Woodward Families of Mercer County, Illinois
Mercer County Home Page
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Alternate Spellings - Woodward, Woodard, Woodert Links - Wilson, Wname index on Woodward Site for Welch Names, Beard, Woodward Web Site (of Chester County, Pa), Pratt, Glancey, Sloan, Honeyman, Isaiah Willits Contacts - Site Owner Jill Martin and Web Master Nadine Holder [email on About Us Page] are descendants of the Harvey and Rachel Woodward Welch family. They also have much information on Patrick and Hannah Woodward Beard, progenitors of the Mercer County Beard families. Sharon Woodward has been most helpful in connecting Mercer County Woodwards to the Chester County, Pennsylvania Woodwards |
There are several Woodward families associated with Mercer County and we have not yet discovered all their ancestory and connections. As usual the surname crosses township lines and we will include information we have found in some townships other than New Boston and Eliza.
Mercer County Woodwards with Chester County, Pennsylvania AncestryThe Woodwards of Chester County, Pennsylvania are thought to be descended from Edward Woodward of Acton Parish, Cheshire, England. Two brothers, Richard Woodward and Robert Woodward, and a sister, Elizabeth Woodward ,came to America in the late 1600's. Much of their descendancy can be found on the Web Site "Woodward Genealogy" by Nadine Holder (editor Jill Martin). While the site is set up for Abraham Woodward, son of William and Elizah Marshall Woodward, and grandson of Richard Woodward, Sr., who is the ancestor of Nadine and Jill, the site also contains Abraham's ancestry and many connected families descended from the three who came to America.The family was Quaker, so much information is available on them. Some family members migrated south to Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee and then back north to Ohio, Indiana, and points west. Other parts of the family migrated to western Pennsylvania and then on to Ohio, Indiana, and points west. Some of these family parts then met up again in Mercer County, Illinois (perhaps not even knowing they were related). Jill Martin and Nadine Holder are direct descendants of Harvey and Rachel Woodward Welch who immigrated from Indiana to Mercer County, Illinois, about 1856. Rachel Woodward was a descendant of the Woodwards of Chester County, Pennsylvania, through Abraham Woodward and his son John Woodward. Abraham Woodward had a daughter Hannah Woodward who is thought to have been the wife of Patrick Beard of North Carolina and Indiana. Descendants of Patrick and Hannah Woodward Beard also came to Mercer County. Descendants of Abraham Woodward's brother, John Woodward, also grandson of Richard Woodward, Sr., came to Mercer County from Pennsylvania via the direct western route. John Woodward of Chester County, Pa. was married to Lydia Martin; they had a son Joel Woodward who married Elizabeth Nutt. Joel and Elizabeth had a son Jehu Woodward who married Keziah Henry in 1827 in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Several of their children came west to Mercer County, Illinois. We are extremely grateful to Sharon Woodward, a descendant of this line who pointed out the connections to us. Sharon Woodward is 6th cousin to Jill Martin and Nadine Holder. Children of Jehu and Keziah Henry WoodwardJehu and Keziah Henry Woodward had children (who came to Mercer County): Laughlin H. Woodward, born about 1831, Pa; Keziah Woodward, born 10/22/1841, Pa; Louisa Woodward, born about 1843, Pa; Joel Nelson Woodward, born 11/7/1844, Pa; and William H. Woodward, born about 1846, Pa.Laughlin and Lavina Wilson WoodwardLaughlin H. Woodward married Lavina Wilson, daughter of Allen and Henrietta Dryden Wilson, on 10/22/1853 in Mercer County. Laughlin and Lavina had a daughter, Mary Jane Woodward, who died 8/10/1857 and is buried in the Shields Cemetery in Mercer County. We strongly suspect that Laughlin was aware of the relationship to Harvey and Rachel Woodward Welch as daughter