William and Nancy Smith Woodward Family
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  | William Woodward born 9/13/1803 Jefferson Co, Tn died 6/27/1887 Hendricks Co, In burial White Lick MM |
Nancy Smith born 12/31/1812 In? died 1/1839 Hendricks Co, In burial 2/3/1839 at White Lick MM |
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Married: 8/23/1832 Morgan County, Indiana
Children: Elizabeth Ann Woodward (photo)born 8/28/1833 Bellville, Hendricks County, Indiana; married James Dawson (Dossen) Turner (photo) John Smith Woodward born 1/21/1836 Hendricks County, Indiana; married (1) Elizabeth J. Cook, and (2) Lovey Jariah Cravens Sarah Jane Woodward born about 1834 Hendricks County, Indiana; married John M. Cook, brother of Elizabeth Cook. |
History of William WoodwardWilliam Woodward's birth is recorded at Lost Creek Monthly Meeting in Jefferson County, Tennessee, but there is no further evidence that he followed the Quaker religion there. He was received in membership on 10/21/1837 at White Lick Monthly Meeting in Morgan County, Indiana. Wife Nancy is buried at White Lick so the whole family was probably Quaker at that time. William's death is recorded at White Lick Monthly Meeting.There is no evidence that William Woodward married again. He is found in the 1850 census in Guilford Township, Hendricks County, Indiana, with children Elizabeth Ann, John S., and Sarah Jane. He is living next door to widow Lydia Cook Dixon and children. Lydia would later marry William�s brother Benjamin Woodward. She no doubt helped William with the care of his children and he helped her with her farm. Next door to Lydia was her brother William Cook and his family, so he probably helped with her farm as well. There is more information on William and Nancy's children on their pages linked above under the list of children. An article in the 1878 Atlas of Hendricks County gives William Woodward's post office as Mooresville, and lists him living on Section 21. This is born out in William's will: Will of William WoodwardI, William Woodward of Guilford Township, Hendricks County, Indiana, do make and publish this my last will and testament.Item 1st: I hereby direct that all my just debts owing by me at my death and all my funeral expenses shall be paid out of my personal property if there be a sufficient amount of personal property to pay said debts and expenses and if there shall remain any personal property or the proceeds thereof after paying said claims I direct that it shall be equally divided between my three children, towit John S. Woodward Elizabeth Ann Turner and Sarah Jane Cook. Item 2nd. As I have already given eighty acres of valuable land to my son John S. Woodward I hereby devise and bequeath to my daughters Elizabeth Ann Turner and Sarah Jane Cook the farm on which I now reside described as follows: towit the West half of the South West quarter of section twenty one in Township fourteen North of Range one east in Hendricks County, Ind. Item 3rd I further direct that the property that I have bequeathed to either of my children named in this will shall go or descend to their heirs if they or either of them shall not be living at the time of my death. Item 4 I do hereby nominate and appoint John M. Cook and John S. Woodward executors of this my last will and testament. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this (date unreadable). (John Smith Woodward in his diary wrote that "Father's will was rote Nov 20, 1883.") Signed and acknowledged by said William Woodward as his last will and testament in our presence and signed by us in his presence. /s/Joshua M. Cook, Woodson Bryant State of Indiana Hendricks County Before me William R. McClelland Clerk of the Circuit Court of the County of Hendricks in the State of Indiana came Joshua M. Cook a subscribing witness to the foregoing instrument of writing who being by me first duly affirmed depose and say that William Woodward the testator named in the instrument of writing purporting to be his last Will and Testament, did sign, seal, publish and declare the same to be his last will and testament on the day of the date thereof. That the said testator was at the same time of the full age of twenty one years and of sound and disposing mind and memory and that he was not under coercion, compulsion or restraint and that he was competant to devise his property. And that said testator so signed, sealed, published and declared the same to be his last Will and testament in manner and form as aforesaid in the presence of affiant and of Woodson Bryant the other subscribing witness thereto and that they each attested the same and subscribed their names as witnesses thereto in the presence and at the request of said testator and in the presence of each other. /s/ Joshua M. Cook Subscribed and affirmed to before me in witness of which I hereunto affix the seal of said court and subscribe my name at Danville this 19th day of August 1887. /s/ W. R. McClelland, Clerk CreditsWe have had assistance from Rosann Settles, Larry Woodward, Diane Nuss, and Dayton Turner on this page. We thank Diane for the photos. |