a derct(?) corse(?) to the giving line also three
Cows & Calves to him and his heirs for Ever
Item. I give unto my Son Corbell Woodward
all my land that lieth between Camp and Ready branch and from the
mouth of sd. Ready branch down the Vearious Courses of Midle Creek
to the first Drean which Empts into sd. Creek on the south side thenc
up sd. Drean to Thomas Drivers line also three Cows and Calves to
him and his heirs for Ever
Item. I give unto Pleasants Woodward my
Son my Mill and Plantation whereon I know live also three Cows and
Calves or Earlings to him and his heirs for Ever also my Riding hors
& sadle for Ever
Item I give unto my Son Richard Woodward
one hundred Acres of Land including the Dutchmans feald also an Entry
of land Containing three hundred and fourty Acres including the oldfeald
which lieth on the south prong of Midle Creek also one bed and furniture
also Ten pounds worth in Cattle also Tin pounds specie to him and
his heirs for Ever
Item I give unto my Son James Woodward
all my land that lieth on the Dreans of Crabtree Creek also three
hundred Acres of woodling Land which I purchised of William Harvil
which Land lying and being on both sides of lick Branch also my Still
and Twenty five pounds specie to him and his heirs for Ever
Item I give unto my Daughter Elisabeth
Woodward one bed and furniture also Twenty pounds specie to hir and
her heirs for Ever
Item I give unto my Daughter Mary Woodward
Eighty pounds specie to hir and hir heirs for Ever
Item My Outstanding Debts to be Collected
and Elisabeth and Mary Woodwards Legises to be first paid up and the
ball thereor and All the Rest of my Estate which is not given above
be sold and Equual Devided between the above mentioned Sons and Daughters
Vis:
Jordan
Corbell
Pleasants
Richard
James
Elisabeth
and Mary Woodward
Item I do Constitute and Appoint my Son
Jordan Woodward and Also Etherld. Jones Executrs. of this my last
Will and Testatment in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand
and Fixed my Seal this Twenty seventh Day of August Ano Dom 1784.
Christo. Woodward (Seal)
witness his
Lewis + Jones (Jurat)
mark
Levi Jones (Jurat)
Etheldread Jones (Jurat)
Wake County Septr. Term 1785
The Execution of the within Will was duly
proved in Open Court by the Oaths of Lewis Jones, Levi Jones and Etheldred
Jones Witnesses thereto and Ordered to be Recorded.
Henry Lane Clk. Co.
Recorded in the Clerks Office of Wake County
in Book B. and Pages (66 &c) this 25th day of Octr. ADom 1785.
Henry Lane Clk. Co.
A copy of the original will can be found
in the documents section. The entire will, except for the witnesses'
signatures and the clerk's additions, appears to have been written
in Christopher Woodward's own handwriting. It shows no signs of the
shakiness of an elderly hand. It does show the fluid, confident strokes
of a well-educated person.There is no doubt as to the spelling used
for Corbell's and Pleasants' names which have appeared with different
spellings on other documents.
Pleasants Woodward inherited Woodward's
Mill and the home plantation. Surely this must have been the 320 acres
mentioned in the land entry and later 1789 grant (recorded in 1796)
that we know was the location of the Woodward home in 1778. Apparently
both the home and the mill were located on this piece of land. The
grant described the land as lying on both sides of Middle Creek.
Christopher Woodward owned 340 acres on
the "south prong of Middle Creek" which he left to his son,
Richard Woodward. In examining the branches of Middle Creek, the only
branch I can find that might be the "south prong" is the
branch which forked off to the southwest, supposedly on Thomas Driver's
grant according to the grants map, and ran through what is shown as
land originally granted to John Utley. However, the courses of the
creeks as drawn on this map are not accurate. I believe the fork in
the creek on Thomas Driver's grant is intended to represent the fork
at Basal Creek and Middle Creek at the location of what is now called
Sunset Lake. As I will show later, Christopher Woodward's Mill was
at this location. So unless Christopher Woodward purchased part of
Thomas Driver's grant, the fork at Basal Creek should be farther west
on the map placing this fork on Christopher Woodward's grant. If Christopher
Woodward's land included the land at Sunset Lake (the home plantation
left to Pleasants) and land that extended farther south down Basal
Creek (the land left to Richard), then some of the land that was supposedly
granted to John Utley as shown on this map was in the possession of
Christopher Woodward at the time that he wrote his will in 1784. The
1778 land entry referred to the land on which Christopher Woodward's
home was located as lying south of John Utley's land. Either the grants
map is in error, or Christopher Woodward later acquired lands which
were located in the southern part of John Utley's original grant as
shown on the map. Regardless of what the grants map shows, we know
that by 1784 Christopher Woodward owned land on both sides of Middle
Creek and more land father south on Basal Creek. Apparently Thomas
Driver owned land to the east, but east of Thomas Driver's land was
another piece of land owned by Christopher Woodward between Camp and
Ready Branches and along Middle Creek. Another piece of land that
was left to Jordan Woodward lay on the east side of Camp Branch. Since
John Utley's land was north of the Woodward home plantation which
lay on both sides of Middle Creek, that piece of Utley land must have
been north of Middle Creek. The land that Christopher Woodward owned
at Dutchman's Field was probably along Dutchman's Creek, which would
place it either north of or on one side of John Utley's land.
Dutchman's Branch, Camp Branch, and Reedy
Springs Branch can be located on the 1887 map. I have not been able
to locate Lick Creek.
The home plantation was still in the possession
of Pleasants Woodward in 1789 since that was the date of the grant.
At some time after 1793, Pleasants Woodward sold the northern part
of this property including the mill to either John Utley or his son,
Young Utley. There are no deeds, but other records given under Pleasants
Woodward establish this sale. Pleasants Woodward lost the remaining
acreage to insolvency in 1820. The land in this 1820 deed was described
as lying south of Young Utley's line and running south and east from
the mill pond. (See p. 33) Pleasants Woodward's son, Joseph Woodward,
repurchased part of the lost family land from the same man who had
bought it, but he too either lost or sold it before long. His deed
described the land as lying south and east of Clement's Mill Pond.
(See p. 42) Clement's Mill Pond is now known as Sunset Lake.
According to the writings of Rev. Charles
H. Utley as published in Descendants of William Utley and Elizabeth
Turner of Wake Co., North Carolina by Joan Brink, Young Utley owned
and ran the mill and lived on the west side of the mill pond. Rev.
Utley believed that John Utley might have built the mill, but could
never find records to prove it. Rev. Utley referred to the mill as
Mills' Mill, which is now known as Bass Lake. (See p. 195) Bass Lake
is located on Basal Creek south of Sunset Lake. Rev. Utley's writings
were undated, but he was born in 1869 and died in 1944, so a rough
guess for the date of his writings can be made from that. Certainly
the mill pond mentioned in Pleasants Woodward's 1820 deed which adjoined
Young Utley's line was the same mill pond. But Rev. Utley named Mills'
Mill Pond, and Joseph Woodward's deed said Clement's Mill Pond, a
different pond. Pleasants Woodward's 1820 deed in which the remaining
part of the home plantation was sold described the land was "north
of Brazils Creek".
