Determining the family composition of Samuel Woodruff requires a few additional pieces beyond the details found in his Hopkins County, Kentucky estate administration.

First, this branch of the Woodruff family came from Spartanburg County, South Carolina where vital records are few and far between so we need censuses to help.

In 1810, Spartanburg County, South Carolina we find Samuel Woodruff in the following household:

Male 45+ [Samuel, born c1761]
Female 45+ [Mary Dinsmore, born c1762]
Female 26-44, born 1766-1784 [Daughter Mary, born c1782]
Male 16-25, born 1785-1794 [Son David, born c1789]
Male, 10-15, born 1795-1800 [Son John, born c1795]
Male, 10-15, born 1795-1800 [Unknown]
Female, -10, born 1801-1810 [Daughter Jane, born c1801]
Male, -10, born 1801-1810 [Son Hiram, born c1805]
Male -10, born 1801-1810 [Son Robert, born 1809]

By 1820, Samuel Woodruff and family have settled in Hopkins County, Kentucky in an extended family:

Male 45+ [Samuel, born c1761]
Male 45+ [Unknown]
Female 45+ [Unknown wife]
Female, 26-44, born 1776-1794 [Unknown]
Male, 16-25, born 1794-1804 [Unknown]
Male, 10-15, born 1805-1810 [Son Hiram, born c1805]
Male, 10-15, born 1805-1810 [Son Robert, born 1809]
Female, -10, born 1811-1820 [Daughter Nancy, born 1812]
Male, -10, born 1811-1820 [Son Levi, born c1815]
Female, -10, born 1811-1820 [Daughter Mildred, born 1819]

In 1830, Samuel Woodruff and family are still in Hopkins County, Kentucky:

Male, 60-69, born 1761-1770 [Samuel, born c1761]
Female, 40-49, born 1781-1790 [Unknown 2nd Wife]
Male, 20-29, born 1801-1810 [Son Robert, born 1809]
Female, 20-29, born 1801-1810 [Robert’s wife, Sarah, born c1808]
Male, 15-19, born 1811-1815 [Son Levi, born c1815]
Female, 15-19, born 1811-1815 [Daughter Nancy, born 1812]
Female, 10-14, born 1816-1820 [Daughter Mildred, born 1819]
Male, 5-9, born c1821-1825 [Unknown]
Female, 5-9, born 1821-1825 [Daughter Parthena? born c1824. Age varies in records.]
Female, 5-9, born 1821-1825 [Daughter Sarah Elizabeth? Age varies in records.]

Looking at the spread of birth years of Samuel’s children, Samuel had at least two wives. The first was Mary Dinsmore and his son, David, named his first child Dinsmore, which confirms a connection. If Mary was close in age to Samuel, say a year younger and born c1762, then she was likely the mother of his first five children and an unknown second wife (the female at home in 1830 and born 1781-1790) was the mother of his six younger children.

No marriage records are found for Samuel in Kentucky so he apparently married his second wife in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, which coincides with Robert’s birthplace in South Carolina in 1809.

It’s been stated, with no source, that Mary (Dinsmore) Woodruff died c1806 and that is reasonable given the break in children’s birth years between 1805 and 1809. It also coincides with Mary likely outgrowing her childbearing years about the same time.

Children: (Woodruff with Mary Dinsmore) All children were born in South Carolina, probably Spartanburg County.

1. Mary, born 1782; died c1851, probably Hopkins County, Kentucky; married Joseph Woodruff, born c1789, Spartanburg County, South Carolina, c1810, likely in South Carolina. Mary was enumerated in 1850 as 7 years older than her husband.
2. David, born c1789; died between May 1841 and October 1841, Hopkins County, Kentucky; married Elizabeth Jones, 16 November 1814, Hopkins County, Kentucky.
3. John, born c1796; died between 1860-1870, probably Hopkins County, Kentucky; married Frances Davis, 19 January 1818, Hopkins County, Kentucky.
4. Jane, born c1800; died after 1860, probably Hopkins County, Kentucky; married John Keyser, 17 July 1817, Hopkins County, Kentucky
5. Hiram, born c1805; died 29 December 1865, Caldwell County, Kentucky; married Eliza Lydia Fox, 15 July 1829, Hopkins County, Kentucky
   