Mary Jane is buried beside them in the Shields Cemetery. We are not sure where Laughlin and Lavina were in 1860 as they are not found in the Mercer County census. They are found in the 1880 census in Belle Plaine, Benton County, Iowa: Laughlin Woodward, grocers clerk, 50, born Pa, parents birthplace unknown; Lovena Woodward, wife, 45, born Il, parents birthplace unknown; Josie Woodward, 18, Il; Jennie Woodward, 16, Il; Lulu Woodward, 13, Ia; Rosie Woodward, 10, Ia; Allie Woodward, 9, Ia; Gracie Woodward, 4, Ia.Lavina Wilson Woodward kept a wonderful diary in 1910 which we have appended along with more information on the family in 1910 (Click). Keziah Woodward WilsonKeziah Woodward married William A. Wilson, son of Allen and Henrietta Dryden Wilson on 9/14/1857 in Mercer County. Their history is continued on the Abijah and Allen Wilson page.Louisa Woodward PurdumLouisa Woodward married Aaron R. Purdum on 11/27/1858 in Mercer County. They are found in Eliza Township in 1860: #2725 Richard Purdum, 26, farmer, born Oh; Louisa, 18, Pa; Peter Johnson, laborer, 23, Sw. They are not found in Mercer County in 1870. We find them in 1880 in Jasper Township, Adams County, Iowa: Aaron Purdum, farmer, 46, Oh, father Pa, mother Va; Louisa, 38, Pa, parents Pa; Hamlin Purdum, 19, Il; Mary Purdum, 17, Il; Jeremiah Purdum, 14, Il; Delia Purdum, 12, Il; Lola Purdum, 8, Ia; Elizabth Purdum, 6, Ia; Herman Purdum, 3, Ia; Richard Purdum, 1, Ia; Freeman Mitchell, farm hand, 23, Oh, parents Oh.Joel Nelson and Sarah M. Pratt WoodwardIn 1860 Joel Woodward is found, age 16, born Pa, working as a laborer for the Richard Shields family in New Boston Township. Richard Shields' wife was Sarah Wilson (sister of the Wilsons married to Joel's siblings) and the Wilson connection is probably why Joel is working for them.On October 8, 1861 the Aledo Weekly Record listed a muster roll of Captain H. B. Southward's Company G of the 27th regiment of Illinois Volunteers. Joel N. Woodward is listed as a private. The Illinois Adjutant General's report shows him enlisting August 20, 1861 from Mercer County but lists him as died March 26, 1863 of wounds. Obviously he didn't die and the entry is an error. He was perhaps just missing and reported as deceased. Co G of the 9th Illinois Infantry lists him again as enlisting January 5, 1864 at New Boston and mustered out on July 9, 1865. Joel Nelson Woodward married Sarah M. Pratt, daughter of John and Mary Ferguson Pratt on 3/24/1868 in Mercer County. Joel and Sarah are found in New Boston Township in 1870: #46 Joel Woodward, 25, farmer, born In [Pa]; Sarah, 22, Il; Mary, 1, Il; Susan Jackson, 32, domestic, born Il. Joel and Sarah and Joel's brother William and family went to Adams County, Iowa where they are found in Grant Township in 1880: J. N. Woodward, farmer, 35, Pa, parents, Pa; Sarah M. Woodward, 32, Il, father Pa, mother NC; Mary Woodward, 11, Il; Hugh Woodward, 9, Ia; Allie Woodward, 7, Ia; Alonzo Woodward, 5, Ia; Lewis Woodward, 3, Ia; Frank Woodward, 1, Ia. Sarah's brother Lewis Pratt, age 30, farmer, born Il is with them. Young Frank Woodward is the ancestor of Sharon Woodward who has helped us so much with this family. William H. WoodwardWilliam H. Woodward married first to Josephine Honeyman, daughter of John and Sarah Jarvis Honeyman, on 5/28/1867 in Mercer County. (Jill Martin and Nadine Holder are also related to the Honeyman family and have a great deal more information on them as well as what is on the Honeyman page.) Josephine died 10/4/1886 in Corning, Iowa and William married second to Judith Chambers on 6/27/1888 in Muscatine County, Iowa. William and Josephine and family went with Joel Woodward and family to Adams County, Iowa. They are found in Grant Township in 1880: Wm. Woodward, farmer, 35, Pa, parents born Pa; Josephine, 30, In, father Pa, mother In; John H. Woodward, 12, Il; George W. Woodward, 10, Il, Albert Woodward, 8, Il; Daniel V. Woodward, 5, Ks; Lora M. Woodward, 3, Ks. (notice they spent some time in Kansas before returning to