Joseph Woodruff, born c1789, son of Samuel and Jennet (Woodruff) Woodruff and Mary Woodruff, daughter of Samuel and Unknown (MNU) Woodruff are the last of my husband’s direct Woodruff line.

Both were born in South Carolina, likely Spartanburg County, they married c1810 or early in 1811 and continued to live there until 1815. By that time, they had decided to follow Mary’s father to Hopkins County, Kentucky, where Joseph appears on the 1816 tax list.

They lived there for the rest of their lives.

Joseph began his new life in Kentucky, starting off slowly and acquiring 88 acres of land by 1817. However, he added to his holdings through the years until 1833 when he was taxed on 650 acres and then in 1838, he was taxed on over 1200 acres of land.

Joseph and Mary Woodruff lived comfortably, for sure!

They were the parents of at least six children, whose identities have been pieced together from records.

Children:

1. Rhoda, born c1811, probably South Carolina; died before 1840; married James K. Herrin/Herring, 2 March 1830, Hopkins County, Kentucky. It appears that James also died before 1840 and their three children lived with Joseph and Mary in 1850.
2. Nancy?, born c1813; married John S. Strange, 25 March 1834, Hopkins county, Kentucky. Nancy is placed in this family because her parents had a female in her age range at home in 1820 and 1830. Neither John nor Nancy has been found after their marriage in 1834. Another clue – Benjamin Strange, aged 13, is living with Nathaniel Woodruff’s family in 1850. (See child #7 i nthis list.)
3. Emily A., born 31 March 1815, South Carolina; died after 1880, probably Hopkins County, Kentucky; married Simpson T. Galloway, 22 August 1833, Hopkins County, Kentucky. In 1850, the Galloways are living two doors from Lucinda Duncan, who married Emily’s [proposed] widowed father, Joseph Woodruff on 20 April 1852.
4. Pinckney S., born c1818, South Carolina; died 3 July 1855, Hopkins County, Kentucky; married Mary Campbell, 24 January 1840, Gallatin County, Illinois. Pinckney’s death is recorded in Hopkins county and his father is named as Joseph Woodruff.
5. Altezara Jane, born c1820, Kentucky; died before 1848; married Hampton Brasher, 26 March 1840, Hopkins County, Kentucky. Hampton married (2) Mahala Duncan, December 1847. She was the daughter of Lucinda Duncan, so Altezara’s stepsister.
6. Son?, born c1826; died after 1830. No further record.
7. Nathaniel Samuel, born c1827, Hopkins County, Kentucky; died after 1880, probably Hopkins County, Kentucky, where he was enumerated as Samuel N. Woodruff; married Elizabeth Jane Campbell, 8 September 1847, Pope County, Illinois. Nathaniel also went by Samuel N. Woodruff and S.N. Woodruff. By 1860, the family had moved to Caldwell County, Kentucky. Elizabeth died before 1880.

Joseph Woodruff died sometime between the 1860 census and 1863, when Lucinda sold some land on Caney Fork, Hopkins County to Isaac W. Hamby. [Deed Book 25:391] On 6 November 1868, Robert e. Dunkerson was appointed to administer the estate of Lucinda Woodruff, deceased.

I almost made it through all the Woodruffs this month, but one more generation needs to be presented – the family of Moses Woodruff, father of Jennet Woodruff who married Samuel Woodruff.