John William Woodward Family of Wayne County, Indiana
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John William Woodward Family

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John William Woodward was the sixth child and third son of John & Rachel Williams Woodward of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Wayne County, Indiana. He was grandson of Abraham & Hannah Thornbrough Woodward, the subjects of this Web Site. John W. Woodward was married four times: (1) Mary Crownover, 8/30/1832, Wayne Co, Ind; (2) Elizabeth Ann Leonard, 12/19/1848, Wayne Co, In; (3) Mary Jane Miller, 2/29/1863, Wayne Co, In; and (4) Isabella Crownover Dicks, 9/12/1871, Wayne Co, In. To our knowledge there were no children from the last two marriages.

Mary Crownover Woodward was daughter of Joseph and Mary Marlatt Crownover [see our Mercer County, Il, Marlatt page for the Marlatt family history]. The Crownovers, Conovers, and Gonovers are descended from Wolfet Gerretsen van Couwenhoven (d. 1662)who immigrated in 1630 from the Netherlands to Renseelaerwyck near Albany, New York. Note also that Isabella Crownover Dicks was sister of Mary Crownover Woodward.

  John W. Woodward
born 4/29/1810 Jefferson Co, Tn
died 4/7/1876 Wayne Co, In
burial Middle Cemetery, Dublin
Mary Crownover
born 2/4/1814 Indiana
died Bef 1848 Wayne Co, In
  Married: 8/30/1832 Wayne County, Indiana

Children:
Elizabeth Woodward born about 1834, Wayne County, Indiana
Mary Woodward born about 1836, Wayne County, Indiana
Angelina Woodward born about 1838, Wayne County, Indiana
Joseph Crownover Woodward born 5/9/1840, Wayne County, Indiana; married Mary Ann Koehler/Caylor
John B. Woodward born 1842, Wayne County, Indiana
Lydia Margaret Woodward born 1845, Wayne County, Indiana

  John W. Woodward
born 4/29/1810 Jefferson Co, Tn
died 4/7/1876 Wayne Co, In
burial Middle Cemetery, Dublin
Elizabeth (Betsey Ann) Leonard
born about 1819 in Virginia
died 4/1861 Hamilton Co, In
  Married: 12/19/1848 Wayne County, Indiana

Children:
Benton Leonard Woodward born 1/28/1854 Marion, Grant Co, Indiana; married Mary Moore
Emma Woodward

A Brief History of the Family in Indiana

The Memoirs of Wayne County and the City of Richmond Indiana, 1912, contain a short biography of Benton L. Woodward, son of John W. and Betsy Ann Leonard Woodward with some comments about his parents and grandparents. Generally we often find errors in such county histories but the general gist of this one matches other records.

"Benton L. Woodward is one of the highly esteemed citizens of the village of Dublin, with the development and progress of which he is closely identified. His vocation is that of a dealer in coal, lime, cement, shingles, fence, fence posts, salt, feed, flour, etc., and also the buying and selling of live stock, and in connection with these important lines of industry has achieved a success worth of the name. Mr. Woodward comes of staunch American lineage and is a representative of a family early founded in the State of Tennessee. He was born near Marion, Grant County, Indiana, Jan. 28, 1854, the only son of John and Betsy Ann (Leonard) Woodward, the former of whom was born in Tennessee, in 1810 and the latter in Pennsylvania. The father came to Wayne County with his father, in 1814, about two years prior to the admission of the State to the Union. The grandfather located a claim of government land where the Washington road intersects the National Pike. The father secured his education in Wayne county, after which he removed to Grant county, and in 1856 moved to Hamilton county, and there maintained his home until 1863, when he moved to the village of Dublin, where he purchased Daniel Crull's residence and passed the residue of his life. He died April 7, 1876, and his loved and devoted wife preceded him in death, as she passed away in Hamilton county, Indiana, in April, 1861..."

Supporting Family Records

We located the John W. Woodward family in Centre Township, Wayne County, Indiana, in the 1850 census, taken on September 23: Household 390, John Woodard, 40, farmer, farm valued $1800, born Tenn; Elizabeth A., 31, born Va; Elizabeth, 16, born Ind; Mary, 14, born Ind; Angelina, 12, born Ind; Joseph, 10, born Ind; John, 6, born Ind; Lydia M., 4, born Ind. The birthdates given for the children above are taken from this census record. All are children of John and Mary Crownover Woodward.