At first I thought Brazils Creek must have
meant Braswell Creek which appears on some maps as an extension of
Middle Creek on the west side of Sunset Lake. I couldn't understand
how the property could have run south and east of the mill and pond
if it was on the north side of the creek. Mills' Pond (Bass Lake)
is south of Braswell Creek on Basal Creek, and that didn't agree either.
I finally found the solution in another Wake Co. map labeled 1870.
(See map p. ***) The creek that is shown on current maps as Basal
Creek was shown on the 1870 map as Brazel Creek. Through the years,
the name has evolved and has appeared by various names depending on
which map you refer to. An 1887 map of Wake Co. labeled the western
end of Middle Creek as Middle Creek, and labeled the southern fork
as Braswell Creek. But Mills' Pond still did not match the description
as lying north of Brazel or Basal Creek. Basal Creek really does not
have a north or south side since it runs pretty much north-south.
I had been trying to place the Woodward
property in relation to Mills' Pond as described by Rev. Utley, and
it simply wasn't working no matter which map or name for the creek
I used. On the same 1870 map I found the solution to that problem
too. Mills' Pond, now known as Bass Lake, did not exist until long
after John Utley and Young Utley had died. The only dam and mill that
existed in that area in 1870 was the one at the north end of Basal
or Brazel Creek. It was called Mill Pond in Pleasants Woodward's 1820
deed, and later called Clement's Mill Pond in Joseph Woodward's deed.
In 1887 it was labeled "Alford's". It is now called Sunset
Lake. Apparently Rev. Utley confused the name Mill Pond with Mills'
Pond. So the mill and land that were associated with John Utley and
Young Utley were actually at Sunset Lake. Although Sunset Lake is
not "north of" Basal Creek/Brazel Creek/Braswell Creek,
it is at the north end of the creek.
Clement's Mill must have been known as Woodward's
Mill in 1781. This land at Sunset Lake was home to four generations
of Woodwards: Christopher Woodward, Pleasants Woodward, Joseph Woodward,
and Andrew Jackson Woodward.
Since this land was Christopher Woodward's
home at the time of his death, it is undoubtedly where he was buried.
Another undated sketch written by Rev. Charles H. Utley published
in Descendants of William Utley and Elizabeth Turner of Wake Co.,
North Carolina by Joan Brink may give us a clue as to the location
of a cemetery where some of the Woodwards might have been buried.
According to this sketch, one of John Utley's sons, John "Little
Jack" Utley, and his wife, Charity Jones Wrench, "like so
many others, fill unknown and unmarked graves at the head of the Mills'
Pond. Pines cover the old cemetery." He stated that he had visited
this cemetery at Mills' Pond.
So we are faced with another puzzle. Since
Rev. Utley was confused as to the name of the mill pond, did he visit
the correct pond? Was he describing only the land that he saw at the
head of Mills' Pond where he thought the cemetery was supposed to
be located? How could he have recognized the location of the cemetery
if the graves were unmarked? There is no known cemetery at Mills'
Pond/Bass Lake now, and no one has ever heard of a cemetery there
except for one used temporarily in the early 1900's and once marked
with funeral home stakes. Since Mills' Pond is not the correct mill
pond, if Rev. Utley found a cemetery there, it surely was not the
one he wanted. The problem is, we don't know if he was at Mills' Pond,
or if he was in fact at Sunset Lake but somehow became confused as
to the correct name of the pond. If he did visit Mills' Pond, then
his description of pines covering the old cemetery is not valid. I
suspect he had somehow learned of the cemetery where John "Little
Jack" Utley and his wife were buried and that it was located
at the head of the pond, but then went to the wrong pond and described
the land at the head of that pond. He may have described the graves
as unmarked simply because he could not find markers or because he
had been told the graves were unmarked. It would be difficult to locate
a cemetery without markers, even if you knew in advance where it was
located.
There is an old cemetery at the head of
Sunset Lake about 1/8 mile west of the dam on the south side of Sunset
Lake Road, formerly known as Woodward's Mill, Mill Pond, and Clement's
Mill. If Rev. Utley had visited this pond, he certainly should have
found the cemetery. It's easily visible from the road. The graves
are spread over a knoll in a grassy field. The cemetery itself covers
about 1/4 acre. There are a few marked graves there, mostly for Turners,
Jones, and Johnsons. One is as recent as 1993. Most of the marked
graves are those of people who died after 1900, but one marker goes
back to the late 1800's. These marked graves are spaced around the
perimeter of the cemetery with the central area left vacant. That
area seems to have been deliberately avoided, probably because it
was known that earlier graves had once been placed there. There are
no fieldstones or depressions remaining to help identify those graves
now. There are a few trees, but the cemetery is not covered with pines
as Rev. Utley described. If Rev. Utley visited the wrong pond and
was describing the land at the head of that pond, perhaps this is
the cemetery he was trying to find. It is located on the west side
of the pond where he said John Utley and Young Utley once lived, and
it is near the head of the pond. He did not state if the cemetery
was located on the east or west side of the pond. He did state that
the graves were unmarked, but that may have been only because he could
not locate markers when he visited Mills' Pond. The fact that no graves
with Woodward or Utley markers are there now does not mean that there
were never any Woodward or Utley graves there. We have no idea who
might have been buried in the central area of that cemetery. According
to Mrs. Margaret Lea Parker who was raised on this property and whose
father was the caretaker of the mill, many of the markers that were
there prior to World War II had been removed by the end of the war.
(See p. 35)
The map drawn in 1870 is interesting in
other respects. Of course, this map was drawn well after the Woodward
land at Sunset Lake had been sold, and almost a hundred years after
Christopher Woodward had owned the land, but still we can get some
idea of the roads that must have been in the area. Smithfield Road
on this map still exists on modern maps. Sometimes it's called Old
Smithfield Road and sometimes Optimist Farm Road. Since Wake Co. was
once part of Johnston Co., this road probably existed from very early
times to allow the inhabitants of this area access to their county
seat. The spur road running back to the mill from Smithfield Road
still exists today as a small section of Sunset Lake Road. It runs
right past the old cemetery and mill now, and probably did years ago
as well. Since the mill existed as early as 1781, surely a road to
the mill existed too. Avent Ferry Road allowed access to Raleigh and
must have been built very early as well. I don't know if it existed
before Raleigh was made the county seat of Wake Co., but if it wasn't,
it must have been built soon afterward. As the name implies, it also
led to Avent Ferry Crossing on the Cape Fear River where NC 42 now
crosses the river in Lee County.
Another interesting feature on the 1870
map is the use of the name Pleasant. Just east of the Woodward property
were two churches, one called Pleasant Springs Church and the other
Pleasant Grove Church. I have never found any reference to this area
having been called Pleasant Springs. There were many springs in the
area, and several nearby communities, Holly Springs, Fuquay Springs,
Willow Springs, and Chalybeate Springs, took their names from those
springs. The 1887 maps shows a creek named Pleasant Springs Branch
between Middle Creek and Swift Creek. Pleasant Springs Church is located
near this creek and was probably named for the creek. However, Pleasant
Grove is labeled on the south side of Middle Creek, not especially
near Pleasant Springs Branch. When I saw the names of these churches,
I couldn't help but wonder if there might have been some connection
to the land called Mt. Pleasant that once belonged to an earlier Thomas
Woodward, or even some connection to Pleasants Woodward's name. Probably
it's nothing more than coincidence.
