----- Original Message ----- From: "david travillion bunton" To: "Morgan" ; Cc: ; ; ; Sent: Saturday, May 24, 2008 6:39 AM Subject: Charles Wood of Amherst Co, VA; Union District, SC; Roane Co, TN Dear David Morgan I remember we have corresponded some years ago, and at one time I also believed, along with several other researchers, that my ancestor Charles Wood was the same Charles Wood Jr son of Charles Wood and Sarah Brightwell of Frederick Co, MD. This however, is not the case, and I have proven such to be in error. There is a Charles Wood enumerated on the 1790 Union District SC census and there is a Charles Wood enumerated on the 1790 Rowan Co, NC census. My research has differentiated these men---they are two different men. Some years ago I came across details of a court case over property in the Maryland archives. Luckily for me, my cousin Blake Wood was conducting research at the Maryland archives and he obtained and sent me the court papers (ie a lawsuit over property of Charles Wood versus one of his brothers) which prove that the Charles Wood of Rowan Co, NC was the Charles Wood Jr, son of Charles Wood and Sarah Brightwell. This Charles Wood is not my ancestor---this Charles Wood can be found in the 1790 and 1800 census records of Rowan Co, NC---I think 1810 as well, but would have to look at it again to remember, as I am at work and away from my records and files. My Charles Wood married Rosanna "Rosa" I have seen no proof or documentation that her maiden name was Watson, nor that her husbands middle name was Caleb, nor that Charles "Caleb" Wood was the son of an earlier Caleb Wood., etc. As far as I can see there is no substantiation of this. My ancestor Charles Wood is enumerated on the 1790 Union District, SC census. I have read that this census was actually taken in the year 1791. He owned land in both Union District and Spartanburg District. According to deed records he owned land on a branch off of Thicketty Creek in Union Co, SC and also I believe on Thicketty Creek itself in Spartanburg (the Creek goes across both counties or districts). In researching all the families around my Charles Wood of Union District, SC I discovered that many of them migrated from Amherst County, VA. These include the Gossett family, Lemaster family and some others. What I found interesting is the household of Abraham Lemaster (wife Sarah Wood, dau of John Wood of Amherst Co, VA). These same names such as Abraham Lemaster and some other Wood relatives can be found on records in the same geographical area as Charles Wood, and sometimes in connection with the Lipscomb family---there is no mistake on this, as there was only one Abraham Lemaster in the area and he and Wood members were called as witnesses in court cases. I should also mention that from oral tradition of my relatives, my ancestor Solomon Wood, born 1826, stated that his fathers brother Francis Wood was called Frank Wood, and that he was namesake of an earlier uncle Francis Wood. This is just oral tradition and I refer to it as such....there is also the tradition that the Wood family were Scots Irish and that the first Wood of our line to come to America was a a boy from Glasgow Scotland. I cannot substantiate this claim. However, the Francis Wood of Bedford County, VA had lived earlier in Amherst Co, VA and it was this Francis Wood who is named in John Wood's will and in tax records with Paul Wood, Silas Wood, Charles Wood, etc, and of course Abraham Lemaster, husband of Sarah Wood, whose father John Wood gave marriage consent for his daughter to marry. I tracked down a male descendant of Francis Wood, Rev War soldier of Bedford Co, VA, and this male Woods DNA matched that of my Charles Wood's male descendants. In the 1790 census there is a Molly Wood. It is my assumption that she was the widow of John Wood Jr, ...it could be that she was the widow of another Wood, and as I have looked at this more indepth, I may be incorrect that her husband was John JR. More research is needed. There was a widow Mary Wood who lived in