Joseph S. COX, Benjamin's son, b 30 Sep 1802 in VA. d 17 Dec 1878 Wood Co, OH married Jane Rebecca UNDERWOOD 3 Sep 1838 in Wood Co. OH. She was born 11 Mar 1818 in OH of unknown parents who were born in PA. (according to her in the 1880 census). She died 13 Jun 1887 in Wood Co, OH. Jane and Joseph COX are buried in Dowling Cem., Wood Co., OH. This is just about all that I know about Jane UNDERWOOD COX- no birth record other than the dates in the Cox Bible, no reference to any UNDERWOOD relative. And yet there were a number of UNDERWOODS in Wood County early on.
Wood County Ohio was formed in 1820 from Logan County about the same time that Hancock and Hardin Counties were formed. Wood Co. extended north of the Maumee River until 1835 when Lucas County was formed. There were two UNDERWOOD males who were early settlers into the Wood County area. They were Artemus and Gilbert UNDERWOOD who were there as early as 1818 according to Mom's notes of Evers' Wood County History. A reconstructed 1820 Wood County census also shows their presence in the Roche de Bouf (Waterville) area. According to Early Ohio Tax Records, a GPC book, Artemus UNDERWOOD paid personal property taxes in 1826. According to Judy Green, Gilbert UNDERWOOD is on that tax list as well. By the 1830 census, however, there is no Underwood to be found in Wood County OHIO.
There was a William UNDERWOOD in Wood Co. Liberty township for the 1840 census. It appears that this must be William who was born in Ohio in 1817, who married Fannie and their son John, who was under 5 in this census. John was later killed during the Civil War in Vicksburg. By the 1850 census, Louisa, James, Frances, Catherine (Josephine) and Charlotte had also been born and they all continued to live in Liberty Township. In 1855, the UNDERWOOD family lived at the old "Mackie House". This was the first frame structure that was built in Bowling Green on the Plain side of Mt. Ararat in 1836 and it was a store until the UNDERWOODS lived there after 1853.
My most recent thinking is that he may be the brother of Jane Rebecca Underwood Cox, NOT due to anything mentioned so far in this report.
George W. UNDERWOOD is mentioned in the Ever's notes as a male over 21 years of age in 1839. From 1843-1856, he is a township official of Wood Co. In 1855 George and Mrs. UNDERWOOD were founding members of the First Presbyterian Church of Bowling Green. Looking at several censuses it appears George was born in Ohio about 1813 and his wife Catherine was born in PA about 1805. There is a marriage record in Trumbull Co. OH of George Underwood to Catherine Anderson on 12-24-1835. Elizabeth Anderson born about 1779, resides in their Wood County household in 1850 and 1860. Their children are Diantha, Mary, Orra and William.
To digress for a moment, but bear with me, this is going somewhere... Joseph Cox made the first land entry in Center Township on Jan 13, 1831 (east half of the southeast quarter of Section 28) which he sold in April of 1835 to Joseph Russell. "the land, lying three miles east of Main St. in Bowling Green, was for years known as the "William Underwood place" according to Evers' Wood County OH History. Joseph Russell's parents from PA were among the earliest settlers of Mahoning County OH (formed in 1846 out of Trumbull Co.). Joseph moved back to his old home in Mahoning Co. several times but finally settled down in Wood Co to stay. He died in 1865 at age 72. One of his children was a woman by the name of Jane Russell who married a William Underwood. This William was born about 1830 in Ohio and Jane was born about 1831. They are probably the parents of Herbert, Chauncy, Frank, Charlie, Effie, Ella, Nora and Adah. And where they lived in Center Township is what was known for years as "the William Underwood place", which surely came to them through Jane's father, Joseph Russell. I no longer think William is one of Jane Cox's brothers.
William's brother is likely Gideon Underwood who was born in 1820 in Lawrence Co. PA the son of William and Mary Wright Underwood who were married in Feb 1817 in Trumbull Co. OH. This Mary died in 1873 in Wood County OH at the age of 72. Gideon came into Wood County later than some of his brothers as he stayed in his county of birth, worked on canals and also went out to California for three years before he bought some land and worked a farm in Wood County. He married Margaret McMahan of Mahoning Co. in Dec. 1852. She was the widow of Henry Humston. Gideon and Margaret had two children, John W. and Laura C Underwood.