Sunset Lake Lodge has been built at the
head of the lake on the east side of the dam. Just to the west of
the dam is a visitors' parking lot. A new housing development has
been built along the west side of the lake. If there was ever a cemetery
in one of those areas, it has probably been destroyed. We may never
know the exact location of the cemetery that Rev. Utley believed was
at the head of Mills' Pond. But we do at least know that the cemetery
was near Sunset Lake rather than Mills' Pond. I personally believe
that the old cemetery that I found at the head of Sunset Lake is the
cemetery that Rev. Utley had in mind.
Since the Woodward land at the mill pond
on the north side of Middle Creek was later Utley property, it is
very possible that the Utleys were buried in the same cemetery that
had once been used by the Woodwards. Probably Christopher Woodward
was the first or one of the first to be buried near the mill. Perhaps
his unknown wife was buried there before him. Since Christopher's
son, Pleasants Woodward, left for Tennessee shortly after he lost
his land, his grave probably is not in this cemetery near the pond.
But the graves of Joseph Woodward and his wife, Delia Jones, have
not been located in any of the early Raleigh cemeteries, so it is
probable that they were also buried in the cemetery that Rev. Utley
mentioned. Perhaps other children and grandchildren of Christopher
Woodward were also buried there. What is more natural than wanting
to be buried with your own family in the family cemetery on the original
family property?
Sunset Lake has a new modern dam now, but
the remains of an old mill can be found on the west side of the creek.
These pilings are not from the original mill though. Surely the original
dam must have been much smaller than the dam that is there now, and,
as a result, the pond was also smaller.
At some point in time, Woodson Clements
became the owner of the mill. His son, John Calvin Clements, married
Cynthia Utley, daughter of John "Little Jack" Utley and
Charity Jones Wrench who were both buried in the cemetery at the head
of the pond according to Rev. Utley. Woodson Clements is said to have
sold the mill to a Mr. Alford. William R. Alford married Lucy Maranda
Utley, daughter of Burwell Utley, the brother of John "Little
Jack" Utley. An H. Alford appears on the map near Clement's Mill.
Either of these might be the unknown Mr. Alford who supposedly purchased
the mill.
The inventory of Christopher Woodward's
estate was recorded Oct. 25, 1785 in Wake Co. Will Book B p. 70. This
record establishes that Christopher Woodward also owned land in Bladen
Co. that was not mentioned in his will:
320 acres in Bladen Co on S side of Cape
Fear River; Negroes: York, Nan, Jupiter; livestock; furniture; receipt
of Martin Lane; farm tools; tack; notes of: William Harvell, Christopher
Isbell, William Segraves, Moses Harvell, John Gent, Jarat Stinson,
Roland Stinson, Christopher Osborn, Thomas Stephens, Matthew Jones,
Andrew Peddy, John Strickland, Landman Short, Adam Hamilton, George
Mills, Hardyman Taylor, Jessee Jones, Morgan Darnold, George Slimmons,
Jesse Osborn, John Segraves, J...T..., James Trowell, Jasper Turner,
Charles Huks, John Jones, Lewis Barker, Solomon Wood, William Barker,
Jr., Andrew Hamilton.
Extr: Jordon Woodward, Etheldred Jones
This Bladen Co. land was not mentioned in
the will because it was purchased after the will was written. I don't
know if Christopher ever even saw the land since the deed was prepared
and signed in Wake Co. The grantor, John Rice, had been a resident
of Wake Co. for many years, but he seems to have had no close connections
with any of Christopher Woodward's family. I have no idea why Christopher
wanted to purchase land in Bladen Co. unless perhaps he simply thought
it would be a good investment. He certainly never moved to Bladen
Co., and there are no indications that any of his children ever lived
on the land.
Bladen Co Deed Book 36, p. 296:
John Rice to Christopher Woodward. State
of NC, Wake Co. 9th day of Nov, 1784. John Rice legatee & heir
at law of Nathaniel Rice, Esq. dec'd. 65 -?- specie already paid,
land on the SW side Cape Fear river beginning at an oak David Lewis'
corner tree. (No other neighbors or landforms mentioned, only degrees,
chains, poles, links, etc. for corners) 320 acres more or less. Land
was granted by original patent to a certain William Cain bearing a
date 8th day Sept. 1735 and conveyed from sd William Cain by a deed
under hand and seal of William Barham Esq. high Sheriff of Bladen
Co. bearing date 25 day of Mar. 1745 to Nathaniel Rice Esq.
Witnesses: Jordan Woodward, Pleasant Woodward.
Bladen Co., May term, 1785 this deed was
<word omitted> in open court & ordered to be registered.
John White CC.
According to the terms of the will, this
land should have been sold and the proceeds divided between the children.
I could find no deed under the name Woodward in Bladen Co. for the
sale of this land. However, some of the Bladen Co. deeds have been
lost to courthouse fires, and possibly this deed was one of them,
or perhaps the deed was under some name other than Woodward and sold
by power of attorney. I have not read all the deeds of Bladen Co.
Since the deeds are not arranged in chronological order, it would
take reading every deed book to find mentions of Woodwards who were
not the grantors or grantees in the deeds. Some of the Bladen Co.
deeds have been published and cross-referenced, but this deed and
many others are not included in the published records.
Although I could find no signs of a previous
connection between Christopher Woodward and John Rice, I did discover
that John Rice and his father, Nathaniel Rice, many years before were
associated with Capt. Samuel Woodward of Cape Fear. The majority of
Capt. Samuel Woodward's records centered around New Bern (Craven Co.)
and Wilmington (New Hanover Co.). He died by 1745, apparently without
children. He left his property to his nephew, Benjamin Woodward of
Drumbarrow, County Meath, Ireland, the eldest son of his eldest brother,
Charles Woodward, Esqr., dec'd. Joseph Woodward of Cahill Town, County
Meath, Ireland, under power of attorney from his brother Benjamin,
sold the property in New Bern previously held by Capt. Samuel Woodward
to Enoch Hall on Dec. 6, 1746. Although Joseph Woodward did come to
Craven Co. long enough to sell the land, there are no later records
for him in NC. It is not known if he remained in the colonies or returned
to Ireland. I have not been able to find any connection between these
Woodwards of the Craven Co. records and Christopher Woodward except
for the odd association of John Rice with each of them. The Bladen
Co. land purchased by Christopher Woodward does not trace back in
any way to lands previously belonging to Capt. Samuel Woodward.
Sometimes the witnesses or executors that
appeared in a will provide clues as to family connections. Christopher
Woodward's will included members of two different but possibly related
Jones families. Two of the witnesses to his will were Lewis Jones
and Levi Jones. Lewis Jones, Sr. was the father of Lewis Jones, Jr.,
Levi Jones, Nathaniel Jones, and others, and owned land adjoining
Christopher Woodward in Middle Creek. Pleasants Woodward was one of
the witnesses for the will of Lewis Jones, Sr. a few years later.
