Quite a bit of documentation has been uncovered about Nathaniel Woodruff’s life, but still not all questions have been answered.

A timeline will help sort the facts and provide descendants with what is absolutely known and what is open to question. In order to explain some of the unsourced information found in those online family trees, several facts not directly pertaining to Nathaniel will be included.

c1719 – Nathaniel was born, likely in Westfield, Essex, New Jersey, the seventh and middle child of thirteen born to Joseph and Hannah (MNU) Woodruff.

It is assumed that Nathaniel lived at home with his parents at least until he was 21 years old.

1740 – Living at home with his parents and siblings

It is assumed that Nathaniel married when he was 21-25 years old, a typical age for marriage of young men at the time.

1742, January 15 – Joseph Woodruff, Nathaniel’s father, wrote his will. In it, Nathaniel Woodruff received “the House and Plantation bought of Joseph Bird, lately deceased.” No deed has been found indicating what happened to this property.

1742, February 2 – Nathaniel’s father, Joseph, died.

1742, August 14 – Nathaniel’s mother, Hannah, died.

c1742 – Nathaniel perhaps married Unknown (MNU) about the time his parents died.

His parents’ deaths might have been the “push” factor for Nathaniel to pursue a new life.

Nathaniel’s whereabouts as a young man are unknown, as he hasn’t been found in any New Jersey, Virginia or Carolinas records until 1765.

1765, October 7 – Neill Campbell & Valentine & Susannah Ball to Nathaniel Woodruff, for £40, 270 acres, Amherst County, Virginia [Deed Book B:82-83]

1765, October 9 – Land Survey of 126 acres entered for Nathaniel Woodruff, Amherst County, Virginia [Deed Book C:194]

1766, January 9 – Land Survey of 318 acres entered for Nathaniel Woodruff, Amherst County, Virginia [Deed Book C:195]

1766, February 27 – Land Survey of 70 acres entered for Nathaniel Woodruff, Amherst County, Virginia [Deed Book C:195]

1768, February 1 – Nathaniel Woodruff of Amherst County, Virginia to George Kippen, for £30, 270 acres purchased from Valentine Ball. If £30 is repaid by 1 May “next”, the deed to be null and void. Witness: Hannah Woodruff [Deed Book B: 300-301]

1768, October 3 – Nathaniel & Hannah Woodruff of Amherst County, Virginia to John Webb, for £50, 270 acres purchased from Valentine Ball. [Deed Book B:376-377]

1771 – Tax List, Surry County, North Carolina – Woodruff, Nathaniel 2, Nathaniel Jr. 1, Thomas 1

1772 – Tax List, Surry County, North Carolina – Woodruff, Nathaniel 2, Thomas 1

1776, January 27 – Thomas Ballow to Nathaniel Woodruff, both of Amherst County, Virginia, for £25, 100 acres which is part of 400 acres granted to Ballow in 1759 and “below the said plantation where the said Nathaniel Woodruff now lives”. [Deed Book D:363-365]

1777 – Tax List, Surry County, North Carolina –
Woodruff, Joseph 1/70/0/0/1/25/4/12/6:8:6/0/0
Nathanil 1/0/0/0/1/0/11/0/2:16:0/0/0
Moses 2/0/0/0/0/4/135/15/45/22:9:2/0/0
Nat 1/100/0/0/1/18/12/36/2:16:0/0/0

1778, September 5 – Nathaniel Woodruff entered 200 acres of land warranted to Samuel Woodruff

1779 – Nathaniel Woodruff took the Oath of Allegiance to make his land entry, Surry County, North Carolina

1782 – Tax List, Surry County, North Carolina –
Dyers Dist. – Woodruff, Nathaniel Sr., 200 acres. s side Yadkin 3/9/–87
Joseph, 400 acres, s s Yadkin, 3/7/–75
Capt. Martin Dist. – Woodruff, Moses, 850 acres, Fox Nobs, 3/20/–138
Thomas, 300 acres, n side Yadkin, 0/0/0/4/9/0/0/18

1782, October 4 – Nathaniel Woodruff, granted 200 acres by State of North Carolina, 50 shillings for every 100 acres. Recorded, Surry County.

1784, July – Joseph Woodruff to William Moore Sr., both of Surry County, North Carollina, for £3, 100 acres on McFee’s Creek. Witnessed by Nathaniel Woodruff. Recorded August 1785.[Deed Book C;280]

1784, December 20 – Nathaniel & Susannah Woodruff of Surry County, North Carolina to William Meredith of Amherst County, Virginia, for £40, 100 acres, Amherst County, Virginia Proved 5 September 1785 and again on 3 September 1787. [Deed Book F:187-188]

1785, May 13 – Land survey entered for Samuel Woodruff, 100 acres on the Yadkin

1786 – Tax List, Surry County, North Carolina, Nathaniel Woodruff in Wright’s District

1786, April 7 – Nathaniel Woodrough to Samuel Woodrough, for good will and affection for my son and £10, 100 acres which are part of tract on which Nathaniel now lives, Surry County, North Carolina[Deed Book C:338-339]

1787, May 9 – Nathaniel Woodruff received £1.10 in pay voucher for Revolutionary War service, Surry County, North Carolina

1788, February 5 – Nathaniel Woodruff to William Cook, both of Surry County, North Carolina, for £250, 200 acres on south side of Yadkin, below Joseph Woodruff. [Deed Book D:257-258]

1790 – U.S. Census of Spartanburg County, South Carolina:
Woodrough, Nathaniel, 1 over 16, 1 female
Woodrough, Joseph, 1 over 16, 4 under 16, 3 females, 2 enslaved
Woodrough, Saml, 1 over 16, 1 under 16, 1 female
Woodrough, Saml, 1 over 16, 2 under 16, 3 female, 2 enslaved
Wodrough, Thomas, 2 over 16, 3 under 16, 4 females

One of these Samuel Woodroughs is Nathaniel’s son.

It is said that Nathaniel Woodruff died c1795 in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, but those county records are sparsely available online and I have found no document to support that date.

1803, after September 8 – The DAR Patriot Index states Nathaniel Woodruff died after this date. Wife unknown. Uncertain if this is my Nathaniel or if it refers to the later Nathaniel found in Spartanburg County.