Iowa.)Mercer County Woodwards with New England ConnectionsOur information on the family of Charles Ralph Woodward of Eliza Township comes from the 1914 "Past and Present of Mercer County". Kevin Martin (who does lookups in the book) kindly furnished us a copy of the sketch of Charles R. Woodward. We urge caution on this information until it is proven as County histories can contain some really bad information. We have since heard from another Kevin Martin who is a descendant of Charles R. Woodward and he pointed us in some directions that help prove, and disprove, some of the information from the 1914 History. Additionally, he tells us Charles R. Woodward is descended from Richard Woodward who came to Massachusetts in the 1600's.According to the 1914 History, Charles Woodward's grandfather, John Woodward, came of an old New England family although he was probably born in New York. They settled in Pennsylvania in the 18th century. Son Rezia Woodward was the parent of Charles R. Woodward. The comment in the history about New York seems to be incorrect. The area of settlement was in Wayne County, Pennsylvania in the far northeast corner where we find Rezia Woodward and his father John in the 1840 census. Rezia Woodward was born 1808 in Pennsylvania and died 1874 in Sarpy County, Nebraska. He married Martha Hoel in Wayne County, Pennsylvania. She died 1852 in Pennsylvania. The History tells us that Rezia followed agriculture in Tama County, Iowa until about 1871 and then made his home with a daughter in Sarpy County, Nebraska. We did not find an index listing for Rezia in either Pennsylvania or Iowa in 1850. We do find him in Tama County, Iowa in 1870. It is rather a curious record: Salt Creek Township, Tama County, Iowa #116 Stephen Parks, 24, farm laborer, birthplace unknown; John Atwood, 21, farm laborer, birthplace unknown; Rezia Woodward, 61, at home, born Pa; Martha A. Woodward, 23, born Pa. Why the Woodwards were living with the two laborers is unknown. However, it lends some credence that Rezia lived in Sarpy County, Nebraska with a daughter as the daughter was probably Martha. There were six Woodward children of whom Charles R. Woodward was the last (names of the others not given in the history). Charles was born 7/30/1838 in Wayne County, Pennsylvania and died 1926 in Mercer County, Illinois and is buried in Eliza Creek Cemetery. Charles was not the youngest child as we know from the 1870 Iowa census where we see a sister Martha who was born about 1847. Charles and Amanda Glancey WoodwardCharles Woodward went to Iowa with his family. We did not find a census record for them in 1860. He enlisted 6 August 1861 in Co C, Tenth Iowa Infantry. He served seventeen months in Tennessee and Mississippi and was at the engagements of Corinth and Iuka. He was discharged on account of sickness and returned home to Iowa. It is unclear to us, if he returned to Tama County how he met wife Amanda Glancey. We suspect instead that he went to Muscatine County which was across the river from Mercer. Curiously, however, Amanda Glancey Woodward's brother Harrison Glancey was in Salt Creek Township in Tama County, Iowa, in 1910 so there is evidently some connection that we do not know about. One of Amanda's brothers served in an Iowa regiment so perhaps that was the connection.Charles Ralph Woodward married Amanda Ellen Glancey, daughter of John and Susan Moore Glancey on 10/13/1864 in Muscatine County, Iowa. John Glancey was son of Joseph and Martha Willits Glancey. Susan Moore was daughter of Robert and Deborah Willits Moore. Both Deborah Willits and Martha Willits were daughters of Isaiah and Susanna Boone Willits. The Mercer History gives Susanna Boone as daughter of Daniel Boone which she was definitely not. Amanda Glancey Woodward died in 1930 and is buried in Eliza Creek Cemetery beside Charles. In December 1865 Charles and Amanda moved to Rock Island County, Illinois until 1874 when they went west, purchasing railroad land in Saunders County, Nebraska, at ten dollars per