Christopher Woodward was the bondsman for the 1783 marriage of Mary
Matthews to William Jones, who is suspected to be the brother of Lewis
Jones, Sr. Mary Matthews was a widow with children by her previous
Matthews marriage at the time of her marriage to William Jones. Her
family name is unknown, and her previous Matthews husband has not
been determined, although he might have been John Matthews whose grant
adjoined William Jones' grant to the west of Christopher Woodward's
land. William Jones and Mary -?- had several children, one of whom
was also named Etheldred Jones. He was no doubt a namesake of Capt.
Etheldred Jones, one of the executors of Christopher Woodward's estate.
It is not known if this younger Etheldred Jones was a kinsman to the
elder Capt. Etheldred Jones or if he was simply named for a respected
man in the neighborhood. This younger Etheldred Jones later married
Winifred Woodward, daughter of Pleasants Woodward and granddaughter
of Christopher Woodward. After Christopher Woodward's death, Nathaniel
Jones, son of Lewis Jones, Sr., sired an illegitimate child by Christopher
Woodward's youngest daughter, Mary/Polly Woodward. The same Nathaniel
Jones was also the father of triplet daughters by his unknown wife
including Delia Jones who later married Christopher Woodward's grandson,
Joseph Woodward.
It seems likely that Capt. Etheldred Jones,
Lewis Jones, Sr., and William Jones were related to each other, but
I haven't been able to determine any prior link that any of these
Jones may have had to Christopher Woodward. Perhaps the Woodward and
Jones families became close only after Christopher Woodward moved
to Johnston/Wake Co. There was later a close bond between the Utleys
and the Woodwards, but at the time that Christopher Woodward wrote
his will, the closest association seemed to be with these Jones families.
I have wondered if Christopher's wife might have been a Jones. (See
Jones chapter.)
Christopher Woodward witnessed the will
of George Slimmon dated Dec. 7, 1776 and recorded July 12, 1777. He
was not named as an heir. The Johnston Co. Court Minutes dated Aug.
28, 1780 included the following entry:
John Sanders, Richard Rivers, and Kedar
Powell Esqrs. who were appointed yesterday to sett-- and determine
a controversy depending in this court between the Exors. of George
Slimmon and Christopher Woodward, took the same into consideration
and after examining the witnesses on both sides, made the following
report /viz We find for the plaintiff L1000 with cost of suit etc.
A Wake Co. record dated Dec. 2, 1776 states
that George Slimon held a mortgage for land on Middle Creek apparently
in the possession of Jacob Utley ("mortgage of Jacob Utley held
by George Slimon") which Slimon had purchased of Hardy Sanders.
The witnesses were Samuel Northington, Lewis Jones, and William Utley.
The 1785 inventory of the estate of Christopher
Woodward included a note of George Slimmons. This later George Slimmons
or Slimon was certainly not the same man whose will was witnessed
by Christopher Woodward, but may have been a nephew. The George Slimmon
will of 1776 did not name a son, but did mention brothers and sisters.
(See p. 16 )
As mentioned earlier, Christopher Woodward
was a witness to a 1770 Johnston Co. deed by Edward Earp (or Harp)
to William Harp (or Earp). In 1789 in Johnston Co., a William Earp
and Nancey Woodard were witnesses to a deed from Thomas Proctor of
Johnston Co. to Thomas Woodard of Johnston Co. This Thomas Woodard
was the son of John Woodard of Edgecombe Co. (See p. 379)
If the land that Christopher Woodward owned
on Crabtree Creek was in fact near Thomas Phillips' land, then the
following Wake Co. land warrant may be of interest:
May 16th, 1778. James Jordan Enters Five
Hundred acres of Vacant Land in Wake County Lying on the West side
of Buffelow Creek Joining Thompson Bunches Line on the lower side
& Joining his own Line Including the Improvement where Thomas
Phillips now lives.
Of course, the name Jordan is of interest
since Christopher Woodward's oldest known son was named Jordan Woodward.
The name Bunch is also of interest. The Wake Co. marriage bonds record
the 1823 marriage of Budd Woodward to Nancy Bunch with Samuel Wilder
as the bondsman. According to Wake Co. Heritage, Nancy Bunch was the
daughter of David and Martha Bunch. Budd Woodward was born between
1800 and 1810. I have found no records that prove his father. He was
listed on the 1830 Wake Co. tax list with no land in the Little River
district. The Earps, Traywicks, Hatchers, Clenneys, and other families
that have appeared in records relating to Christopher Woodward or
his descendants lived near the Little River, as well as Jethro Woodward
and descendants of Thomas Woodard, son of John Woodard of Edgecombe
Co. (See Little River chapter)
Wake Treasures, Vol. III, No. 1, Spring
1993, a publication by the Wake Co. Genealogical Society, contains
an interesting article about the early military districts in Wake
Co. Each district had its own "Captain", and the districts
were referred to by the current Captain's name. So when the Captain
changed, the name of that district changed as well to reflect the
new Captain's name. Frequently a district can be recognized by the
names associated with them. According to this publication, Capt. Utley
(probably John Utley) was the Captain of the district which included
Middle Creek from 1777 to 1780. The court minutes of 1780 listed Capt.
Jones instead of Capt. Utley. From 1780 to 1782, E. Jones was the
Captain. Captain Woodward was listed in 1783 (surely Christopher Woodward
since Jordan at age 23 was still so young and "green").
No records could be found for 1784 to 1786. Lewis Jones was the Captain
from 1787 to 1789, then Etheldred Jones from 1790 to 1794. Augustus
Turner was the Captain from 1800 to 1802, followed by Pleasants Woodward
from 1802 when he was first mentioned through 1804. Since Etheldred
Jones was known as "Capt. Etheldred Jones" and John Utley
was known as "Capt. John Utley", I suppose Christopher Woodward
and Pleasants Woodward and Lewis Jones were also known as "Capt.
Christopher Woodward" and "Capt. Pleasants Woodward"
and "Capt. Lewis Jones" although I have never seen their
names recorded in that manner in records other than these. Doesn't
that make our ancestors sound impressive?
There were later records for Woodwards in
Wake Co. that cannot be related to any particular Woodward family.
However, some of the marriage records, especially for brides, would
seem to indicate that there were some descendants of Christopher Woodward
that can't be proven with the available courthouse records. Possibly
Richard Woodward and/or James Woodward left descendants in Wake Co.
But these unknowns could also be other unproven children of Jordan
Woodward or Corbell Woodward or one of the other unrelated Woodward
families that lived in the county. (See Unknown Woodwards chapter.)
In some wills, the children were named from
the eldest to the youngest, sometimes separated by sexes. Although
it has been difficult to pin down dates of birth for most of Christopher
Woodward's children, it would seem that he named his sons first in
order of their age, and then his daughters in the same manner. Jordan
Woodward stated in his Revolutionary War pension application that
his father had kept a family record which included his birth, but
he did not know what had ever become of it. Wouldn't we love to have
that record now!
Jordan Woodward
Jordan Woodward who stated that he was born
Feb. 13, 1760 in NC was the eldest known son of Christopher Woodward.