Amherst Co, VA, and could it be that this Mary Wood was nicknamed Molly? As I have stated, I am at work and away from my research files, etc, so I will cut and paste a posting I made several years ago. I am sure it could bear some updating. Since this post, I have gathered additional evidence on the family of Charles Wood of Union District, SC later Roane Co, TN, which confirms my research statements, and details more links between Charles Wood and and his siblings. Wood research to 2004 by David Travillion Bunton: After further investigation into the families enumerated with Charles Wood on the 1790 SC census and in his land transactions, I have reached the conclusion that Charles Wood can be identified as coming from Amherst County, VA to the Union/Spartanburg District, SC area. Charles and his wife Rosanna ~SRosa~T Wood had their son Thomas Wood born in Va ca 1783 and then a later born son Caleb born ca 1791 in SC, but then lived possibly in Bedford County, Va and definitely in NC sometime in the early 1800s where some of their later children were born--- son Christopher Wood about 1804 in NC and Francis Wood about 1806 in NC. The Charles Wood enumerated in the 1800 Rowan Co, NC census is from Maryland, and a different Charles Wood than my ancestor Charles Wood, who married Rosa. By 1808 the family of Charles and Rosa Wood can be found in Roane County, Tennessee, with the following deed references: Roane County, TN Deed Record book D-1, pages 113-115 Deed of Conveyance from John Smith T to Charles Wood for 100 Acres Land This indenture made the fourth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eight between John Smith T of the district of Saint Geneva and Louisiana Territory of the one part and Charles Wood of the county of Roane and State of Tennessee of the other part...unto the said Charles Wood, his heirs and assigns forever, a certain tract or parcel of land containing one hundred acres more or less, lying and being in the County of Roane and including the spring known by the name of Yourks Spring...Signed, sealed, and delivered in the presence of Caleb Wood and Matthias Millar. Roane County, TN Deed Record Book D-1, pages 122-124 Deed of Conveyance from Charles Wood to Lot Tallant - 100 Acres Including the York Spring This indenture made this sixteenth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ten between Charles Wood of the County of Roane and State of Tennessee of the one part and Lot Tallant... One of the first SC references can be found in Union Co, SC Book B pages 399-400 with an indirect reference to Charles Wood. The deed shows the grantors first as David Hopkins, but in their signatures as David Robenson, so I figure that they are actually Robensons. 24 Jan 1790. David HOPKINS of Union Co to Richard Waters of same, for 50 pounds sterling, 190 acres on a branch called Polecatt on both sides adjacent Saml Henderson, Charles Woods, part of a tract of 498 acres. David Robenson (seal) Jane Robenson (seal) witnesses: Moses Waters, Jas. Henderson. Proved in Union county by oath of Moses Waters. 29 Sept 1790 before Thomas Brandon, JP. Recorded 29 Sept 1790 REF: Union County, SC Deed Abstracts Volume I: Deed Books A to F 1785-1800 [1752-1800] by Brent H. Holcomb. --- Referencing the 1790 Union District SC Census for Charles Wood (father of Caleb, Christopher, etc) the Col Thomas Brandon who was the JP at time of recording of the deed could be found in Union with Capt James Henderson and Samuel Henderson in Laurens Co, SC. In Union District, the grantee of the above property, Richard Waters, who also came from Amherst Co, Va, is enumerated only a few names from Charles Wood. Following is the exact order of enumeration of Charles Wood and his neighbors: 1790 Union District, SC census (probably very near the Spartanburg Dist. Line) Rich'd Waters 1-2-4 and 1 slave [Waters family were from Amherst Co, Va] Phillip Chambers Molley Wood 1-1-4 [note: widow, prob of John Wood, Jr d. 1787] Mathew Jones Charles Wood 1-1-6 [note: wife Rosa] John Steen Benjamin