acre. This is verified as they are found in Illinois City in Drury Township, Rock Island County in 1870: #174 Ralph Woodward, 32, farmer, born Pa, farmer; Amanda, 35, born In; Vesta, 3, born Il. Then they are found in Greene Township, Saunders County, Nebraska in the 1880 census: C. R. Woodward, farmer, 40, born Pa, parents born Pa; A. Woodward, 43, born Il, father born Pa, mother born Oh; Benie, son, 13, Il; John G., 9, Il; Mary, 5, Il. They remained there seven years in spite of the grasshopper plague. They returned to Illinois to Eliza Township in 1881. Note there may be some slight variation if Mary's birthplace of Illinois is correct in the census. The History tells us that Charles and Amanda had three children: Vesta E., John G., and Mary S. Evidently the child listed as Benie, male, in 1880, was actually Vesta, female, as given in the 1870 census. Charles Woodward owned a great deal of land in Eliza Township. The History indicates he owned 930 acres after deeding 400 acres to his children. Part of the land was inherited by Amanda Glancey Woodward from her father when he died in 1889. The location of that land can be seen on the two Eliza Township plats Township 15NR5W, Secs 5 & 7 and Township 15NR6W Sec 12. Charles and Amanda are found in Eliza Township in 1900: #116 Charles R. Woodward, own farm, July 1832, Pa, parents born Pa; Amanda E. Woodward Sept 1835, In, father Pa, mother Oh; John G. Woodward, July 1870, Il, farmer; Molene P. Woodward, boarder, June 1891 Il, parents born Il. Since this would have been a nine year old boarder, we wonder about both the date and the name - was it perhaps a bound boy? Children of Charles R. and Amanda Glancey WoodwardVesta Woodward TownsleyAccording to the Mercer History, Vesta married Theodore Towsley and was caring for her parents when the history was written in 1914. We find the marriage record of Vesta Woodward to T. T. Townsley 9/12/1893 (license date).John Glancey WoodwardJohn Glancey Woodward was born 1870 and died 1903 in Mercer County according to the DAR cemetery records. He married Indiana Mardock on 8/8/1900 in Muscatine County, Iowa. According to the 1918 Prairie Farmer Index for Mercer County they had land in Eliza Township in Sections 7, 12, and 18 and had a son Charles Woodward. According to the History he lived on the Woodward homestead in Eliza Township and devoted himself to farming and stock raising. The attached portion of Eliza Township shortly after the turn of the century shows the land of John G. Woodward and Amanda Glancey Woodward. That of Amanda is probably what she inherited from her father. Most of the land was in the name of Charles Woodward (John and Indiana's son) in 1972 (not shown due to copyright). We thank Alicia Ives of the Mercer County Historical Society for the 1918 Prairie Farmer and the 1904 Eliza map information.Mary Woodward HinesThe History lists daughter Mary S. Woodward as wife of Glen Hines of Eliza township. We believe this was Glen Hines, son of Daniel and Mary Hines. This family was found in New Boston in 1870: #73 Daniel Hines, 44, shoe maker, born En; Mary, 35, Pa; Achilles, 10, Il; Clara, 6, Il; Ward, 3, Il. By 1880 they are in Kearney Nebraska: #112 Daniel Hines, 52, farmer, England, father Ireland, mother England; Mary, 49, Pa, parents Pa; Achiles, 21, Il; Ward P., 13, Il; Glen 8, Il. The Hines family must also have returned to Illinois, and this is born out by finding son Ward Hines in Eliza Township in 1920. Daniel Hines was still alive in 1920 and living with son James Achilles Hines in Eliza Township. James A. Hines married Mary Sloan, daughter of John Calvin and Rachel Beard Sloan.Miscellaneous Woodward Families in Mercer CountyIf anyone can shed any light on these miscellaneous families, please email Web Master Nadine Holder {email on About Us Page}.Ebenezer Woodward - Green TownshipIn the 1870 census in Viola we find: #54 Ebenezer Woodward, peddler, 29, born Ohio; Virginia, 29, Sweden; Effa A., 3, Il; Hattie M., 1, Il. We do not find a marriage record in Mercer. |
