Joseph and Jane Woodward Hayes of Chester County, Pennsylvania >

Joseph and Jane Woodward Hayes Family

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Jane Woodward was the third child and third daughter of Richard Woodward, Jr. of Cheshire, England and Chester County, Pennsylvania. That she is daughter of Richard Woodward is proven by her marriage certificate which gives her as daughter of Richard. Deborah Woodward did not sign as mother but likely was her mother. John Pitts Launey gives a birthdate for Jane of 1706 and references the Kennett Meeting records, however her birthdate is not found there. It is found in the History of the Woodward family by Dr. Lewis Woodward (1879). Upon the death of Joseph Hayes, Jane married (2) William Wickersham of Newlin on 9/22/1750 at Londongrove Meeting.

In 2003 Tracy Shaffer posted information to the Pennsylvania Old Chester list on the Henry Hayes family including information that her family had obtained in visiting England and copying church records there. The records included the children of Henry and first wife Margaret Hayes and included Joseph Hayes, christened 19 November 1698 in Spelsbury Parish, Fulwell, England.

The Encyclopedia of American Genealogy mentions "On September 3, 1705, Henry Hayes, then called 'lately arrived in this province' obtained a warrant to take up 500 acres, one moiety of one thousand acres originally purchased from William Penn, by Richard Hands, of Swarford in the county of Oxon, England, and on the 11th mo January 28, 1705, obtained another warrant for 484 acres, the remainder, deducting liberty land near the city of Philadelphia. By virtue of the first warrant he took up 384 acres on the west branch of the Brandywine." We find no information on either of these parcels in Chester County land records but on 10 July 1708 a deed from Abiah Taylor mentions original patent dated 29 August 1706 "to Abiah Taylor for a tract lying in Bensalem bounded by land of Henry Hayes and line of Marlborough Township" (B2:270)�

There are numerous land records for Henry Hayes throughout the Chester County land records after that, and he apparently amassed over 2000 acres. He then seems to have deeded his land to his sons and sons-in-law in 177+ acre parcels before his death. Only a few of the deeds to his sons are now found but the 177+acres in each case suggest that he parceled his land to many people, most likely children, as he had at least 16.

Various references indicate that Henry Hayes married one Rachel in 1705 but no one mentions whether this took place in England or in America. Joseph Hayes was the last child mentioned in the christening records in England so it is assumed he is the last son of Henry and Margaret. Evidently Joseph Hayes had a first marriage to Elizabeth Cloud about 1724 in Chester County but she evidently soon died and we find no reference to a child from that marriage. We had been led astray by the fact that Joseph�s marriage certificate at Bradford Monthly Meeting was signed by Henry and Rachel as parents, but apparently Rachel was second wife and stepmother of Joseph.

Joseph Hayes
born 1698 Fulwell, England
died abt 1748 Chester Co, Pa

Jane Woodward
born Chester Co, Pa
died after 1752

Married: 8/26/1727 Newark/Kennett Monthly Meeting, Chester County, Pennsylvania

Children:Rachel Hayes married John Moore
Isaac Hayes married Hannah Harlan
Henry Hayes married (1) Elizabeth Scott (2) Jane Todd
Abigail Hayes married Richard Woodward (see below)
Joseph Hayes, Jr. married Joanna Passmore
Caleb Hayes married Mary Bailey
Ruth Hayes

Marriage of Joseph and Jane Woodward Hayes

We have a copy of the marriage certificate of Joseph Hayes of Marlborough and Jean Woodward, daughter of Richard Woodward of the township of Bradford, dated the 26th day of the eighth month in the year 1727. Unfortunately in the filming of the Kennett records the list of attendees was cut short but among those signing as family were Henry and Rachel Hayes, Richard Woodward, Richard and William Hayes (brothers of Joseph) Edward Woodward (uncle of Jane), Nathaniel Newlin (married to Jane's aunt Jane) and others unreadable. Among the attendees were Abraham Marshall and Mary Marshall, Joseph Mendenhall, John, Richard and Phebe Buffington, John Brommall, Evan Jones, Joseph Robertson, Alice Woodward (current wife of Edward Woodward), Joseph Baker, and others unreadable.

