Today, it’s time for the family sketch of Samuel Woodruff & his wife, Jennet (Woodruff) Woodruff. Yes, it’s one of my husband’s double Woodruff descent. Thank goodness, so many of the Woodruffs left wills. That has made sorting them out a whole lot easier!

Samuel Woodruff was born c1762, possibly in New Jersey or Amherst County, Virginia, where his father, Nathaniel, lived by the mid-1760s. Samuel is Nathaniel’s only proven-without-a-doubt child, as he is so named in a Surry County land deed in which Nathaniel sold 100 acres of his land grant to “my son, Samuel” in 1786. His mother was likely Hannah (MNU), the wife of Nathaniel Woodruff who, together, sold land in Amherst County, Virginia in 1768. Additional support for his mother’s name is found in Samuel’s daughter’s name – also Hannah – and apparently his first born child.

Samuel married Jennet Woodruff, his first cousin once removed, who was the child of Moses Woodruff and Phebe (MNU), born 6 September 1762, Westfield, Union, New Jersey.

Moses Woodruff left New Jersey with his family around the time of the start of the Revolutionary War, as he first appears on the 1777 tax list of Surry County, North Carolina.

Samuel and Jennet raised their family in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, where the family moved around 1789.

Jennet, however, died quite young – reportedly on 14 September 1800 in Spartanburg County and it is said that Samuel remarried a short three weeks later to Nancy (possibly Pilgrim) in early October.

Samuel had a large family, with multiple children by each of his wives, all named in his will.

Samuel died in Spartanburg County, South Carolina between 11 July 1835, the day he wrote his will, and 24 January 1836, when it was proved. Given the court recording date, it is likely that Samuel died in November or December of 1835.

Children of Samuel and Jennet (All events in Spartanburg County, SC unless otherwise noted):

1. Hannah, born c1786; died 6 September 1853; married Philip Pilgrim, c1802.
2. Joseph, born c1789; died between 1860-1870, probably Hopkins County, Kentucky; married (1) Mary Woodruff, c1811 (2) Lucinda McEwin, 20 April 1852, Hopkins County, Kentucky. Mary died c1851.
3. Phebe, born c1792; died between 31 May 1847-7 July 1858, the date her brother, Moses, wrote his will and left her a legacy, and the date of a court document naming her children as heirs in her stead; married Thomas Castleberry, c1808.
4. Moses, born c1795; died between 31 May 1847-2 January 1849, Benton County, Alabma (renamed Calhoun County in 1858); married Winifred (Hand?). Moses and Winny had no children.

Aaron Woodruff is most definitely a child of Samuel, as he is named as a son in Samuel’s will. Aaron died in the 1850s so only appears with an exact age in the 1850 census – 52 – so born c1798. The 1830 census places his age as 30-39 and the 1840 census as 40-49.

In any case, Aaron was born close to 1800, so could have been the last child of Jennet. However, Samuel named his children in two specific groups: Hannah, Phebe, Joseph and Moses – and then his remaining six children. That leaves the name of his mother open to interpretation.

Because of these two groupings and minus a birth or death record, I am placing Aaron as a child of Nancy.

Children of Samuel and Nancy (All events in Spartanburg County unless noted otherwise):

1. Aaron, born 1798-1801; died between 10 July 1855, when his name appears on a land deed, and the 1860 census, probably Marshall County, Mississippi; married Sarah White, 18 January 1823, Williamson County, Tennessee
2. Amos, born c1801; died 10 June 1881, Lamar County, Texas; married Levina Bobo, c1823
3. Richard, born c1802; died 10 June 1871; married Alsey Terry, c1823
4. Gideon, born 5 August 1804; died 20 June 1862, probably Yalobush County, Mississippi; married Philadelphia Bobo, c1825
5. Isaac, born c1806; died between 1850-1860; married Maria Anderson, c1830
6. Rebecca, born c1806; died 19 January 1846; married Sampson Bobo, c1829. Rebecca’s original gravestone is still legible.

The next family, that of Joseph and Mary (Woodruff) Woodruff, is the last generation before the Woodruff line daughters out.