Pauline Woodward Montgomery was a descendant of Benton Leonard Woodward and gives the date of birth of John Woodward as 4/29/1810 in Tennessee which agrees with the census record. She also gives the marriage to Betsey Ann Leonard as December 17, 1848, indicating that both dates are from family bible records. The marriage record appears correct since Elizabeth is the wife shown in the 1850 census record. The Indiana Marriage index gives December 19, 1848.

We find John and Elizabeth Woodward in Noblesville, Hamilton County, Indiana in 1860: #267 John Woodward, 50, farmer, born Tn; Elizabeth, 41, Va; Mary, 23, In; Joseph, 20, In; John, 17, In; Lydia, 15, In; Benton, 6, In. This supports the information in the above history of the move from Wayne County to Hamilton County.

We find John Woodward in the 1868 Wayne County Gazetteer living in Dublin, in Wayne County, Indiana, which confirms his return to Wayne County. In 1870 he is living with son Joseph in Dublin: #201 Joseph Woodward, 30, teamster, In; Mary, 28, In; Joseph, 4, In; Ella, 2, In; John, 57, farm laborer, Tn.

Woodward Family Researchers

Web Master Nadine Holder and Editor Jill Martin are both descended from Rachel Woodward Welch, sister of John William Woodward, and have researched that family extensively as well as the entire history of this Woodward family.

We have heard recently (3/2005) from Michael Helm, researching the Helm family, who told us of a marriage of Angeline Woodward to Baylis Helm in Grant County in 1857. We did find a marriage of Angelina Woodward to Baalis Helm in Grant County on 9/24/1857 in the Indiana Marriage Index. This fits very well with the information that the John W. Woodward family was in Grant County in the 1850's. The move to Hamilton County may have occurred after 1857, or Angelina was of an age she might have remained in Grant County after the Woodward family left. This fits with her not being with the family in Hamilton County in 1860. In the 1860 census in Grant County Baylis Helm shows no wife, but his mother Lavina is with him and a daughter Sarah, age 12, and a daughter Martha, age 1, are with him. Evidently Angelina died before 1860. We find no further information on Baylis in 1870. If anyone can shed any light on this part of the Helm/Woodward family, please contact Web Master Nadine Holder on the About Us Page. We would be very interested in the fate of Martha Helm, Angelina's daughter.

The John W. Woodward family was researched jointly for over 20 years by Colleen Arwine and Pauline Woodward Montgomery. Colleen is a descendant of John & Mary Crownover Woodward; her ancestor was Lydia Ellen Woodward McConkey, daughter of Joseph Crownover Woodward. Pauline (deceased) was a descendant of John & Elizabeth Leonard Woodward. Her ancestor was William Benton Woodward, son of Benton Leonard Woodward. Colleen is also an expert on the Crownover/Gonover family and provided information from the publication of this family's history (available through the LDS Library). Copies of some of Pauline Montgomery's research is available for a small fee from the Indiana Society of Pioneers (315 West Ohio St, Indiannapolis, In 46202). Unfortunately Pauline's papers and photographs seem to have been destroyed after her death. She was author of a book Indiana Weavers and Their Coverlets that is a respected historical reference. She had a fine collection of coverlets which are in the possession of the Children's Museum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. We have heard from Vance Woodward, a Benton Leonard Woodward descendant, and nephew of Pauline Woodward Montgomery. Curiously, he was recently living unknowingly on the parcel of land in Jefferson County, Tennessee, that John Woodward, Sr., owned in the late 1700's and early 1800's.

Melissa Frease is researching the John & Mary Crownover Woodward family. She is a descendant of Frank Benjamin Woodward, son of Joseph Crownover Woodward, who served in the Spanish American War. She has furnished a photo of Frank in his uniform that is unfortunately too faint to scan.

We have heard from Earl and Roberta Woodward. Earl is a descendant of Osia Woodward, another son of Joseph Crownover Woodward, and sent information on that family.

Joseph Crownover Woodward Family

Joseph Crownover Woodward was born 5/9/1840 in Wayne County, Indiana. He married Mary Ann Caylor(Koehler), daughter of Abraham and Susannah Miller Caylor, born 2/4/1842 in Indiana. Joseph Crownover and Mary Caylor Woodward had children: John B. Woodward, born 2//22/1864, d 1866; Joseph Woodward, born 1866, died 1874; Lydia Ellen Woodward; William Woodward; Osia Woodward, and Frank Benjamin Woodward. They are found in the 1880 census in Dublin, Wayne County, Indiana: Joseph Woodward, teamster, 40, born In; Mary, 38, born In; Ella [Ellen], 12; Willie, 10; Osia, 7; Frank, 2, all born Indiana.

