Joseph and Rebecca Martin Woodward FamilyReturn to Woodward Home PageReturn to James and Ann Pyle Woodward Page Our information for this page comes from History and Genealogy of the Harlan Family by Alpheus Harlan. It appears to be a well researched history and the names of the family agree with Joseph Harlan's will. Joseph Woodward was son of James & Anne Pyle Woodward and grandson of Richard and Deborah Stanfield Woodward. Joseph served as a private in the Revolutionary War and has a proven DAR line. Rebecca Martin was daughter of Joseph and Hannah Harlan Martin. She was sister of Lydia Martin who married Joseph Woodward's cousin John Woodward. |
| Rebecca Martin> born 3/23/1739 Chester Co Pa died 12/20/1831 Chester Co Pa burial Bradford Burying Gr |
Joseph Woodward born 11/4/1737 Chester Co Pa died 5/31/1812 Chester Co Pa burial Bradford Burying Gr |
| Married: 11/1760 at Old Swede's Church on the Delaware.
Children: James Woodward born 2/1/1761, Chester County, Pa; married Sarah Cloud Hannah Woodward born 1/9/1763 Chester County, Pa Abner Woodward born 3/13/1765 Chester County, Pa; married (1) Unknown and (2) Elizabeth Clark Harlan Ann Woodward born 3/27/1767 Chester County, Pa; married Joseph Clark Lydia Woodward born 5/6/1769 Chester County, Pa; married Abraham Martin (owner of Marshallton Inn, Sign of the General Wayne) Jane Woodward born 8/13/1771 Chester County, Pa; married William Stevens Joseph Woodward born 10/12/1773 Chester County, Pa; married Elizabeth Mendenhall Rachel Woodward born 12/5/1775 Chester County, Pa; died 8/1796 Rebecca Woodward born 2/27/1779 Chester County, Pa; married James Walton 10/17/1830 Jacob Woodward born 8/31/1781 Chester County, Pa; married cousin Lydia Woodward, daughter of John & Lydia Martin Woodward |
Quaker RecordsJoseph Woodward was complained of at Bradford Monthly Meeting on 3/13/1761 for having carnal knowledge before marriage with her that is now his wife and for marriage by a priest. On 5/15/1761 he was disowned for marrying out [of the faith]. On 9/10/1761 Rebecca Martin Woodward was disowned for marriage by a priest. Because they were out of favor with the Quakers, there is no record at Bradford Monthly Meeting of their children. Our information comes from the Harlan Genealogy including the information that Joseph and Rebecca were buried at Bradford Meeting Burial Ground. They could be buried there because of their Quaker ancestry and did not necessarily make their peace with the Quakers.More on the children of Joseph and Rebecca Martin WoodwardJames and Sarah Cloud WoodwardSon James Woodward married Sarah Cloud, daughter of Mordecai and Abigail Johnson Cloud, but no record is found of the marriage. There are early records at Bradford Monthly Meeting for the Cloud family but then they apparently transferred to Kennett Monthly Meeting - we have not examined the Kennett records for information on them. According to the Harlan genealogy both James and Sarah Cloud Woodward are buried at Bradford Meeting Burial Grounds so they too may have made peace with the Quakers at some time or their marriage record may just be among the missing. James and Sarah had children: Jane Woodward; Rebecca Woodward, married Thomas Martin; Rachel Woodward, b. 5/31/1802, married Ellis Woodward; and Elizabeth Woodward, married Taylor Strode. There may be more as James lived until 4/21/1841; however we do not know a death date for Sarah.Abner and Elizabeth Clark Harlan WoodwardA biography of Joseph and Rebecca's son, Abner Woodward, gives him as of Scotch descent; if this is true it was via the Martin family, not the Woodward family, as they were of English descent. It also mentions that Abner was born 13 March 1765 on the home farm where the Chester County, Pennsylvania, almshouse now stands. The Harlan Genealogy regarding Joseph: "Like his ancestors he was a farmer, and owned a tract of one hundred and four acres, lying south of the Strausburg road, and a part of the original one thousand acres [Woodward land]."Abner Woodward married Elizabeth Clark Harlan, widowed daughter of John and Sarah Clark, 7/24/1799 in Chester County, Pa. Elizabeth Clark Harlan was widow of Stephen Harlan, son of Stephen and Deborah Strode Woodward Harlan. Elizabeth Clark signed as family at the marriage of her brother James Clark at Bradford Monthly Meeting to Hannah Hays. James Clark brought a certificate from Sadsbury for the marriage, and his father John was "of Salisbury, Lancaster Co, Pa.", therefore Sadsbury was probably the Clark's meeting. Unfortunately few Sadsbury records survive. Biographies of Delaware County gives the birthdate of Abner's son Joseph as 12 November 1793, bringing up the possibility of an earlier marriage. The Harlan Genealogy gives the birthdate of Joseph Woodward as 11/12/1799 and a marriage to Mary Klair on 1/5/1826, consistent with the birthdate, so the Delaware Biography may have been in error. Joseph and Mary Klair Woodward had a son John Woodward, born 11/8/1834, who married