   Children: (Woodruff with Unknown 2nd Wife)
6. Robert, born 28 August 1809, South Carolina; died 6 May 1885, Hopkins County, Kentucky; married Sarah Davis, 16 July 1829, Hopkins County, Kentucky
7. Nancy, born about 11 October 1812, Hopkins County, Kentucky; died 30 June 1900, Hopkins County, Kentucky; married Thomas Robinson, 16 February 1833, Hopkins County, Kentucky
8. Levi, born c1815, Kentucky; died before 10 November 1890, when his estate administration was recorded; married Elizabeth Laffoon, 24 December 1833, Hopkins County, Kentucky
9. Mildred, born 25 March 1819, Hopkins County, Kentucky; died 4 September 1900, Hopkins County, Kentucky; married John A. Ezell, 11 May 1841, Hopkins County, Kentucky
10. Parthena, born 26 August 1824, Hopkins County, Kentucky; died 23 April 1891, Hopkins County, Kentucky; married Wilkerson Laffoon, 23 March 1841, Hopkins County, Kentucky. NOTE: Parthena’s age varies by as much as 10 years in records, but most place her birth in 1824, 1825 or 1826.
11. Sarah Elizabeth, born 16 December 1829, Hopkins County, Kentucky; died 17 January 1919, Hopkins County, Kentucky; married John Nash Laffoon, 8 September 1845, Hopkins County, Kentucky

This list of children doesn’t include any of the “unknowns” in the census record. It is also possible that Samuel’s second wife was a widow with one or more children from a previous marriage. It’s also clear that either extended family or workers were in the home, too.

Now, where is the proof of these children? In the Hopkins County, Kentucky estate administrations.

Samuel Woodruff is last found, living on 25 January 1837 when Samuel Woodruff sold land to his son-in-law, Thomas Robinson. Witnesses are David and Dinsmore Woodruff..

Samuel didn’t sell much land, but those entries in the 1830s mention no wife, so his second wife must have died after 1830 and sometime during that decade.

In 1846, the county court ordered the recording of a sale of Samuel’s land when John A. Ezell and wife Mildred, identified as heirs of Samuel Woodruff sued other heirs of Samuel: Thomas Robertson (sic) and wife Nancy, Joseph Woodruff and wife Polly [Mary], John Keyser and wife Virginia (sic – should be Jane. Perhaps “Jinny” was assumed to be “Ginny”), Wilkerson Laffoon and wife Parthena, John N. Laffoon and wife Sarah, Hiram Woodruff, John Woodruff, Robert Woodruff, Dinsmore Woodruff, William P. Woodruff, Israel Davis and wife Dicey and Jane Woodruff.

Rather than transcribing all, this document can be found in Hopkins County, Kentucky Deed Book 14-176-178. The only pertinent details are those bringing suit and those being sued.

Interestingly, Levi Woodruff is not named in this lawsuit. Either the clerk omitted his name by mistake or Levi agreed with the Ezells and so wasn’t part of this lawsuit.

However, there is no doubt that he was a son of Samuel Woodruff because of an entry in estate administrations dated 26 February 1856. it is a final settlement by John Woodruff, estate administrator of Samuel Woodruff with monies paid out.

Items 1-5 are bills paid, but No. 6-No. 15 are the heirs of Samuel Woodruff:

W. Woodruff, No. 6, 1.75 [perhaps should be John, see closing comments]
Hiram Woodruff, No. 7, 1.75
Wilkerson B. Laffoon, No. 8, 1.75
John Keyser, No. 9, 1.75
Levi Woodruff, No. 10, 1.75
Robert Woodruff, No. 11, 1.75
John N. Laffoon, No. 12, 1.75
Thomas Robertson, No. 13, 1.75
John Ezell, No. 14, 1.75
David Woodruff’s heirs, No. 15, 1.75

Hopkins County, Kentucky Court Records, pages 284-285:

Everyone is accounted for except John Woodruff and I have to wonder if the clerk mistakenly wrote “W. Woodruff” for Wohn as there is no known heir of Samuel whose name begins with W except for David’s son William P., who would have inherited under “David Woodruff’s heirs.”

Thus, there is now a complete picture of the children of Samuel Woodruff with Mary Dinsmore and a likely second unknown wife who predeceased Samuel between 1830-1836.

My new distant cousin is now asking about the father of this Samuel. I’ve never been able to determine that, but since my last attempt was long before FamilySearch’s full-text search, I need to take a new look. That’s a good project for September’s 12 for ’26!

My husband’s family tree has a very tangled branch in his family tree and it’s been years – 2019 – since I last worked on it. A newbie researcher contacted me about the Woodruff family and we began corresponding.