Daughter Lydia Ellen Woodward was born 5/14/1868 in Wayne County, Indiana. She married (1)Jessy McConkey, son of Thomas Cranor and Josephine Boden McConkey, and (2) F. Marion McConkey, brother of Jessy. Jessy and Lydia Ellen Woodward McConkey had a son Jesse Glen, born 8/19/1889 at New Lisbon, Henry County, Indiana. F. Marion and Lydia Ellen Woodward McConkey had children: Celestia Beard McConkey (2/12/1896, Dublin, Wayne County); Joseph Thomas McKonkey (7/28/1898, Dublin, Wayne County); Harold Walter McConkey (10/7/1900, Hamilton Co, In); Frank Woodward McConkey (3/26/1902, Hamilton Co, In; Lyse Gaylord McConkey (10/6/1906, Wayne Co, In); Mary Josephine McConkey (5/24/1909, Wayne Co, In). In keeping with our general practice on these pages we have not carried the families further as we do not wish to provide information too close to living relatives.

Son William Woodward was born July 31, 1870 in Indiana and married Dora Stottlemeyer, August 10, 1891 at Hamilton County, Indiana. William died at the age of 33 and is buried in Stoney Creek Cemetery, Noblesville, Hamilton County, Indiana. William and Dora Woodward had children: Mary Magdeline Woodward (12/20/1893) and Glenn J. Woodward (12/11/1901).

Son Osia Woodward was born 5/14/1873 in Noblesville, Hamilton County, Indiana and died 12/12/1945. He married Minnie Ridenour who was born 10/14/1877 and died 6/29/1958. The Ridenour family is found in Mt. Auburn, Wayne County in 1880: Lot Ridenour, sewing machine agent, 29, born Oh; Elizabeth, 21, born In; Minnie, 3, In; Stella, 6 mo, In. Osia Woodward was an express messenger on the Pennsylvania Railroad operating between Chicago, Illinois and Cincinnati, Ohio for several years before buying a farm near Loveland, Clermont County, Ohio and operating a dairy farm for the rest of his life. Osia Woodward and his wife, Minnie, had three sons, Virgil who died in infancy, Ralph Cooper Woodward born in Dublin, Wayne County, Indiana 5/11/1896 and died 7/13/1972 and Willard O. Woodward born in Knightstown, Henry County, Indiana 3/13/1900 and died 9/04/1978. To protect privacy we have not carried this family further here.

Son Frank Benjamin Woodward was born 12/23/1881 in Dublin Indiana. He married Mary Catharine McGarrity, born 8//2/1882. They had daughter Margaret Ella Woodward, born 2/13/1912 in Columbus, Ohio. Frank died 5/13/1932 and Mary died 4/17/1955, both in Columbus, Ohio. Frank was a landscape gardner. His death certificate (furnished by Missy Frease) gives the spelling of his mother's name as Mary Koehler. Missy has a photo of Frank in his uniform at the time of the Spanish American War.

Benton Leonard Woodward Family

Benton Leonard Woodward was born 1/28/1854 in Marion, Grant County, Indiana, and died 11/22/1917 in Dublin, Wayne County, Indiana (the dates are from Index to Wayne County Death Records(1882-1920). He married Mary Moore on 3/23/1873 in Wayne County, Indiana, according to the International Genealogical Index. Vance Woodward tells us she was born in County Down, Ireland. We have not checked the 1870 Wayne County, Indiana, census to see if we can locate the names of her parents. Benton and Mary are found in the 1880 census in Center Township, Wayne County, Indiana: Benton Woodward, farmer, 26, born Indiana; Mary, 28, born Ireland; Harry W., son, 6, born In; Willie B., son, 4, In; Emma J., daughter, 2, In.

Son William Benton Woodward married Anna Huddleston, daughter of Rollin and Mary Huddleston. The Huddleston family is found in Mt. Auburn, Wayne County, Indiana, in 1880: Rollin Huddleston, plasterer, 26, born In, parents born In; Mary, 23, born In, father born Ireland, mother born In; Nora, 3, In; Anna, 1, In. William Benton and Anna Huddleston Woodward had children Howard Rollin Woodward, and Pauline Woodward. The Huddleston family were participants in the underground railway in Indiana. The Huddleston ancestral home still stands and information about it can be found on a historic Web Site {Historic landmark, with photo}. Pauline Woodward married Robert Montgomery and she is the author of the book Indiana Weavers and Their Coverlets which has become a historical reference work Used copies of the book are available from bookstores online but they are fairly expensive as it is used as a reference. Jill Martin has a copy of the book.


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