Jones William Wood 1-0-2 [note: bro of Chas~EWm was disinherited by his father John] James Laurens James Sheilds Abraham Booker Abraham Lamaster 1-1-3 [married Sarah Wood; from Amherst Co, Va] Andrew Gossett 2-1-3 Abm. Gossett 1-0-3 For the 1790, first column is: males 16 and upwards, second column is: males under 16; third column is: total females. Of interest are the other Wood households, Molley Wood and William Wood, as well as the household of Abraham Lamaster (or Lemaster) and the Gossett families, because an abstract of a 1796 deed recorded in Spartanburg District, SC in 1796 records a land sale for Charles Wood of Spartanburg County to John Lemaster of Spartanburg County, land on the Pacolate River, bordered by John Lukeroy~Rs Spring, Michael McGaughey~Rs grant, Seth Lewis, and Richeson Whitley. Witnessed by Mathias Bates, John Gossett, Richeson Whitley. Additionally, Union District, SC Deed Book N page 179 records the sale of land on 1 Dec 1814 from Joshua Petty to John Littlejohn, both of Union County, a tract of land lying on both sides of Polecat, a north branch of Thickety Creek, adjacent land of Jacob Guyton~Rs and Joshua Petty, containing 40 acres, being part of the tract conveyed to Petty by CHARLES WOOD. The 1790 Spartanburg District, SC enumerates some of the Gossett and Lemaster families as follows (page 87): Eleazer Lemaster 1-1-2 [from Amherst Co, Va] Isaak Brown Wm. Briant Robert Baker James Pool David Pullum Thos. Barnet Michael McGaffey 2-3-1 [land bordered Charles Wood] John Peterson John Gossit 1-5-4 [witnessed 1796 deed of Charles Wood] Josiah Sparks John Leemaster 1-1-1 [purchaser of Charles Wood land in 1796] Joseph Queen Reuben Leemaster 1-0-1 Ralph Leemaster 3-4-6 [from Amherst Co, Va] ~E.later on the page is listed James Gossit 1-1-0 These Lemaster and Gossitt families from the Union and Spartanburg County area of SC can be traced back to Amherst Co, Va, as can Charles Wood. The following records (paragraph) have not been verified by me: John Lemaster and his wife Ann Keith had several children: Eleazer Lemaster, John Lemaster, Hugh Lemaster, Zachariah Lemaster, Jesse Lemaster, Richard Lemaster, Ralph Lemaster, and Abraham Lemaster. Ralph Lemaster b ca 1740 died in 1797 in Spartanburg Co, SC leaving his widow Lucy. Several of their daughters married Gossetts, including their daughter Anna b. 1766 who married John Gossett b. ca 1766, died 6 Feb 1843, son of John Gossett and Martha Groom. Amherst Co, Va will records for James Warren in 1769 list Eleazer Lemaster, Ralph Lemaster, Sarah Lemaster, as well as James Gossett. (p 381 ~SWills of Amherst Co, Va~T by Rev Bailey Fulton Davis). Ralph~Rs brother Abraham Lemaster married Sarah Wood on Sept 25, 1781 in Amherst Co, Va, with her father John Wood giving marriage permission. This is the same Abraham Lemaster enumerated only a few households away from his brother-in-law Charles Wood in the 1790 Union District, SC census. This Abraham Lemaster is said to have removed to Kentucky where his wife Sarah Wood Lemaster died. He then married Martha Wooten Tanner on 10 Oct 1826 in Oldham Co, Ky. Abraham Lemaster died 3 Nov 1837 Johnson County, Indiana. Although the 1790 Virginia census is not extant, the 1787 Virginia tax list is a good substitute. The following information is abstracted from ~SThe 1787 Census of Virginia~T Volume II. Tax List ~SB~T Amherst Co, Va. District of William Ware, Commissioner. These were recorded in a general alphabetical order, but all within Ware~Rs district. Page 187 lists Ralph Lamaster, Abraham Lamaster, John Lamaster, Eleazer Lamaster. Page 191 lists Paul Wood, John Wood, Charles Wood Page 192 lists Robert Wood, Mary Wood, Jesse Wood. In ~SThe Wills of Amherst Co, Va 1761-1865~T by Rev Bailey Fulton Davis (1985, Southern Historical Press) p 396, the Lemaster family served as guardians for Wood orphans. A child was considered orphaned if the father died, although the mother might yet live. Book 3 page 40: Guardians Bond. Mary Wood and Abraham Lemaster, June 4, 1787, for Mary Wood, as