Woodson

Home Page    Walker    Barnett     Porters    Tidewater Area Page
Allen/Woodson/Porter Mix


THE WOODSON FAMILY  

All material on all these pages are copyrighted, please do not reproduce, copy, or distribute in any manner without permission.  We are all willing to share our work, but many hours and dollars have gone into these records
and all we would like is for each person to get the recognition and the "say-so" how their line is treated.  
  Researchers - if I have not give you credit for information you have shared, please let me know. 
If you have additonal information, please be sure to send the source with it.

This page edited 08 Aug 2001                                 emailbar.jpg (2037 bytes)


(Note:  HISTORICAL GENEALOGY OF THE WOODSON & THEIR CONNECTIONS, compiled by Henry Morton Woodson has been found to have many errors.  We have researched the line below and corrected all of the errors and have the sources to back up the research.) 

Many other articles and books have been written about the Woodson families and their different lines.  Some of those are Genealogies of Virginia Families,  William & Mary Quarterly, Volume 5; Tidewater Virginia Families, by Virginia Lee Hutcheson Davis; The Valentine Papers; plus individual books from counties of Virginia that list abstracts, marriages, etc. 

I will only deal with the direct line from Dr. John Woodson to Shadrach as there are several in the Woodson group that have spent lots of time and effort making corrections to the Woodson Book and they will soon be publishing their efforts.  Much of the information below is from Ann and has been corrected from errors found in the original Genealogy of the Woodson Family. 

FIRST GENERATION

Dr. John Woodson, b. ca 1586 Dorsetshire, England, m. bef 1619 in England and d. ca 1644 Henrico Co., VA.  m. Sarah Winston.  Dr. John and Sarah came to the Virginia Colonies 29 January 1619/1620 on the Ship George.  The Muster records shows John Woodson and wife Sarah with "Corne, 4 bushells; Powder, 1 lb.; Lead, 3 lb.; Peece fixt, 1; Sword, 1". 
Dr. John was a surgeon and was serving a company of soldiers from England.  He settled in Flowerdew Hundred, also known as Peirsey's Hundred.  This land lay on the south side of the James River.
It was there that Dr. John lost his life and the stories passed down were varied about the different Indian attacks.  One story said that Sarah threw mattresses in the fire place and lite them to keep the Indians from coming in that way.  The most common story is that Sarah saved her sons, John and Robert, by hiding one under a tub and the other in a "potato hole".   When John was killed, Sarah remarried a Mr. Johnson and the inventory of her estate was recorded in January 1660 in Henrico County.   

 

SECOND GENERATION

Robert Woodson, b. 1634, Henrico Co., VA, m. ca 1656, Henrico Co., VA, d. aft 1707, Henrico Co., VA  m. Elizabeth Ferris, d. bef 1680 at Curls, Henrico Co., VA.  Some of the best information found on Robert is in Tidewater Families of Virginia, by Ms. Davis, pps. 403 - 418.  p. 404 "There does not appear to be any record of the births of Robert's children, but from later business transactions and court records, some dates have been inferred."  Also, some of his children were named in his brother, John's, will.  As in many instances, the loss of records have destroyed much of the information of Robert and of his death. 

THIRD GENERATION

Benjamin Woodson, b. ca 1666, Curls, Henrico Co., VA, m. 1700, d. bef 1723, Henrico Co., VA  m.    Sarah Porter, dau. of William Porter Jr.  The will of Benjamin has supposedly been recorded Henrico, August Court, 1723, but according to Genealogies of Virginia Families, Virginia William & Mary Quarterly, Vol. 5, p. 545, they were unable to find it.   

    FOURTH GENERATION:  
Sarah Porter and Benjamin Woodson had the following children:

i.

BENJAMIN was born circa 1701. Benjamin died 1735 at 34 years of age. He married ELIZABETH WATKINS circa 1730. Elizabeth was born 1712. Elizabeth was the daughter of Thomas Watkins and Elizabeth Pride. She married WILLIAM DANIELS after 1734/5. Elizabeth died 1802 at 90 years of age.

ii.

JOHN was born circa 1701. John died circa 1790. He married MARY MILLER 10 Aug 1731. Mary was born 1710. Mary was the daughter of William Miller. Mary died 12 Dec 1775 at 65 years of age. John was a Member of Committee of Safety in 1775; Patriot Member at 1774-76 Convention and member of the Convention that passed the "Declaration Right" 29 Jun 1776. (TX DAR,p. 2349)

iii.

ROBERT was born circa 1702. Robert died circa 1748. He married REBECCA PRYOR circa 1720. Rebecca was born circa 1700. Rebecca was the daughter of John Pryor.   Robert's will, written 7 May 1748 and proved 19 Sep 1750 shows that all of his children were minors. Rebecca was still alive when she relinquished her dower rights in August of 1754.

iv.

SARAH was born circa 1703. She married JOHN ALLEN, circa 1720.

v.