He was one of the executors of his father's estate and acted as the
guardian for his younger siblings, James Woodward and Mary Woodward.
He may have been married when Christopher Woodward wrote his will.
If not, he must have married soon after. His eldest known child was
born about 1787. Jordan's wife's name is said to have been Eadie Jones,
but there are no records to prove her or to prove the date of his
marriage. The name Eadie Jones as the wife of Jordan Woodward was
published in The History of Scotts Hill, Tennessee by Gordon H. Turner,
Sr. Mr. Turner did not give the source of this information, but it
is believed to have come from Zelma O'Neal. His actual statement was
in relation to Phoebe Ellen Woodward:
Mrs. Phoebe Ellen Austin was born near her
husband's N. Carolina birthplace in 1798. In great contrast to her
husband physically, she was a small woman seldom tipping the scales
at over 100 pounds. Her parents were Jourdan (variously also Jordan
and Jordon) Woodward and the former Eadie Jones. She was one of 15
brothers and sisters and her father was a Revolutionary War soldier.
Perhaps this should have said that Phoebe
Ellen was raised near her husband's birthplace. In another part of
his book, Gordon H. Turner stated that Charles Austin was born on
March 26, 1796 in rural Anson Co. near the community known as Austinville.
Phoebe Ellen could not have been born in Anson Co. as Jordan Woodward
did not move to Anson Co. until 1802. She must have been born in Wake
Co.
Letters written by Gordon Turner's wife,
Allean Wright Turner, to Lela Vee Hunt Peterson prior to the publication
of this book mentioned Eadie or Ada Jones as named by Zelma O'Neal,
a descendant of Benjamin Clenney and Cynthia Woodward. According to
Mrs. Turner's letters, Zelma O'Neal claimed that Cynthia Woodward
was the daughter of Jordan Woodward and Eadie or Ada Jones, so apparently
the name of Jordan's wife came originally from unknown sources available
to Zelma O'Neal. Since he decided to include this in his book, Gordon
H. Turner must have felt that Zelma O'Neal's source was reliable.
He also stated that Jordan Woodward was the father of fifteen children,
and that too seems to trace back to Zelma O'Neal.
None of the Jones wills of Wake Co. named
such a daughter. However, it's not known if Jordan had only one wife
or more than one. It is possible that his Jones wife died prior to
her father and therefore was not mentioned in any of the later Jones
wills. But a grandfather would frequently make provisions in his will
for the children of deceased children. There was no mention of Woodward
grandchildren in any of the Jones wills either, so Jordan's wife is
a mystery. There were several families of Jones in Wake Co. Unfortunately,
even unrelated Jones families of Wake Co. frequently used the same
given names (Nathaniel was especially popular), and it makes untangling
these Jones families a nightmare.
Capt. Etheldred Jones and Jordan Woodward
were the executors of Christopher Woodward's estate. Capt. Etheldred
Jones was a prominent and respected man in the community and owned
quite a bit of land. He was the guardian of Richard Woodward, orphan
of Christopher Woodward. On the grants map, Jordan Woodward's grant
was completely surrounded by land granted to Capt. Etheldred Jones,
which gives rise to speculation that Jordan's wife may have been a
daughter of Capt. Etheldred Jones. It would also make sense for Christopher
Woodward to choose as a second executor the respected father-in-law
of his son. However, there were other Jones families with whom Christopher
Woodward was also closely associated, Lewis Jones and William Jones,
so the parentage of Eadie or Ada Jones, if she was in fact the wife
of Jordan Woodward, is still up for grabs.
Jordan Woodward moved to Anson Co. in 1802
and lived there until his death between the 1840 and 1850 censuses.
In 1832, he applied for a Revolutionary War pension, stating that
he was born Feb. 13, 1760 in NC. (No records for Christopher Woodward
have been found anywhere in NC that early.) His name also appeared
on a US War Department Report on Pensions dated 1835 as one of the
"Invalid Pensioners Residing in Anson Co., N. C." This report
recorded: Jourdan Woodward, Pvt.; Sums Received $60; Description of
Service NC Militia; Age 74; Commencement of Pension Mar. 4, 1831.
In a letter to Lela Vee Hunt Peterson, Allean
Wright Turner included the following statement by Asa Lawrence Woodward
which Mrs. Turner stated was made to the Woodward Society of Virginia
and dated 5 May 1934. I don't know how Mrs. Turner obtained it, and
I have not been able to locate the original statement.
I am 84 years old on May 3. My wife is Phoebe
Ellen Austin. Her grandmother was Phoebe Ellen Woodward. My father's
name was Joseph (Josie) Henry Woodward, and his wife (my mother) was
Sallie Traywick. Father reared his family 40 miles from Charlotte,
N Car. His children were
Polly md Bill Griffin
Emaline md Jim Austin
Henry Diramt <sic>, married Fannie
Redfern Traywick
Asa Lawrence (myself) married Phoebe Ellen
Austin
Margaret Hazeltine married a Treadway
Lucinda married Joe Link
My grandfather was a preacher named Jeptha
Treadway Woodward. He had no sons except my father, Josie (Joseph).
He evidently lived near us as I remember him being at our house visiting.
If my memory is correct, I remember some of great aunts and uncles
being: Dabney, Jesse, Lucinda, Jordan, Dr. John, Ben, Bashaby (Bathsheba?),
Phoebe Ellen (married Charles Austin) and Jeptha (called "Jap").
Group sheets compiled by Mrs. Lillie Marie
Brown Smith give Henry Diramt Woodward's name as Henry Durant Woodward,
which certainly sounds more reasonable. One sibling that Asa Lawrence
Woodward remembered was named Jordan, and others he remembered named
their sons Jordan. These siblings were raised in Anson Co. Jordan
Woodward was the only Woodward in Anson Co. at that time, so Jeptha
Woodward and his siblings were certainly the children of Jordan Woodward.
Jeptha Woodward returned to Johnston Co. for a short period where
he married Sallie Hatcher, daughter of William Hatcher of Johnston
Co. Phoebe Ellen Woodward married Charles Austin, Bathsheba Woodward
married Jonathan Duck, Jesse Woodward married Sarah -?-, Benjamin
Woodward married Sallie Medlin, Dr. John Woodward married Trude -?-,
and William Dabney Woodward married Sarah -?-. I have no information
on Lucinda Woodward. I have wondered if she might be the same as Cynthia
Woodward named as a daughter of Jordan Woodward by Zelma O'Neal. But
Asa L. Woodward could not have personally remembered Cynthia as she
died in 1825 before he was born. Jordan Woodward, Jr. seems to have
moved to Mississippi and later Texas with his brothers. Jeptha, who
was born about 1787, was probably the oldest. There may have been
other children who were not included in this list.
The name Treadway appeared twice in Asa
L. Woodward's statement, once in Jordan's son, Jeptha Treadway Woodward.
This may have been an error. According to Union Co. Heritage, the
husband of Hazeltine Woodward was Emory Treadaway, son of William
Treadaway and Esther Jarman. William Treadaway (1827-1915) was the
son of Daniel Treadaway and Elizabeth Steagall. He was born about
1786 in Wilkes Co., NC where he later died and was buried while visiting
his family. In the early 1800's, he and his wife, Elizabeth Steagall,
left Wilkes Co. in a covered wagon to settle near Marshville close
to the Joseph H. Woodward family whose homeplace was one mile E of
Hamilton Crossroads Baptist Church. A daughter of Daniel Treadaway
and Elizabeth Steagall, Jane Elizabeth Treadaway, married Lewis Strawn.