Ellen Bird Lynam, daughter of John and Elizabeth McFarland Lynam on 3/1/1860. John and Ellen Bird Lynam Woodward had children: Lizzie, married J. Howard Mitchell; Anna, married Alfred C. Stirling; Emelie, married John F. Richards. In 1808 Abner and Elizabeth Clark Harlan Woodward moved to Delaware and purchased a farm in Mill Creek hundred. Abner died there 19 April 1846 and is buried with his wife at the Friends' Burial Ground at Hockessin, Delaware, indicating they too probably died as Quakers. Additional children mentioned in the Delaware County biography: John Woodward, born 1 June 1801, died 21 December 1863; Rebecca Woodward, married Joseph Worrell; Abner Woodward, Jr., born 9 March 1806 in Chester County. He inherited the Mill Creek Hundred Farm on his father's death and passed it on to his son Ellwood Woodward. Abner Jr. was married to Julia A. Hoopes, daughter of James and Ann Hoopes. They had children: Sarah Ann (13 Oct 1840), married George Foot, Abner III, (21 Nov 1842) lived with brother Ellwood; James Lewis (6 July 1844) died in infancy; Ellwood (6 June 1846) married Marguerite Maree, daughter of John and Margarett Surgen Maree of Delaware County; Elizabeth Emma (5 Jan 1848); Mary G. (2 Oct 1850) lived with Ellwood; James L. (18 Aug 1852) accidentally killed; William W. (17 May 1855). Joseph and Elizabeth Mendenhall WoodwardInformation for this part of the family comes from the Dr. Lewis Woodward History of the Chester County Pennsylvania Woodwards online at http://awt.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=glsteckel&id=I0391. Joseph and Elizabeth Mendenhall Woodward had children: Ruth (b. 27 Sept 1810 m. George Armstrong); Margaretta (b. 3 May 1812 m. Milton Rakestraw); Lavina (b 6 Aug 1814 m. John K. Rodgers); Mary A (b Apr 1816 m. Samuel Nichols); Minerva (b 7 Jun 1818 m. John Knight); Davis M. Woodward (b 4 March 1820 m. Matilda Rankin).The History of Poweshiek County, Iowa, 1880 tells us more of son Davis M. Woodward: Woodward D.M. Jackson Twp pg 670 Farmer and stock-raiser, section 13, P. O. Montezuma. Was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania March 4, 1820 and after finishing his education he learned the carpenter's trade, which he continued until 1841, when he removed to Columbiana county, Ohio. He there continued his trade, and in the spring of 1843 went to Tuscarawas county, same State, and while there built a dam across the Tuscarawas River. In the fall of 1853 he came to this county and has since made it his home, now owning a farm of 200 acres. He has a good location for his residence, being but two miles from Montezuma. His marriage was in Ohio, August 27, 1848, to Miss Matilda Rankin. They are found in the 1850 census in Salem, Tuscarawas Co, Ohio: #256 Davis Woodward, sawyer, 30, Pa; Matilda, 27, Ohio. In 1880 they are in Jackson Township, Poweshiek Co, Iowa: D. M. Woodward, 61, farmer, Matilda, 57; Chas Duglas, 14, nephew, farmer; L. W. Myers, 25, great nephew, farmer; Ella Myers, 23, wife; Ethel Myers, 10/12 Aug. Davis and Matilda apparently had no children of their own. Will of Joseph WoodwardWest Bradford, 23 March 1812; proven 6 June 1812. "...I give and devise to my beloved Wife Rebekah, and to my Daughter Hannah, all that part of my Plantation whereon I now dwell, which lies east of a line to be run from a point in the Strasburg road, about eleven perch west of my Lane thenbce a course of about South five degrees East, passing between two Cherry trees standing down a few perches in the field, and thence on to a large cedar tree down in the side of a Bank near the fence, next to George Carter's line, and thence to the line of the said George Carter, to be held by them (with the messuage and appurtenances thereunto belonging) and the survivor of them during their natural lives, except as to my said Daughter Hannah, who, if she should Marry, my Will in that case is that she loose her right to the said Tract of Land, and instead therefo, she shall be paid the sum of forty dollars annually, during the remainder of her life by those who in consequence thereof, shall become owners of the same. ..."I give and devise to my four sons, James, Joseph, Abner, and Jacob, all the above described part of my plantation to be equally divided amongst them, to be held by them or their heirs or assigns forever, subject nevertheless to the above mentioned grant and devise, in favour of my wife Rebekah, and daughter Hannah. I give and devise to my two sons James and Joseph, all the remainder of my Plantation lying West of the above described line..."The will also mentions dollar bequests to sons Abner and Jacob, and daughters Ann, Lydia, Jane and Rebecca. Unfortunately it does not give the daughters married names, but at least we know Hannah was still unmarried by 1812 and we do know that the list of the children is correct. Executors were sons James and Joseph. Updates: 4/12/2007 Added information on the family of Joseph and Elizabeth Mendenhall Woodward. |