JOSEPH was born circa 1705. Joseph died 1791 at 86 years of age. He married SUSANNA WATKINS circa 1726. Susanna was born circa 1706. Susanna was the daughter of Thomas Watkins and Elizabeth Pride. Susanna died after 1760. Joseph died, Littleton Parish, Powhatan Co., VA. His will is in Will Book 1, p. 206.

vi.

ELIZABETH was born circa 1706. She married JAMES DANIEL circa 1723. James was born circa 1700. James died circa 1760.

vii.

WILLIAM was born circa 1709. William died circa 1785. He married SARAH ALLEN circa 1730 (or Goochland Co., VA). Sarah was born after 1699/0. 

Cumberland Co. VA was formed from Goochland Co., VA in 1749 so William did not move.

One VERY curious note about William and his wife, Sarah Allen. They named one of their children Shadrach. Where did this name come from, as it was not found in ancestors of William Woodson's family, but is found in the MIMS family. Robert Woodson, brother of William, had a daughter, Elizabeth who married Shadrack Mims as his 2nd wife. Elizabeth was the great grandmother of Jesse and Frank James. (The following spelled and written as in original form)

Will of William Woodson : "To son Jesse Woodson by Deed such a part of my estate as I intended for him; remainder of my estate now in possession of Jessee Woodson to be equally divided between my grandson Drury Woodson the son of Drury and my grandson William the son of Shadrack. To Drury and William 125 acres part of tract that I give Shadrack Woodson. Drury Woodson executor One of the witnesses was Mary Woodson - The Valentine Papers list the will as Proved 27 June 1785 and dated 24 July 1784. ** GENEALOGICAL RECORDS OF BUCKINGHAM COUNTY, VIRGINIA, by Edythe R. Whitley, pub. 1984, p. 114:

William Woodson, late of Buckingham County, now of Cumberland County, owned in fee simple 200 acres of land on the branches of Randolph's Creek in said Buckingham County. The land is now in the possession of John Bagby. Drury Woodson, son of William, claimed the land was his by reason of a gift, Jesse Woodson, another son of William, claimed his father had promised his 100 acres on the occasion of his (Jesse's) marriage. An agreement was reached between William, Drury, and Jesse. Also mentioned was Shadrach Woodson, another son of William. The agreement was signed by William Woodson on 17 March 1783. (Cumberland County Deed Book 6, p. 149)

Children of William and Sarah Allen Woodson

i. Jesse Woodson, b. bef 1730, Cumberland Co., VA, m. Mary Ann Toney, b. bef Oct 1776, VA, d. bef 1820, Cumberland Co., VA.   Jesse d. Oct 1808 Cumberland Co., VA - *Allen is not an issue of this couple as stated in the Woodson Genealogy.  Jesse's will mentions wife Mary Ann and children of his brother, Shadrach.
ii. Drury Woodson, b. abt 1724, Cumberland Co., VA,  m. Lucy Christian 1756 Cumberland Co., VA, d. bef 24 Nov 1788 Cumberland Co., VA.. Lucy, dau. of Charles Christian & Judith Woodson, b. abt 1735, Goochland Co., VA, d. Cumberland Co., VA.  (Drury's Will  - Cumberland Co. Will Book 5, p. 442, written 7 May 1788 and prob. 24 Nov 1788)
    i. William, b. 1757, Cumberland Co., VA, d. unmarried in Rev. War
   ii. Charles, (Capt.) b. 30 Dec 1759, Cumberland Co., VA, d. 1830, m. Judith Leake, dau of Josiah Leake and Ann Fenton.
  iii. Judith Woodson, m. Isaac Johnson
  iv. Nancy Woodson, m. Philip King.  Both d. in Warren Co., TN
   v. Mary Polly Woodson, m. William King.
  vi. Elizabeth Woodson, m. Charles Gilliam
vii. Martha Woodson, m. Peyton Riddle
viii. Drury Woodson, m. Sally Stoval, dau. of Bartholomew Stovall & Tabitha Moss.
  ix. Henry Woodson.
iii. Shadrach Woodson - see below 

SHADRACH  WOODSON   FAMILY

The Shadrach Woodson family has led us on a chase for many years.  Ann & I still have to "fend off" those who want to put another generation between this Shadrach and William.   We finally got proof that he was the son of William and Sarah Allen and that he did marry Susannah Walker, not Watkins, dau. of David Walker Jr. and granddaughter of David Walker Sr.