They were the parents of Elijah Washington Strawn who married Dorcas
Delilah Woodward, a daughter of Joseph H. Woodward that Asa forgot
to mention. The daughter that Asa remembered as Lucinda Woodward who
married Joe Link was actually named Louisa Ann Woodward. There was
also a son named James Potter Woodward who died as an infant.
Jeptha Treadway Woodward, as he was named
by Asa, was born in Wake Co., where no Treadways or Treadaways seem
to have been living, long before the Treadaways left Wilkes Co. and
became associated with the Woodward family. So how did Jeptha end
up with the middle name Treadway? Was Asa L. Woodward confused, or
was there some other explanation? I have not attempted to trace the
Treadaway family further.
Zelma O'Neal claimed that her ancestor,
Cynthia Woodward, wife of Benjamin Clenney, was another daughter of
Jordan Woodward. This certainly sounds believable since Asa forgot
to name some of his own siblings and misnamed another, but it also
opens up a Pandora's Box. Allean Wright Turner sent the following
information which she had received from Zelma O'Neal to Lela Vee Hunt
Peterson:
From Zelma, as told to her by her grandmother,
descendent of Jordan Woodward. A young woman, Patience Clenny or McClenny,
was run off from home by her brothers because she was pregnant - not
married of course. The Jordan Woodwards took her in - the baby was
a boy, Benjamin Clenney, grew up in the Woodward home and married
one of their daughters, Cynthia. Cynthia died in Anson County in 1825
- when Zelma's I believe 3rd great grandfather was 2 weeks old - A
H Clenney. Would that have been reason for their moving (Jordan to
Anson Co) - However Zelma said the baby (Benjamin Clenney) was a George
- no relation to the Woodwards.
I suppose Mrs. Turner meant that the baby's
father was a Mr. George. In another letter to Lela Vee Hunt Peterson,
Allean Wright Turner related the story again:
As told to Zelma O'neal by her grandmother,
Viola Clenny O'neal, a great granddaughter of Jordan Woodward. Cynthia
Woodward was the daughter of Jourdon Woodward. Married Benjamin Clenny,
and died when their youngest child was two weeks old A H Clenny. A
H Clenny was born April 3, 1825 - therefore Cynthia his mother died
about April 17, 1825. Also that Cynthia Woodward Clenny had a brother
named Jesse. Tradition: Jourdan Woodward was 21 years old the day
after the Revolutionary War ended. (Jourdan Woodward's wife was Eadie
or Ada Jones (not sure of this).
If Viola Clenny O'Neal was in fact the great-granddaughter
of Jordan Woodward as stated here, then she must have been the granddaughter
of Benjamin Clenny and Lucinda Woodward and the daughter of A. H.
Clenny. Surely Viola would have known where her father was raised
and how he came to be raised in that home if it was not the home of
his parents.
Family group sheets compiled by Mrs. Lillie
Marie Brown Smith, wife of William Henry Harrison Smith, contain other
interesting notes on this family. William Henry Harrison Smith was
the son of Thomas Boone Smith and Sallie Cleveland Woodward. Sallie
was a daughter of Asa Lawrence Woodward and Phoebe Ellen Austin. Mrs.
Smith's group sheets contain references to "Three Forefathers"
and "Memoirs from Scotts Hill" which were written by Zelma
Margaret Oneal. She also noted, "Synthia had a son named Alvin
Hark Clenney who lived with grandfather (Jourdan) between 1820-1829."
(He could not have lived there this entire period as he was not born
until 1825.) Mrs. Smith's group sheet for Jourdan Woodward gave his
wife as Edie Jones and listed two children, Phoebe Ellen Woodward
and Synthia Woodward. On the group sheet labeled Josie Hatcher Woodward
she wrote, "Josie Hatcher had large plantation & lots of
servants. Arthur Strawn, son of Dorcas Delilah Woodward NC says 'his
grandad Josie H. was 6 ft. 8 in.' stout and owned 28 negroes and 1500
acres of land - note of Sallie C. Smith." Below this Mrs. Smith
wrote, "Japhad <sic> had 14 bros. & sisters."
There was no notation as to the source of this information. Dorcas
Delilah Woodward was the daughter of Joseph Hatcher/Henry Woodward
mentioned previously. Sallie C. Smith was Sallie Cleveland Woodward
Smith. (Strangely enough, Jeptha Treadway Woodward, called "Jap",
was not included on the group sheet prepared by Mrs. Smith concerning
the family of Jourdan Woodward and Edie Jones. Only Synthia and Phoebe
Ellen were listed as children even though information about Jeptha
was included on the back of the same sheet.)
The 1820 Anson Co. census for Benjamin Clenney
indicates that he was born by 1775 since his age was given as 45+.
His wife's age was 16-26. Jordan Woodward was only 15 years old in
1775 and certainly could not have taken in Patience Clenney before
Benjamin Clenney was born. The only Woodward of this line who was
old enough was Christopher Woodward. Benjamin Clenney's family sometimes
used the spelling McClenney. He had lived in Johnston Co. before moving
to Anson Co. The Johnston Co. marriage bonds included records for
the marriages of Pherebe Claney to William Oneil in 1784 and Charity
McClenney to William Hatcher in 1804. Phereby Oniel/Oneale and John
Duck were the administrators of the estate of William Oniel in Johnston
Co. in 1796. William Hatcher was the brother of Sallie Hatcher who
married Jeptha Woodward. The Clenney/McClenney family was certainly
associated with families known to connect to the Jordan Woodward family.
Cynthia Woodward's brother Jesse agrees with the Jesse named by Asa
Lawrence Woodward. These Clenneys, Oniels, Ducks, and Hatchers associated
with Jordan Woodward's family lived near the Little River in eastern
Wake Co. or northern Johnston Co. (See Little River chapter)
Asa Lawrence Woodward named nine children.
If you add Cynthia, that makes ten. However, Gordon H. Turner believed
that there were 15 children. Jordan's censuses would seem to support
nine, but it's possible that others died as infants. It's also possible
that one or more children were staying with relatives or in other
homes at census time and were not recorded with their own family.
So even though Jordan's censuses support nine children, there may
have been others who survived infancy but weren't recorded on the
census.
1790 Wake Co. 1 male 16+, 1 male 16-, 2
females
1800 Wake Co. 1 male 0-9, 1 male 10-15,
1 male 26-45, 4 females 0-9, 1 female 10-15, 1 female 26-45
Corbell Woodward occasionally appeared on
records as Corban Woodward, but he was named by his father in his
will as Corbell, and that is how his name was given in most of his
records. His Wake Co marriage bond to Charity Jackson was dated Aug.