More on the Hayes Family

There were other Woodward connections with the Hayes family, so we include more on Joseph's family. His father, Henry Hayes was born in Fulwell, Oxfordshire, England, and died between 4/1/1745 when he wrote his will and 12/30/1745 when the will was proven in court. He is styled as Husbandman of East Marlborough, Chester County, Pennsylvania. His second wife Rachel was last heard of in the records when she signed a land deed jointly with Henry on 25 October 1736. She died sometime after and Henry married again to a woman named Isabella. He left wife Isabella 200 pounds in his will "if she delivers that paper to my executors which I signed to her before my marriage." He left to his son John 20 pounds; son William, 1 shilling; son Stephen 10 pounds; to daughters Mary and Joanna 1 shilling each; remainder of real and personal estate to daughters Margaret, Elizabeth, Anne, Rachel, Ruth and Lydia; Margaret to have 20 pounds more than the others. Executors were sons Joseph and James. Witnesses were Jonathan Jackson and George Carson. Unfortunately he did not give the married names of his daughters, and there are few Hayes Quaker records so we know little more about them. Henry did not mention his son Thomas in his will but there is a land deed wherein Henry and Rachel deeded land to "son Thomas." Perhaps Thomas was deceased at the time Henry wrote his will or perhaps Henry felt the land was a sufficient bequest.

Joseph's brother James Hayes lived in East Fallowfield and died before 5/1745 in Chester County. He is of further interest to us, as two of his daughters married into the Woodward family. James had a wife Mary, and between the wills of James and Mary we learn more about the family. James mentions the surnames of his daughters, Sarah Baker, Rachel Jones, Hannah Clark, and Lydia Stroud. He mentions sons Nathan and Henry. Sarah Hays, daughter of James Hays of East Fallowfield, dec'd, married Aaron Baker, son of Aron Baker of West Marlborough on 5th mo 30th day 1759 at Bradford Monthly meeting. Aaron Baker, Jr., was son of Aaron & Mary Edwards Baker. Aaron Baker, Sr. was son of Janes's sister Martha Woodward and Joseph Baker. We learn further from the will of James's wife, Mary Hays, that their daughter Rachel Hayes Jones was married to John Jones, son of Jane's sister Sarah Woodward and Evan Jones. From Mary's will, we obtained the names of the children of Rachel and John Jones, named as Mary's grandchildren, and have added them to the Jones page.

Children of Joseph and Jane Woodward Hayes

Because Hayes Quaker records are spotty (or missing) we have little information on the children of Joseph and Jane Woodward Hayes.

Daughter Rachel Hayes married John Moore, son of David Moore on 4/17/1747 at Londongrove Monthly Meeting. We find no will for either David or John Moore in Chester County will records, so perhaps they left the area.

Son Isaac Hayes married Hannah Harlan on 10/5/1750, according to J. Gary Woodward, in his compilation of Chester County Woodward records. Isaac Hayes died before 8/30/1759 in East Marlborough Township, without a will, and Hannah Hayes was appointed administrator. There should be Orphan Court records if they had issue.

According to a Hayes Family Genealogy found on GenealogyLibrary.com, son Henry Hayes married Elizabeth Scott in 1768 and Jane Todd in 1773. Henry and Elizabeth had a daughter, Elizabeth Hayes, born 10/15/1769 who married Emmor Bailey and moved to Springboro, Ohio, where many of their descendants live today.

The Hayes Genealogy also mentions son Joseph Hayes, Jr., referring to him as Captain Joseph Hayes. He was born 12/16/1732 in Chester County and married Joanna Passmore on 8/12/1753.

Daughter Abigail Hayes married her uncle, Jane Woodward Hayes' brother Richard Woodward, III on 11/3/1755 at Old Swede's Church, Wilmington on the Delaware. Richard was dismissed at Bradford Monthly Meeting on 3/18/1756 for marrying one too nearly related (his niece). There is nothing further found in Quaker records on them, and we have no further information, except possible children Rachel, Joseph and Deborah.

Son Caleb Hayes married Mary Baily, according to Lewis Woodward's genealogy of the Woodward family. We have no further information.

We have nothing further on daughter Ruth Hayes.

Updates:
12/23/2007 Updated Jane's information to indicate she was probably daughter of Deborah Stanfield Woodward.
4/14/2007 Made a major update on the parentage of Joseph Hayes from information we have had since 2003 - gives you an idea of how woefully behind we are in posting information!