Figuring out the life story of Nathaniel Woodruff, born c1719, the son of Joseph and Hannah (MNU) Woodruff has been a challenge, given clues found online and then trying to document where various bits of information originated.
Well, I think I’ve finally figured out where the bits came from, but fitting them all together has also been a challenge.
No one disputes that Nathaniel Woodruff was the son of Joseph and Hannah Woodruff, born in New Jersey, probably c1719, give or take a couple of years.
It’s also not disputed that he left New Jersey for the Carolinas, settling first in Surry County, North Carolina and then removing to Woodruff, Spartanburg, South Carolina between 1788, when he sold his Surry County land, and 1790, when he appears in the 1790 census of Spartanburg County.
Further, although I have no proof that he died in 1795 (another unsourced tidbit found online), Nathaniel is definitely in the 1790 census, but gone by 1800, so he died in that decade.
Proving the name of his wife has been another challenge, but at least now I know where the suggestions of Sarah-Hannah-Susannah possibly Edmonds originated.
I wouldn’t have found the answers without FamilySearch full-text search because they are in documents recorded in Amherst County, Virginia in the 1760s. Yes, on the way to North Carolina, Nathaniel parked his family in Amherst County for a few years.
First, the Edmonds surname and the given name Sarah originate in the 30 December 1782 will of John Edmonds, proved on 7 June 1784 in Amherst County, Virginia (Will Book 2:101)
In it, John named his wife, Mary, and children – James, Samuel, Elizabeth Ballew and “Sarah Woodrough.” Unfortunately, no marriage records have been found for either Elizabeth Ballow or Sarah Woodrough. However, it is important to note that there was a David Woodruff family also in Amherst in the years preceding the Revolutionary War and there was a second Woodruff family in the Brunswick County, Virginia area, too. So, it’s possible that Sarah married into one of those families. Supporting that scenario is one Edmunds Woodrough found in Greensville County, Virginia in 1796. That county borders Brunswick County. That accounts for Nathaniel’s wife possibly being a Sarah and/or an Edmunds.
Having said that, keep in mind the name of Elizabeth Ballow for a moment.
The Hannah and Susannah names are tougher to sort out.
On 1 February 1768, Nathaniel Woodruff borrowed £30 from George Kippen of Glasgow with his 270 acres of land (noted as the same tract purchased from Valentine Ball) as collateral to be paid by “1 May next ensuing.” If paid, the indenture was to become null and void. (Amherst County, VA Deed Book B: 300-301)
Witnesses were Valentine Ball, Hannah Woodruff, John Old and William Spencer.
Next, in the same Amherst County, Virginia Deed Book B, but on pages 376-377, dated 3 October 1768, Nathaniel Woodruff and Hannah Woodruff, his wife, an indenture was made with John Webb, all residents of Amherst County. For £50, 270 acres on the Tye River, the same tract Nathaniel purchased from Valentine Ball was sold to John Webb. Witnesses were Henry Thomas, John Old and Neill Campbell.
Clearly, in 1768, one Nathaniel Woodruff was married to Hannah (MNU). No marriage record has been found anywhere for any Nathaniel Woodruff to a Hannah.
That accounts for the appearance of Hannah as a name for Nathaniel’s wife.
How do we know that Nathaniel Woodruff in Amherst County, Virginia is the same man who lived in Surry County, North Carolina?
There are a couple of other deeds also on record in Amherst County. On 27 January 1776, Thomas Ballow (remember Elizabeth Ballow?) sold to Nathaniel Woodruff 100 acres of land for £25. It was part of a 400-acre tract granted to Thomas Ballow on 12 May 1759 on the southside of the Tye River, “below the said plantation where the said Nathaniel Woodruff now lives.” No wife released dower and witnesses were Killis Wright, Charles (X) Lavender and Alexander (X) Chisnell.
On 1 December 1777, Thomas and Elizabeth Ballow sold another 150 acres of his patent land to William Spencer. The land description includes the property touching the line of Nathaniel Woodruff.
We now have a Thomas and Elizabeth (Edmonds?) Ballow living next door to Nathaniel Woodruff in 1777. However, given that John Edmonds died in 1784 and Elizabeth was already married in 1777 (and so probably born no later than the 1750s, it seems more likely that Sarah Edmonds was also born in the 1750s and, therefore, possibly married one of Nathaniel’s sons. Given that I’ve only linked my husband’s line of Nathaniel’s son, Samuel, to Jennet Woodruff, daughter of Moses, that leaves Nathaniel Jr., Thomas and Joseph as potential husbands.
Given this limited information, the possibility of Nathaniel’s wife being named Sarah Edmonds is explained.
That leaves the appearance of Susannah Woodruff to explain.
On 20 December 1784, in AMHERST COUNTY, Virginia, Nathaniel Woodruff and Susannah, his wife, of SURRY COUNTY, North Carolina sold 100 acres to William Meredith for £40. The land description mentions beginning at the south line of William Spencer. . . . Floyd’s Ford to New Glasgow . . . Watts line. . . Stephen Watts, etc.
Witnesses were Hugh Rose, Samuel Meredith Jr., Stephen Watts and L. Meredith.
This deed explains how Nathaniel’s wife might be Susannah.
Nathaniel Woodruff received a land grant and appears in a couple of Surry County, North Carolina tax lists and deeds. However, nowhere is a wife named. Nathaniel’s last appearance in land records is 5 February 1788 when he sold 200 acres of land on the south side of the Yadkin River to William Cook. Witnesses were W. Meredith, David Riggs and Jabez Jarvis.
I checked some of the land deeds on the pages around that of Nathaniel Woodruff’s entry and several had wives named. That leads me to think that perhaps Susannah Woodruff died between December 1784 and February 1788, probably in Surry County, North Carolina.
Because none of Nathaniel Woodruff’s sons appear in Amherst County records and at least a couple of them – Thomas and Nathaniel were of age to own land – Hannah might be a first wife of Nathaniel who died between 1768 and 1788, by which time he was married to (2) Susannah.
Next, let’s look at a timeline of all the Nathaniel Woodruff facts.