25, 1787. John Seagraves was the bondsman. Corbell later left deeds
of gift in Wake Co. transferring land on Middle Creek to James Woodward
and John Woodward, referring to each as his son. The first deed was
to James Woodward dated Mar. 4, 1816 and witnessed by A. Turner. This
was for land on both sides of Middle Creek. Nine years later, in 1825,
he deeded to John Woodward more land on both sides of Middle Creek
adjoining James Woodward and Alfred (Moore?). This deed mentioned
Reedy Branch, Watery Branch, and Beaver Dam Branch. The witnesses
were A. Turner and William Rowland. James Woodward married Margaret
Adams in 1814, and John Woodward married Tempy Fish in 1816. James
Woodward and Margaret Adams left one known son, Andrew Jackson Woodward.
Andrew Jackson Woodward married Mary Helen Atkins in 1846 and left
six known children: Mary J. Woodward, Louisa A. Woodward, William
G. Woodward, Margaret V. Woodward, James A. Woodward, and Virginia
Florence Woodward. John Woodward and Tempy Fish apparently had several
children according to his 1830 census. None have been identified.
Sarah Woodward who married James Edwards in 1812 is believed to have
been a daughter of Corbell Woodward. Charles Seagraves was the bondsman
for their marriage. James Woodward, Corbell's son, was the administrator
of James Edward's estate. Sarah Woodward Edwards named a son Corbon/Corbin/Carbon
Edwards according to research done by Robert O. Edwards, a descendant
of this line. Corbell Woodward's name was sometimes found on records
spelled similarly.
In 1805, Corbell Woodward and Augustus Turner
were the bondsmen for the marriage of Thomas Harvell and Barbary Honeycut.
Corbell Woodward appeared on many records with Augustus Turner. Both
men left separate depositions as to the Revolutionary service of Titus
Jennings/Tennings Turner. Corbell was the bondsman for the marriage
of Augustus B. Turner to Polly Woodward. A. Turner witnessed both
of the deeds from Corbell to his sons, John and James Woodward. Although
this witness would seem to be Augustus Turner, there were other Turners
in the area whose first names began with an "A".
On June 27, 1806, Corbell Woodward was granted
17 _ acres on Middle Creek adjoining Timothy Tharp and his own line.
This is an interesting record as the 1780 Southampton Co., VA will
of Martha Jones (widow of James Jones who left his 1771 will in Southampton
Co.) named Timothy Thorp as a son in her will. James Jones left to
his wife Martha the land on which Capt. Timothy Thorpe lived. There
seem to have been several Timothy Thorps in Southampton Co., and I
haven't yet sorted them out or determined how or if Timothy Tharp
in Wake Co. related to them.
Corbell Woodward was living in 1825 when
he made the deed to his son John, but was not listed on the census
in 1830. He appeared on the tax lists as a landowner in Middle Creek
until 1824 when he listed 75 acres but was not listed in 1825 or 1826.
Since no records of a will or estate records have been found, this
1825 deed was probably made in anticipation of his death. Corbell's
records frequently reflected members of the Seagraves family and the
Turner family. There are some indications that he might have married
prior to Charity Jackson. His 1800 census listed 2 males 0-10 and
1 female 0-10 who were probably James, John, and Sarah. In addition,
there were 2 older females, one 26-45, who was probably Charity Jackson,
and another age 16-25 who has not been identified. Because of Corbell's
close ties to the Seagraves family, it is possible that the Mary Woodward
who married John Seagraves in 1800 was the daughter of Corbell Woodward
by an earlier marriage and the unexplained female on his 1800 census.
There were at least two John Seagraves in Wake Co., one elder and
one younger.
Pleasants Woodward
Detailed separately.
Elizabeth Woodward
Elizabeth Woodward's guardian was Jacob
Utley, appointed on Dec. 6, 1785. There is no marriage record in Wake
Co. for her. I have twice been sent information stating that she married
Jacob Utley, son of John Utley and Mary Cooke, on Dec. 6, 1785. However,
what I was sent included no reference to records that prove the marriage.
This marriage and the same date is also included in the Latter Days
Saints records, but the source and reliability are unknown. No such
son of John Utley is included in Joan Brink's book about the Utleys,
and the same date is given in the court minutes for the appointment
of her guardian. Sometimes husbands were listed as guardians for their
wives, but I have found no records for a Jacob Utley during this period
other than the son of William Utley and father of Winifred Utley who
was the only Jacob Utley listed on the 1790 census. I have not seen
any records that prove this information concerning the marriage of
Elizabeth Woodward, but neither can I disprove it. I have no idea
what the source was that proves her marriage if there are records
at all. There are no other marriage records for an Elizabeth Woodward
that could have been Christopher's daughter.
Richard Woodward
Etheldred Jones was the guardian of Richard
Woodward. Richard was listed in his own home in 1790 and was probably
married although there is no record of his marriage. The household
consisted of 2 males 16+ and 4 females. His 1800 census included 2
males 25-45, 1 male 0-10, 1 female 45+, 1 female 26-45, 2 females
10-15, and 4 females 0-10. The older female might have been his mother-in-law,
and some of the children could have been his wife's siblings or other
unknowns rather than his own children. Probably the children under
10 were his own. Because of the possibility of a combined family,
not much can be determined from his census except that he had probably
married before 1790 and produced an undertermined number of children.
In 1799, he purchased a Negro woman named Agnes from Thomas Barns
of Wake Co, witnessed by John Kimbrough. In 1806, he was the bondsman
for the marriage of Mary Woodward and Young Utley, son of John Utley
and Mary Cooke. This Mary Woodward was certainly a granddaughter of
Christopher Woodward, but her father has not been identified. Young
Utley divorced her for "no issue" and remarried in 1812.
No further records have been found for her. Richard Woodward disappeared
from Wake Co. records about 1809. Shortly before he disappeared, he
was listed in the indexes of the deed books as having purchased land
from Lewis Jones (recorded in 1808). He also made two deeds to Robert
T. Daniel recorded in 1808 and 1809. Deeds were sometimes recorded
several years after the actual transfer, so the exact dates these
deeds were written may have been earlier. Since he sold land shortly
before he disappeared, he probably left NC. He has not been identified
later living in another state.
James Woodward
The guardian for James Woodward was his
brother, Jordan Woodward. James may have continued to live in his
family home with his brother, Pleasants Woodward, after the death
of his father. He was not listed on the 1790 census as the head of
a household. In 1799, James Woodward married Elizabeth Utley, sister
of Winifred Utley and daughter of Jacob Utley and Phebe. Merrell Utley,
Elizabeth's brother, was the bondsman. James' 1800 census reflects
his age as 26-45, Elizabeth age 26-45, and a female age 0-10, possibly
a daughter. Elizabeth was deceased by 1804 when Phebe Utley wrote
her will. If James remarried, there is no record. He disappeared from
Wake Co. records about 1809, almost the same time as Richard Woodward.
On Nov. 22, 1806, James Woodward sold to Jacob Utley 25 acres on the
waters of Camp Branch adjoining the line of -?-(unreadable), Augustus
Turner, and the said Jacob Utley. According to the deed, the land
had been granted to him by the state in 1806. The witness was A. Turner.
Since both James and Richard sold land and disappeared at approximately
the same time, it is possible that they moved together to a new location.