Shadrach was born in Goochland Co. to William and Sarah Allen Woodson.  He & Susannah Walker married 14 Aug 1766 in Buckingham Co., VA and lived in Cumberland, Buckingham and Henry Co., VA
(Probably never moved from Goochland, but Cumberland Co. was formed)
Shadrach is listed in TYTHABLES IN 1773 and 1774 in Buckingham Co., VA.
Shadrach bought 160 acres in Henry County for three thousand one hundred pounds, 24 May 1781. 
He is listed in Franklin Co. Property Tax in 1787. 
Shadrach and Susannah were listed as "of Buckingham Co" in 14 Nov 1780 when they "conveyed" to Issac Bryant  220 acres in Buckingham and Cumberland Co.   This was the same land conveyed to Shadrach by his father William Woodson.    (Cumberland Deed Book 6, p. 94)


HENRY COUNTY VIRGINIA WILL ABSTRACTS, Vol. 1 & 2,
abst’d & comp’d by Lela C. Adams, 1985

p.9 DB 1 -ps 59/60 - Inventory and apprisal of Andrew Kelly. 20 Apr 1782, recorded 23 May 1782 - By Shadrach Woodson, Stephen Lee, Joseph Showers Price....T:51.6.0

 
Shadrach died in Franklin Co., VA abt. 1796 and his estate was probated in Garrard Co., KY in 1797 (part of the estate "to Keeping & Boarding the Five Children from the timeof her Husband's Shadrach Woodson Dec'd till now.  To be paid out of the Bonds that are to be collected, 21 Nov 1797") Susannah married Heziekel Ford of Shelby Co., KY in 1797.

- Genealogy Abstracts from 18th Century Virginia Newspapers, by Robert K. Headley Jr., pub. 1987, p. 376 - 7 Aug 1798, Franklin Co., Ct. of Q.S.,  - Wm Akers (compl) against Hezekian Ford and Susannh his wife widow and relict of Shadrack Woodson dec'd who is admx. of the sd. Shadrack Woodson and Joseph Price (defs); it appears that Ford and his wife are not inhabitants of the country.  (LWG 13 Oct 1798)

Susannah  died about 1798/9, leaving orphans.  They probably moved in with Jane Woodson Barnett after Susannah's death. 
Children of Shadrach and Susannah:

     i. Sarah J. (Sally) Woodson, married 1784 Rev. Randolph Hall, son of Rev. Nathan   Hall of VA. Brenda     Brenda's home page
      ii. David Woodson, m. 1795 Margaret "Peggy" Ritter, dau of of Abraham & Margaret Ritter.  *see below
     iii. Frances (Fanny) Walker Woodson, m. Joseph Ellis.  *see below
     iv. William Woodson, m. 1st - 1797 Tabitha Newkin (Nowlin), dau of James (Nowland) Nowlin in Garrard Co., KY; m. 2nd 1835 Ann Burton Baker.   *see below
     v. Jane Woodson, m. 1796 Edward Barnett Jr. in Lincoln Co., KY.  Jane d. bef 1815.    Patty's Line
    vi. Joseph (Jesse) Woodson, m. 1798 Sarah Ford, in Bourbon Co., KY, dau. of Hezekel Ford of Shelby Co.  Joseph d. ca 1806 and Sarah d. 1863.   *see below
  vii. Shadrach Woodson Jr.,b. 1784,  m. 1st Elacy Ritter; 2nd - Martha Haines (Haynes).  Ann
   viii. Judith "Judah" Woodson, m. Neal Hall, d. Barren Co., KY  Nancy, Jo,
     ix. Betsy (Elizabeth?) Woodson, m. 1st. - Eleaser Barnett; 2nd - Thomas Denton; 3rd - John H. Fowler, she died in Arkansas.
      x. Susannah Woodson, m. John Legan (first wife) 1812, Henry Co., KY

* - Ann has more generations available

Guardianship of Elizabeth & Judah Woodson to Edy Barnett - 17 Aug 1807: "Know all men by these presents that we Eddy Barnette Eleszer Barnett a& "??? Yantiz are held and fimly ---- to John Brew Edward Johnston and Augustine Jennings Trustees of the Peace  --- Garrard County in the Penaly of one hundred and fifity pounds Lawfeel money  of Kentucky the Payment well --------be made we bind ourselves our Heirs ---- and severally by these presents -----our hands and seal This 17th day of August 1807.  The condition of the above obligation is such that whereas the above ----- Edy Barnette hath this day been chosen Guardian to Elizabeth Woodson adn Judah Woodson orphans of Shadrach Woodson Dec'd by the Court of Garrad --- therefore the said Edy Barnette deligently collect and acc----pt and pay to the said Elizabeth and Judah Woodson all the Estate which they now or may hereafter be entitled to during Their minority or to such other Person or persons as shall be legally Authorized to receive the same and shall Regularly make up and --- in his Guardianship at such tieme as he shall be required by law or by th esaid Court and shall also in all other Partivulars faithfeely execute the said office of Guardian then --- Obligations to be void else to remain in full force."  Signed by Eddy Barnett and his seal, El'ez Barnett and his seal and John Yantiz and his seal.

Betsy and Judith were married on the same day, 17 Aug. 1807 and that was also the day Edward Jr. and Eleaser were made their guardians.  The guardianship papers were probably needed to sign the marriage records. 
We have more info on Betsy, Judy and Shadrach Jr. = just let us know how we can help.


Home Page    Walker    Barnett     Porters    Allen/Woodson/Porter Mix