>-----Original Message-----
From: Nadine Holder <nadin@c2i2.com>
To: jedwardstarr@sprintmail.com <jedwardstarr@sprintmail.com>
Date: Monday, November 09, 1998 10:16 AM
Subject: Fw: Thomas Woodward/Rachel Starr
Well, here goes - I hope I can make some sense out of a lot of handwritten notes sent by my cousin. This exercise isn't just for you - I am writing a book about our Woodward family from Chester County and since Rachel Starr's grandmother was Sarah Woodward, half-sister of my gr-gr-gr-gr-grandfather William Woodward, I will probably include some of this information.
My note; Genealogy of Berks County Families by John Eshelman, 1930 - records from original Quaker records: does not make the leap that the Starr family history does to Richard Woodward - only shows Rachel married unknown Woodward.
Family Group Sheet, prepared by Ralph M. Woodward, 3441 E. Co. Rd 600S, Carlisle, IN 47838, phone 812-398-3572. References given are DAR application , Henry County, Indiana history, Preble County, Ohio, History, Preble County Ohio Cemetery Inscriptions by Robert D. Craig, Preble Co., Ohio Common Pleas Court 1-5-1850, Hazzard's Military History of Henry County, Indiana (Hazzard was a great grandson of Thomas and Rachel) and various census records.
Thomas Woodward, born at sea, married 1779, Philadelphia, died 1822 Preble County, Ohio.
Rachel Jane Starr, born 25 June 1754 (tombstone says 24 June 1753) Chester Co., Pa, died 2 September 1838, age 85 yr, 2m, 8d, Warren County, Indiana, burial in West Lebanon, Indiana, by son Eli. Places of residence: Chester County, Pennsylvania, Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, Versailles, Kentucky, Preble County, Ohio
Jacob Woodward, born about 1780 (Under 21 and over 16 in 1800, served War of 1812, married Margaret McCormick, died April 1821, Preble County, Ohio
Asabel Woodward, born March 24, 1791, Rockingham County, Virginia, served War of 1812, married 1 Oct 1815 Cathrine Hollett, died 29 March 1875, Henry County, Indiana, burial Newcastle, South Mound Cemetery.
Phebe Woodward, born 8 Aug 1792, Virginia, married 27 November 1817 to Josiah Clawson, died 5 Feb 1862, Henry County, Indiana
Eli Woodward, born 26 February 1794, Virginia, served War of 1812, married first 20 Nov 1818 to Mary Davis, married second 28 December 1826 in Preble County, Ohio, to Cathrine Wolfe, died 1 March 1876 in Warren County, Indiana, buried West Lebanon Indiana cemetery (tall stone, south side).
Thomas B(?) Woodward, Jr. born about 1795-98, Fayette County, Kentucky
Order Book#1, page 417, Thomas Woodward, Jr. bound to John Bryant till age 21 to learn saddlers trade 10 July 1809, died Henry County, Indiana (?)
Nathan Woodward, died 4 March 1832, never married, idiot.
Mahlon Woodward, born 20 March 1799 per Brown Family Bible in possession of Kathleen Ross, never married, died Warren County, Indiana, idiot.
Lydia Woodward Polly Woodward, married 6 Aug 1809, Bourbon County, Ky marriage records to William Hickman (note Thomas Woodward names Hickman grandchildren in his will).
Abigail Woodward
From research done by a Bourbon County, Kentucky, researcher: (tax lists)
1800 Thomas Woodard listed 1 white male over 21, 1 over 16 and under 21, and 3 horses (son Jacob)
1802, 1803 Thomas Woodard not listed
1804 Thomas Woodard listed with 1 white male over 32 and 5 horses
1805 Thomas Woodard 1 white male, 3 horses
1806 Thomas Woodard 1 white male over 32, 3 horses (Nadine's note - counted horses and not women!)
Jacob Woodard, 1 white male over 21, 3 horses
1807 Thomas Woodward 1 white male over 21, 6 horses
Jacob Woodward 2 white male over 21, 4 horses.
Jacob and Thomas not listed after 1807.
There is a miscellaneous note by one Woodward researcher (Dee Cooper) that Thomas Woodward purchased land in Bourbon County, Kentucky on 7/23/1800. On the same day land was purchased there by Abel Griffith, the Reverend of the 7th day Baptist Church, the Brandywind Baptist Church in Newlin Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Was this the "Baptist teacher" who married Thomas and Rachel? Ralph Woodward was unable to verify these land records. The Brandywine Baptist Church is one place to look for the records of Thomas and Rachel's marriage. (note there is an Administration #138 of 1807 in Philadelphia for Thomas Woodward and again in 1809 Administration #115 - both these files are missing, but date of the administration shows likely source of money for Thomas Woodward to move to Ohio after 1807 taxation was the administration of this Thomas Woodward's will. More of this Thomas Woodward in Philadelphia later.)
