Following is the information I have concerning the families of Jesse and Benjamin Woodruff. I have copies of the entries regarding these families in the early Lincoln Co. court records (1810-1826), as well as military and pension papers. I have requested copies of the estate papers of Benjamin Woodruff who died ca 1827 in Sumner Co. from the Sumner Co. Archives. After the information about the Woodruffs, I have listed some somewhat specific lookup requests.
Jesse Woodruff arrived in Lincoln Co. around 1807. He was born in Spotsylvania, VA in 1757, married Esther Buchanan (dau. of ROBERT BUCHANAN/LCT) in Washington Co. VA in 1783, and died in Lincoln Co. in 1826. He was active in the early government of Lincoln Co. His children include Mary, Susanna, William B. (m. Jane Wilson), Nancy (m. ____ King), Martha (m. Thomas Parker) and Elizabeth (m. JOHN FERGUSON).
Benjamin Woodruff arrived in Lincoln Co. around 1810. He was born in 1759 in Brunswick Co., VA, married (1st) Elizabeth Rivers Bass (dau. of William Rivers, widow of Henry Bass) in 1786 in Greensville Co., VA, and (2nd) Sarah Gilbert, widow, in 1825 in Lincoln Co. He died in Lincoln Co. in 1836. According to his Rev. pension application, he had brothers named Wilson and George. (per pension app.)
Benjamin was made guardian of the two small children of Henry and Elizabeth BASS (Rhoda and Polly) (Equity Book, Lincoln Co. 1819-1829). Rhoda Bass m. Nathaniel Kendrick and Polly Bass m. James Byran. They brought suit against Benjamin concerning his performance as guardian in the estate of their father. (per Joyce Woodruff Terrana) I do not yet have copies of these papers.
Benjamin moved to Georgia in 1790 and received 2 draws as a married man in the George Land Lottery in 1805. He moved to Sumner Co., TN in 1807 and settled in Lincoln Co. 1810. (from pension app.)
Benjamin applied for a pension in 1832 at age 72 and received 45.00 annually. Five years later, after his death, Sarah applied for her rights as his widow. Twenty years later, in 1857, she requested that her pension be forwarded to Coffee Co, where she was living with her only son George G. (Gilbert?) Woodruff. After her death in 1865, he applied for the "back pension" due her. He appears to be a step-son of Benjamin's who took the name Woodruff. (from pension app.) At the time of his death, Benjamin owned 143 acres of land, situated in Civil Dist. No. 9, on the headwaters of Cane Creek, of which 82 acres became the property of his widow Sarah. After her death in 1865, Elizabeth A. PATTERSON (a granddaughter of Benjamin's) brought suit regarding these 82 acres. These papers are reportedly among the "loose papers" which were stored in the basement of the courthouse before renovation in 1973. I do not have a copy of these papers and do not know where they are stored now. (per Audrey Woodruff/and old newpaper abstracts)
Benjamin's children (per Audrey Woodruff):
1. Benjamin Woodruff, Jr.
m. Probably Polly GARNER, Sumner Co. 1816
d. Prior to 1865
c.1. James Wilson Woodruff (d. before 1865)
c.2. Wesley Woodruff (d. before 1865)
c.3. Robert W. Woodruff (d. before 1865)
c.4. Matilda Woodruff (m. Robert McMullin/residing in
Lincoln Co., TN in 1865)
Note: Another source lists sons as James, Wilson and Wesley
2. Wyatt Woodruff d. Prior to 1865 c.1. W. T. Woodruff (residing in Alabama in 1865) c.2. Mary Woodruff (m. Summerford, residing in Lincoln Co., TN in 1865) c.3. Nancy B. Woodruff (m. Joel L. Cole; she died before 1865 with 3 minor children) gc.1. William Cole (living in Lincoln Co., TN in 1865) gc.2. Jocie Cole (living in Lincoln Co., TN in 1865) gc.3. James Cole (living in Lincoln Co., TN in 1865) c.4. William Woodruff (died before 1865, never married) c.5. Elizabeth Woodruff (m. D. L. Patterson (dcd.), living in Lincoln Co., TN in 1865)
3. William Rivers Woodruff (my documented records) b. 12 July 1787/Virginia m. 23 Dec. 1808/Sumner County, Tennessee Matilda FERGUSON (dau. of EDWARD FERGUSON) d: 25 September 1853/Elm Springs, Washington County, Arkansas gc.1 Mary Wilson Woodruff (m. PRESLEY R. SMITH/LCT) gc.2 Elizabeth Rivers Woodruff (m. William Barrington) gc.3 Sallie Smith Woodruff gc.4 William Carroll Woodruff (m. Sarah Ann Lawrence) gc.5 Wyatt Ferguson Woodruff (m. Sarah Jane Engels) gc.6 Wesley Hall Woodruff gc.7 Benjamin Edward Woodruff (m. Sarah J. Pearse) gc.8 Nancy Ann Woodruff gc.9 Francis Marion Woodruff (m. Jamina Pyeatt) gc.10 David Washington Woodruff (m. Mary Deaver) gc.11 Jasper Newton Woodruff (m. Martha Kelleam)
One of my sources, a book on the Woodruff family by Audrey Woodruff (1985), declines to connect the VA Woodruffs of Brunswick and Spotsylvania Counties. I believe that the associations of Jesse and Benjamin in Lincoln Co. argues that they were closely related (such as the intermarriage of their children with the Ferguson family and the move to NW Arkansas of some of the LCT Woodruffs, Fergusons and Buchanans in the 1830s). I am also trying to document material that was collected by my mother and aunt over the past many years.
When convenient, could you please check your early Lincoln Co. resources for any Woodruffs through 1870, as well as Robert Buchanan and John Ferguson? Also, I would appreciate it if you could recommend a local researcher to help get copies of court papers.) I very much appreciate your help. I am more than happy to share my information with anyone through your County page or over your mail service. I recommend them to anyone with Lincoln County connections.