guardian of William Wood, orphan of Jno. Wood. Book 3 page 41: Guardians Bond. Mary Wood and Abraham Lemaster and Jno. Lemaster, June 4, 1787, for Mary Wood as guardian of Sally, Mary, and Jno. Wood, orphans of Jno. Wood. These records indicate that Mary Wood, was the widow of John Wood, probably the same John Wood listed with Paul Wood and Charles Wood earlier in the 1787 tax list, with the four children of John and Mary Wood being Sally, Mary, John, and William Wood. I believe that this Mary Wood was the Molley Wood enumerated on the 1790 SC census. Although the 1790 census includes 4 females, it could have been another relative or servant. The various Lemaster associations with Charles Wood lead to a preponderance of the evidence that he came with this family from Amherst Co, Va to SC. Internet searches indicate that John and Sarah Wood of Amherst Co, Va and Bedford County, Va are the parents of Sarah Wood Lemasters, wife of Abraham Lemasters. The will of John Wood of Amherst County, Va dated 20 Feb 1783 gives his land, stock, houses, and household furniture to his wife Sarah Wood during her life, and after her death, the land to be sold and equally divided between all his sons and daughters except his son William Wood, to whom he gave one shilling. The stock and household furniture he bequeathed to Francis Wood and Paul Wood to be divided equally between them. Although he does not specifically name Francis and Paul as sons, it is clear that they are sons of John Wood. John did not specifically name his children except his son William Wood who he basically disinherited. This William Wood is apparently the William Wood enumerated in the 1790 Union Co, SC census a few households from Charles Wood. Here is the info which I have verified: John Wood, died 1783 Amherst Co, VA. Wife Sarah. Children: 1. Charles Wood b. ca 1755-60 married Rosa 2. Paul Wood 3. Francis Wood b. Amherst Co, Va. Lived in Bedford County, Va. RW soldier 4. Mary Wood (not proven yet) 5. Sarah Wood b 1763-65 Amherst Co, Va, died 1825-26 Henry or Shelby County, Kentucky. Married 26 Sept 1781 Amherst Co, Va to Abraham Lemasters. 6. John Wood 7. William Wood (given one shilling in fathers will) I understand that the Francis Wood was born in 1763, died 1844, and had sons Charles Wood and Paul Wood who both lived in Bedford Co, Va. I believe that Francis Wood, born ca 1806 to Charles and Rosa Wood, was the namesake of his uncle Francis Wood, the Rev War soldier, who served with the Virginia State Troops, and received a pension in 1833, as this was stated by the daughter of Solomon Wood (born 1826). Info in 2004 to be reviewed.... The older John Wood (wife Sarah) is said to be the son of Thomas Wood, and said to be supported with records, but this may be a different John Wood. ~SCavaliers and Pioneers~T vol 7 1762-1776, edited by Dennis Ray Hudgins has these land patents for John Wood: p. 15 (patent book 35 page 151) John Wood 335 acres Bedford County on both sides of Austin~Rs Creek, a north branch of the north fork of Otter River, adjacent Richard Callaway. 23 May 1763 p. 225 (patent book 39, page 328) John Wood 230 acres Bedford County on the head brs. Of the north fork of Otter River, down the river and up the north branch of the same. 16 Feb 1771. ~SVirginia Wills and Administrations 1632-1800, An Index~T by Clayton Torrence lists Jno. Wood having a will recorded in Amherst Co, Va. For Bedford County, Va, Thomas Wood is listed as having an inventory in 1766, and a later Thomas Wood as having a will recorded in 1793. Amherst Co, Va marriage bonds and land records need to be searched further and also more information on the 1783 will and estate records of John Wood, wife Sarah, of Amherst Co, Va.(note in 2008: I have the will and estate records) My lineage: John Wood wife Sarah Charles Wood wife Rosa Christopher Wood wife Eleanor Easter Solomon Wood, wife Sarah Catherine Shubird Above my great-great-grandfather. David Travillion Bunton email travillion@hotmail.com 613 South Commerce Ave Russellville, AR 72801