Pioneer Ohio Newspaper Abstracts 1802-18
Western Spy, Hamilton, Ohio 6 April 1822 List of letters at Hamilton
Ohio, P.O. - Thomas Woodward (note this would probably be son Thomas
Woodward??)
Early Ohio Settlers - SW Ohio 1800-1840
Woodward, Asabel 7 Nov 1815 Preble County Section 5, Range 1 Township 7
Woodward, Thomas 15 April 1812, Section 4, Range 2 Township 7
Woodward, Thomas 12 April 1814, Section 4, Range 2 Township 7
(not clear if the above are tax lists or purchases)
Philadelphia City Directories show:
1798 Woodward, Thomas, sea captain 236 So. Second St
1802 Woodward, Thomas, sea captain, 210 Spruce St
1803, 1804, 1805 Woodward, Thomas, sea captain, Corner Pine & 3rd
1806 Not listed
Maritime records: 1798 Master of Brig Maria for Havana, 1799 and 1800 same brig for Laguayra
1802 Master of ship Wilmington for Lisbon, 1804 same ship for Rotterdam
Notices of marriages and deaths - Boulson's American Daily Advertiser: Captain Thomas Woodward md Miss Margaret Houston 24 Oct 1792, Second Pres. Church, Phila.
Deaths - Captain Thomas Woodward died November last - published 25 February 1807 - died in the Pongus, Africa in November last Captain James Woodward (sic - name shown once as Thomas, once as James) schooner Three Friends of Charleston, South Carolina
Mariners of the American Revolution by Kaminkow, Marion J. Woodward, Thomas, mariner captured on Little Porgy (or Pegey) committed to Old Mill Prison, was there Apr & Jan 1782, Home Office Records Bibliography #35. Taught navigation to other prisoners while there.
Note: (by Nadine) the above records argue for Thomas of Preble County being son of Thomas the sea captain. Accounts for birth at sea recorded in Preble County Cemetery records, and for Thomas being able to move from Kentucky to Ohio after 1807 when Thomas, sea captain, will was administrated.
Since there is no record of Thomas Woodward in Kentucky after 1807 and
his first record in Ohio is 1814 - where were they? Philadelphia? Daughter Polly was not given in marriage by Thomas in Bourbon County, Kentucky in 1809 "as the parents were out of the state" per Bourbon County marriage records. Thomas made a two year payment at once on his land entered in Preble County, Ohio in 1814 and two years later made a double payment. An affidavit from his son Eli in 1850 in a law suit in Preble County, Ohio says his father received and spent a considerable inheritance. Thomas Woodward in Preble County was called "Captain" even in cemetery records. Henry County, Indiana, history says Asbel's father was "first of his line not to follow the sea."
Lawsuit in Preble County, Ohio brought 1849 by son of Jacob against Uncle Eli, and Henry Paddock as administrator's of the estate of Jacob. Jacob had died in February 1821. At the time of his death, Jacob left a widow, Margaret, and six children from 2 to 14 years of age. He had 160 acres of land and considerable personal property. The court found in favor of the defendants. Evan also brought suit against Uncle Eli and Uncle Asabel concerning Thomas Woodward's estate. Thomas died in the fall of 1821 and left a will saying grandchildren should inherit a portion of his estate which was first to be held for the support of the grandmother (Rachel) and two idiot brothers of Jacob, Eli, and Asabel (Nathan and Mahlon). The grandmother died in 1838 and Nathan in 1832 but grandchildren had received nothing. Eli and Asabel convinced the court that the estate was gone by the time the grandmother and brothers died and nothing was left. Jacob's heirs had to pay court costs when they were ruled against. Ralph Woodward has seen an affidavit by Eli Woodward in this lawsuit stating Thomas Woodward received a considerable inheritance and that Rachel Woodward also received an inheritance from Pennsylvania (Nadine's note: is this the five pounds left her by James Starr?)