Another probably son of William and Mary Wright Underwood is Wright Underwood who was born in Ohio about 1829. He and his wife Mary appear in the 1870 and 1880 censuses in Center Twp. Wood Co. near William and Jane Underwood and the Russell family. Wright and Mary's children probably included William, Nancy Jane, Mariette, George C., John and Norman. (I wouldn't swear to this because the census could be listing a nephew who was working or playing at the farm on that day.... but this is close)
I am almost through combing through those Wood Co., censuses. I hope to find a few more before I am through and organize them a little better. This brings to mind that censuses are far from gospel, and can be confusing. Also, sources do not all agree and frequently confuse OH and PA when referring to the birthplace of these parents. There are discrepancies from where Gideon says he was born, where his children say he was born and his death record. Since the counties of origin in question abut each other on the OH/PA border and Mahoning county was formed during their lifetimes, this confusion shouldn't be too surprising. Some of the children of these brothers jump from household to household and they don't always gain exactly ten years with each passing census. All in all though, these Underwoods- William (as in Wm and Jane Russell), George, Gideon and Wright- lived in Center Township, as did the Russell and Stacy families, as did Joseph and Jane Cox.
Old Father William never seemed to show up in Wood County by the way. Mary Wright Underwood, his wife, showed up so late in Wood county that it was probably after her husband died. It is probably her death record in the Wood county court house that states she was born in Trumbull county and died in 1873 at age 72. Odds are fair that George is related since he lived so near to the others in Center Township. And there is that marriage record in Trumbull Co. of George Underwood to Catherine Anderson on 12-24-1835...
There is another Trumbull Co. early marriage of interest or ponderment: That is the marriage of Joseph Underwood and Jane Wright on April 16, 1812! In 2007 I have been exploring the possibility that these are the parents of George, Jane, William and James Underwood. I have found alot of facts, but not proof of relationships beyong the fact that this Jane Wright Underwood and Mary Wright Underwood are sisters.
Looking at the 1830 census from Trumbull Co. OH, has proved to be very interesting. There is one Underwood family listed in that county. Here they are and a guess of what this data represents: Found on page 130 in Howland Township of Trumbull Co. Ohio 1830: 1 Male (age 30-39) This may be William Underwood, the father. 1 Female (age 20-29) This may be his wife Mary Wright Underwood born in 1801. 1 Male, (age 5-9) This may be Gideon Underwood born in August 1820. 1 Male (under 5) This may be Wright Underwood born ca 1829. 1 Female (age 10-14) This may be Jane Rebecca Underwood COX born in 1818 living with her aunt. 2 Females (age 5-9) One of these may be Malinda Underwood STACEY who was born about 1823. Perhaps the second female is Harriet Underwood?? William Underwood, the probable son who married Jane Russell, was born 14 June 1830 and he does not seem to be accounted for in this census, unless they are counting Wright Underwood as the second little girl. (which would not be unusual to have happened.) and William as the tiny boy.
In Poland Township of Mahoning County in 1850, there is a William Underwood. In household 1331/1339 listed as age 44 , this William Underwood is a shoemaker born in PA. He is with Mary age 40 born in OH. Eliza J 21f, Wm 19 OH, Martha 14 OH. Next door is Gideon age 30 b in PA and Sarah (age 25)'s household with Charles age 1.
Please let me know what you can add or subtract of the above puzzle pieces, how they fit together and maybe we can get a little further along. It is not very coherent, which is consistant with my present understanding of these Underwood families. In other words, HELLLLLP!!!! I have not put anything on this page about the relationship to Thomas Underwood and also the fact that there almost seems there must be two OLD William Underwoods in this family (that is perhaps an uncle to the William Underwood who married Mary Wright. Nor have I put on these pages anything about the connections to earlier counties in Pennsylvania. Nor will I put the bombshell I saw today that I think may be a red herring where the MI Cox said on the death certificate of Noah Cox in 1910 that their mother (Jane Underwood COX) was born in New York!! (Since it is clearly stated by Jane and children in the 1880 census that she was born in Ohio we can pretty well discount the New York reference.
Barb 9/22/2007
Send email to Barbara Cox barbaracox at comcast dot net
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