One of the documents I shared with her was the will of David Woodruff, written in May 1841 and recorded in court in October of the same year.

She wrote back saying that since David was a brother of her ancestor, it wasn’t anything she needed.

However, when the family tree includes Nathaniel Woodruff with an unknown wife being the father of Samuel Woodruff, born c1762 who married Jennett Woodruff, daughter of Moses and Phebe (MNU) Woodruff, who had a son Joseph Woodruff, who married Mary Woodruff, daughter of another Samuel Woodruff and Mary Dinsmore AND they all used very similar given names for their children, it’s very easy to see why collateral wills are important.

Add all that to the universal family tree online that has children and grandchildren confused and assigned to the wrong parents (as proven by wills), it becomes crystal clear why collateral lines are so important.

Part 2 in this series will identify (most of) the children of Samuel Woodruff by at least two wives.

Identifying the children of David Woodruff will enable the reader to better understand Samuel’s estate administration.

David Woodruff’s will is found in Hopkins County, Kentucky Will Book 4:325-326.

In the Name of God , Amen , I David Woodruff of the County of Hopkins and State of Kentucky being weak of body Will but of sound and disposing memory make and publish the my last Will and Testament in manner following

1st My will is after my decese That my spirit return to God who gave it and that my body be plainly but decently intered .

2nd My wish is that all my just debts and funeral expences be paid out of my affects

3d my wish is that Josiah S Gardner Keep and enjoy peaceably the room he now occupies with his stable & Lot as long as he may wish at to remain with his stock of goods upon the same terms he has had them heretofore

4th my will is that my wife Elizabeth have my bay mare paul with my Derbin and seers suitable to work to it her Sadle and bridle Bed & furniture and one hundred dollars in cash , with my three little Negres Viz Russel , Henry & Martha also her family room with the yard surrounding it with the Kitchen Smoke house mill house, spring and spring Lot , and such portion of the Garden as she may wish to cultivate, all of which property I wish my wife Elizabeth fully to enjoy while she may remain a widow,

5th My will is that my son William P Woodruff have the farm on which Hier estimated at Two hundred dollars by his paying to my estate one hundred dollars

6th My Will is that my daughter Nancy Jane have one hundred dollars in cash

7th My will is that my Horse mill, Waggon & gear Horse Hogs sheep cattle farming utentials household and Kitchen furniture all be exposed to public sale& all the proffits arising from the said to be equally divided between my four children and wife, in addition to all the above named property I wish all the goods and chattels belonging to my estate exposed to sale at the time of the above named property and the proceed to be disposed of in the way above directed betwixt my wife and four children,

8th my will is that my daughter Nancy Jane Woodruff in addition to the hundred dollars I have willed her be made equal with my other children in point of household and Kitchen furniture, also that my daughter [Nancy]Jane be clothed and schoold out of the property and monney willed to my wife Elizabeth,

9th My wish is that my Son Dinsmore Woodruff and my son in law Israel Davis serve as my Executor and in conclusion I must add that I have done the best I could for my beloved wife and children and I hope the Lord will protect them and bless them in the use of and render them satisfied with what I have given them

In Witness whereof I affix my name on this the fifteenth day of May Eighteen hundred and forty one

David Woodruff

Attest J S. Gardner
Washington Dunkerson

Examd Kentucky Hopkins County ⎬ Sct October County Court 1841 . This Instrument of writing was produced in Court and proven to be the last Will and Testament of David Woodruff decd whose name is thereto subscribed by the oaths of J S Gardner & Washington Dunkerson subscribing Witnesses thereto and as such ordered to be recorded , Whereupon the same is recorded accordingly Att Sam Woodson

David Woodruff married Elizabeth Jones on 16 November 1814 in Hopkins County, Kentucky. Assuming he was about 25 years old when he married, David’s birth year can be estimated as c1789. He was almost certainly born in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Children: (Woodruff)

1. Dinsmore, born 18 August 1815, Hopkins County, Kentucky; died 14 March 1904, Hopkins County, Kentucky; married Serena Dunkerson, 15 October 1835, Hopkins County, Kentucky. Marriage record calls her Selina, but all later primary records call her Serena.
2. William P., born c1818, Kentucky; died shortly before 15 November 1852 when his estate inventory was filed in Caldwell County Court; married (1) Rosannah Davis, 9 May 1840, Hopkins County, Kentucky (2) Martha Brooks, 18 February 1846, Caldwell County, Kentucky
3. Dicey, born 26 January 1820, Hopkins County, Kentucky; died 17 September 1908, Hopkins County, Kentucky; married Israel Davis, 17 November 1836, Hopkins County, Kentucky
4. Nancy Jane, born c1832, Hopkins county, Kentucky; married William W. Cardwell, 25 November 1851, Caldwell County, Kentucky

Two comments in closing – Online trees show David Woodruff with five children – Dinsmore, William, Dicey, Nancy Jane and Jane. However, David clearly states – TWICE – in his will that he has a wife and FOUR children. These statements clarify that “Jane” who is to be raised out of monies left to Elizabeth is the same person as “Nancy Jane.”