Census records found by Nadine - NewCastle, Henry Township, Henry County, Indiana, July 22, 1850:
#4 Pyrhus Woodward, 27, Carpenter, Ohio, wife Mary E., age 24, born Indiana (this is Mary Hawkins per History of Wayne County, Indiana). #95 Josiah Clawson, 57, farmer, born Ohio, wife Phebe, 57, born Virginia. A Sarah Deselins, age 32, born Ohio, is living with them and may have been a widowed daughter). Hazzard's Military History of Henry County, Indiana, contains a lot of information from a diary kept by Pyrhus Woodward who served in the Mexican War). Pyrus was a son of Asbel, Hazzard was a grandson of Asbel. Pyrus had a daughter who married a Spencer and was a very early DAR member at Newcastle, Indiana (see DAR note below). Hazzard's History also contains the information that Thomas was married in Philadelphia and that he migrated to Rockingham County, Virginia, and in 1802 to Versailles, Kentucky.
DAR#77480 Woodward, Thomas B., born at sea, service - he was in Captain George Garst's Company, Eighth Battalion, Chester County Militia Colonel Patterson Bell, May 5, 1878. (Nadine's note: this places him in Chester County just before alleged marriage to Rachel Starr - records of Quaker sufferings in Chester County complain of having to billet soldiers - hence it is even possible Thomas Woodward was billeted in the home of James Starr!). This DAR record lists children Jacob, Asabel, Eli, Nathan, Malon, Lydia, Polly, Phebe, Abigail.
There are DAR records showing that Thomas Woodward, married Rachel Starr, served in South Carolina. Later research shows evidence that the Thomas Woodward who served in South Carolina also served in the War of 1812 and became a large slaveholder in Arkansas and Louisiana.
(Nadine's note: This is not too surprising as many of the early DAR records are quite erroneous before they started checking their applications!)
Will of Thomas Woodward made October 11, 1821: In the name of God Amen. I Thomas Woodward of the County of Preble and the state of Ohio, being weak in body but of sound mind and memory, do make this my last Will and Testimony in manner following to wit:
I do give to my wife Rachel all the profits arising from the plantation on which I now live, the stock of every kind, household furniture and farming utensils during her life, except one buroe, which I do give to my grandaughter, Polly Woodward, at the death of her grandmother, to be deposited in the hands of my son Eli until she comes of age. I do give my sons Eli, Nathan and Mahlon, at the death of my wife, the part of said plantation that lies on the east side of fourmile creek, to be equally divided amongst them. I do give to my son Mahlon the part of said plantation that liels on the west side of fourmile, land one hundred dollars - I do give to my son Nathan one quarter section of land that I own in the Indiana state. At the death of my wife, I do give the stock of every kind, and moveable property to my sons Nathan and Mahlon, except fifty dollars that I give to my son Asabel, and sixteen dollars I do give to my grandaughter Rachel Hickman, which is to be made out of apart of said property. I do appooint my sons Asabel and Eli to execute this, my last will and also to take the full guardianship over my sons Nathan and Mahlon, and the full management of their property accompanied with my sincere wish that you will not seem them changed in any respect if they or either of them have any lawful issue, I allow them to inherit their estate, and if not, I allow said estate to be equally divided amongst all the grandchildren that I may have at that time, in witness whereof, I here unto set my hand and seal this eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord 1821. I do not allow any of the property left in the hands of my sons Asabel and Eli, and desire for the use of Nathan and Mahlon, to be taken for military fines. Thomas Woodward, his mark. Test Audley Taylor, Joseph Smith
Hazzard's History of Henry County, Indiana, states Thomas Woodward came from England and settled in Philadelphia, married in Philadelphia. (Nadine's note: We have found no possible Thomas Woodward among the Woodwards of Chester County, Pennsylvania, that might have married Rachel Starr - this then makes sense - making Thomas Woodward a much later immigrant from England and no connection to the Chester County Woodwards.) Bowen's History, 1902, page 44. Thomas Woodward, a Revolutionary hero, first of his family who did not follow the sea as a means of livelihood. Learned shoemaking and worked at his trade in Philadephia. Served in Chester County, Pennsylvania, military company in Colonel Patterson Bell's regiment and was captured at Germantown October 4, 1777 but escaped from a rail pen jail. Moved to Kentucky about 1802 and lived in Woodford County at Versailles but lived his later years in or near Preble County, Ohio.
(see also PA Archives 5th series page 813, and Pa archives 2nd series vol XIV pages 112-113.)
Nadine's notes: I see nothing in all of this that is positive proof that Rachel Starr, daughter of James Starr of Chester County, Bradford Meeting, is this Rachel Starr although the birthdate on her tombstone looks close. There is a lot of very strong evidence here but ???? Richard Woodward who was disowned at Bradford in 1779 could also still be a candidate. I think it rather odd that Thomas and Rachel Woodward had no children born between 1780 and 1791. Could Thomas have been married to someone else about 1779 and married another Rachel about 1790????