Mary Woodward
Mary Woodward's guardian was her brother,
Jordan Woodward. She was the mother of an illegitimate child fathered
by Nathaniel Jones, son of Lewis Jones, according to the 1793 Wake
Co. court minutes. This child is discussed separately in relation
to Irene Woodard. Polly was a common nickname for Mary, and the two
records for the illegitimate child gave the mother's name once as
Mary Woodward and again as Polly Woodward, but both gave the father
as Nathaniel Jones. In 1801, as Polly Woodward, she married Augustus
B. Turner. Corbell Woodward was the bondsman for the marriage. I could
not find them on NC censuses until 1840 in Wake Co. At that time,
their ages were both given as 60-70, placing their dates of birth
between 1770 and 1780. Although there were several Mary Woodwards
in Wake Co., none of Christopher Woodward's granddaughters could have
been born this early, so the wife of Augustus Turner would have to
be Christopher's daughter. If she had any children by her Turner marriage,
none have been proven. A suspected son was Augustine Turner who married
Charrity Jones in Wake Co. in 1823 with Christopher Woodward (son
of Pleasants Woodward and Winifred Utley) as the bondsman. Since the
bondsman was frequently a member of the family, it is possible that
Christopher Woodward and Augustine Turner were first cousins if Augustine
was in fact the son of Mary "Polly" Woodward.
The wording of Christopher Woodward's will
permits the possibility that he might have had other children who
were not named in his will. He left legacies to seven named children
and stated that any residue should be divided equally between those
same seven children and named them again. He did not use the term
"all my children" or even state that the residue should
be divided between "my children". It is possible that there
might have been other children who were not named in the will and
had been provided for prior to the will. If there were other children
not named in the will, Jethro Woodward of Johnston Co. and Joseph
Woodward of Wake Co. might be candidates as descendants of Christopher
Woodward perhaps by an earlier marriage. Sometimes a father would
provide for his first set of children prior to his death, then leave
the remainder of his estate to his younger children. There are no
deeds or other records that indicate that this was the case though.
If the land records of Wake Co. were intact, we could infer something
from this, but that's not the case. It is obvious from Christopher
Woodward's will that he held much more land than the land entries
and grants reflected. So it's not impossible that he held other lands
that were given to other children. More information on this Joseph
Woodward and Jethro Woodward will be given separately.
As a result of the sketchy information concerning
the children of Christopher Woodward, it has been difficult to pick
up on names used consistantly in later generations. The Wake Co. censuses
for 1810 and 1820 were lost, so it's impossible to track even age
frames for children in these families. James and Richard Woodward
had disappeared before the 1810 census anyway. Perhaps someday they
or their families will be identified in some other locality.
There are no records of Christopher's wife,
as she was not mentioned in his will or earlier deeds or court records.
It cannot be determined if he had only one wife or more than one.
The children he named in his will could have been by several different
wives. His last wife, or at least the last wife that produced a surviving
child, probably lived until at least 1778. Christopher's youngest
daughter, Mary Woodward, produced a child by Nathaniel Jones mentioned
in the Wake Co. court minutes in 1793. Assuming Mary was at least
15 years old at that time, she would have been born by 1778. So her
mother must have died after her birth but before 1784 when Christopher
Woodward wrote his will. The mother of some or all of Christopher
Woodward's children may have been a daughter of James Sanders, Sr.
who owned land on Middle Creek and had inherited land in Nansemond
Co. from his father. The name Sanders appeared three times in later
Woodward generations, twice in grandchildren of Pleasants Woodward
and once in a son of Irene Woodard. However, the water is muddied
by another possible Sanders connection through the Utley family. This
will be discussed separately in relation to the Utleys. Another likely
family for Christopher's wife might be one of the Jones families.
The executors and witnesses mentioned in a will frequently reflected
members of the wife's family. The names Corbell, Pleasants, and Jordan
might also reflect the wife's family or earlier ancestry behind either
Christopher Woodward or his wife.
There is a Nansemond Co. vestry record in
Suffolk Parish for a Christopher Woodward who could be the same as
Christopher Woodward later of Johnston and Wake Cos., but the Nansemond
Co. courthouse records were destroyed in a fire. The one mention of
Christopher Woodward in the vestry records does not contain sufficient
information to prove that Christopher Woodward of Suffolk Parish in
Nansemond Co. and Christopher Woodward of Wake Co. were the same person.
However, the more I work with the records that are available, the
more I believe that our Christopher Woodward did come from Nansemond
Co. before moving to Middle Creek. Families of Corbells and Jordans
are known to have lived there, and the ancestors of the Sanders of
Wake Co. seem to trace back to Nansemond Co. as well. Granville Co.
deeds reveal a Richard Woodward of Nansemond Co. who may relate. (See
p. 383)
All families have their share of "family
lore". Occasionally there is some basis to these stories, but
frequently the stories are confused or totally inaccurate. It is wise
to use these tales only as a guide for areas of research, but unless
other records are found to give them credence, they should not be
taken too seriously. One example is the story that Pleasants Woodward's
children by Winifred Utley went to live with Jordan Woodward after
Pleasants' remarriage. This has been disproven. (See p. 178) Still
another is the story of Jordan Woodward having fifteen children (See
p. 20) and taking in Patience Clenney, the mother of Benjamin Clenney,
before his birth. (See p. 22) Descendents of China Woodward Green
believed that there was some connection between the Woodwards and
the Taylor family. (See p. 40) William Joseph Woodward and John Andrew
Woodward both related a story of Woodward brothers, surveyors, who
came to America from England. (See p. 161, 162) This seems worthy
of closer examination as some parts of the story ring true. (See Woodward
Surveyors chapter)
Another case is the statement by A. J. Woodward
recorded in Emma White Woodward's letter that Pleasants Woodward came
from Jamestown and his father (unnamed) came from England. There is
probably some confusion here, but A. J. Woodward certainly thought
that some ancestor had lived in Jamestown with England in the family
history before that. Since Christopher Woodward seems to have been
very well educated, perhaps he was raised and/or educated in England.
A. J. Woodward did not name Pleasants' father, but that does not necessarily
mean he had never known his name. Perhaps he simply neglected to give
his name, or wasn't sure he remembered it correctly and just gave
the facts that he could remember. It happens that Pleasants' father,
Christopher Woodward, had the same name as the 1620 immigrant, Christopher
Woodward, who landed at Jamestown and lived near the James River a
few miles upstream from Jamestown in later years. Could A. J. Woodward
have confused his great-grandfather, Christopher Woodward, whom he
believed came from England and lived for some time at Jamestown, with
the earlier Christopher Woodward whose name and history were so similar?
Descendents of this immigrant did later live in James City Co. If
Jordan was mistaken as to his place of birth, it is even possible
that Christopher Woodward was an English immigrant who spent some
time in Jamestown where Pleasants was born, then removed to Johnston
Co. a few years later. Unfortunately, like the Nansemond Co. records,
the Jamestown records were also lost to fire.
s
Copyright: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Date Created: Saturday, 01-Feb-1997, 12:01 AM
Date Modified:
Saturday, 20-Oct-2007 9:45 AM