Lastly, the fate of Elizabeth is left hanging in online trees. Elizabeth (Jones) Woodruff married (2) William Davis, 9 December 1842, Hopkins county, Kentucky and he died by 1849 (3) James Hezekiah Puryear, 20 December 1849, Hopkins County, Kentucky. James died before 30 October 1855, also in Hopkins County.

Elizabeth (Jones) (Woodruff) (Davis) Puryear died on 1 June 1868, Hopkins County, Kentucky. She is buried in Grapevine Cemetery #1 in Madisonville, Hopkins, Kentucky where her gravestone is still legible today.

Now that there is proof of the wife and children of David Woodruff, the estate of Samuel Woodruff, his father, can be better understood.

There are so many Woodruff ties to my husband’s family tree that it has taken one more day to complete the various family sketches.

We’ve finally arrived at the last family, that of Moses Woodruff and Phebe (MNU). Moses Woodruff was born c1739, the son of John Woodruff and Eleanor Donnington.

His marriage to Phebe reportedly happened on 20 January 1760 in Westfield, Essex, New Jersey. Although I can’t find an original source for that date, their first child, Lydia, was baptized at the Westfield Presbyterian Church on 4 January 1761.

Therefore, the marriage date works, but whether it is accurate or not is anybody’s guess.

Moses and Phebe continued to lived in Westfield and raised their young family there until the start of the American Revolution.

Moses’s uncle, Nathaniel Woodruff, had left New Jersey and migrated to Virginia as early as 1765. By the early 1770s, he had moved on to Surry County, North Carolina.

Nathaniel must have kept in touch with his New Jersey family as Moses first appears on the Surry County, North Carolina tax list in 1777. He apparently liked his new life because while Nathaniel moved on to Spartanburg County, South Carolina c1789, Moses remained in Surry County for the rest of his life.

Moses wrote his will on 29 July 1816 in Surry County, North Carolina and he added a codicil in April 1817. The will was proved in court at the November 1817 session, so Moses died between April and November 1817. [Surry County, North Carolina Will Book 3:130] Phebe predeceased Moses, who married (2) Elizabeth Collins, 29 June 1806 in Surry County, who survived him and is named in his will.

Children:

Between the New Jersey church records and Moses’s will, a complete picture of his family can be determined.

1. Lydia, born 4 January 1761, Westfield, Essex, New Jersey; died after 1817, when she is mentioned in her father’s will; married Burrell Pace, c1785. The Paces moved to Spartanburg County, South Carolina with their Woodruff kin and are enumerated there in 1790 and 1800.
2. Jennet, born 6 September 1762, Westfield, Essex, New Jersey; died c1800, Spartanburg County, South Carolina; married Samuel Woodruff, son of Nathaniel Woodruff, c1784
3. Gideon, born 6 August 1764, Westfield, Essex, New Jersey; died between 4 October 1820, when he wrote his will, and April 1821, when it was proved in Surry County, North Carolina [Surry County, North Carolina Will Book 3:147]; married Prudence (MNU). She survived him and is named in his will.
4. John Allen, born 1 June 1766, Westfield, Essex, New Jersey; died before May 1832, Ashe County, North Carolina, when his will was proved; married Jane (McBride?)
5. Hannah, born 8 May 1768, Westfield, Essex, New Jersey; died after 1817 when she is mentioned in her father’s will; married (William?) Moore
6. Mary, born 27 May 1770, Westfield, Essex, New Jersey; died 5 September 1858, Lawrence County, Indiana; married John McBride, c1791
7. Moses, born 4 February 1772, Westfield, Essex, New Jersey; died before 1817, as he is not mentioned in his father’s will. No further record.
8. Phebe, born c1774; married Francis Bryan, c1794; died after 1850, probably Allegheny County, North Carolina. Francis and Phebe lived with their son’s family in 1850.

This concludes the long Woodruff lines in my husband’s family tree!