General Notes

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It was not originally our intent to incluDe the Robert Woodward Fa mily in
these Web Pages.  However, we found several Woodward researchers
(o urselves included) occasionally confused between the descendants of
Robert an d Richard Woodward since they carried many of the same given
names.  We are t herefore including our research on the Robert Woodward
Family to try to mitig ate some of the confusion.  We certainly have not
researched this family to t he depth that we have our own ancestor,
Richard Woodward.  We would appreciat e anything anyone can add to these
pages. {email}  We will also happily enter tain any questions as to
sources of information and will try to help clear up any confusion that
still exists.  We are using a different background color for descendants
of this family, so as you page through the site you can diffe rentiate
between the families.
Robert and Richard Woodward were thought to b e brothers.  They were
probably born in Acton Parish, Cheshire, England, and were probably sons
of Edward Woodward.  (See map of England for location.)  T hey are
believed to have immigrated to America with sister and brother-in-law
Thomas and Elizabeth Woodward Eavenson. The principal point of confusion
i n the Robert and Richard Woodward families is that both Robert and
Richard ha d sons named Richard, who were both born about 1673.
Fortunately, the two fam ilies lived in slightly different areas of
Chester County which helps sort th em out.  Robert and his sons originally
lived on Crum Creek in Providence Tow nship, while Richard and his sons
lived on Chester Creek in  Thornbury Townsh ip. Later Richard, son of
Robert, lived in East Bradford and Richard, son of Richard, lived in West
Bradford (see Chester County maps).
J. Gary Woodward, in The Woodward Family of Chester County, Pennsylvania,
gives us the names o f children of Robert Woodward as son Richard and
daughter Ann.  He also consi ders another daughter Hannah, who was buried
25 November 1686 in Acton Parish and was a daughter of "Roberti
Woodward," although it is not certain it is t his Robert Woodward.  Land
records of Chester County, Pennsylvania, give us t wo more names.  On 8
March 1696 Robert Woodward granted to John Powell land o n Crum Creek. The
deed is witnessed by Thomas Woodward.  Another deed on June 11, 1696,
mentions land on Crum Creek bounded by George Woodward.  It appear s that
Thomas and George Woodward were sons of Robert Woodward.  Robert's
o ccupation is given as yeoman in his deed.  We do not know the name of
Robert' s wife.  She did not sign the deeds, but at that very early date
it was not n ecessarily customary for the wife to sign.  She may have been
deceased. Rober t's son Richard is well documented in Quaker records and
in Nayle wills in Ch ester County.
To summarize - Probable Children of Robert Woodward:
Richard Wo odward, born 12/17/1673, Acton Parish, Cheshire, England;
married Mary Nayle, daughter of Henry and Deborah Nayle.
Hannah Woodward died 11/1686, Acton Pari sh, Cheshire, England.
Ann Woodward married George James 7/27/1698, Springfiel d Township,
Chester Co, PA.  Ann died 1720.
George Woodward owned land on Cr um Creek in Providence Township, Chester
County.
Thomas Woodward witnessed d eed when Robert Woodward sold land on Crum
Creek in Providence Township, Ches ter County.
Another deed on 20 March 1711 tells us that Nathaniel Ring sold 15 0
acres of land to Richard Woodward late of Thornbury, yeoman, son of
Rober t Woodward of Birmingham, Tailor.  Henry and Deborah Nayle were
witnesses to this deed (father and mother-in-law of Richard).  This tells
us that this Ric hard also lived in Thornbury at some period in time.
We have no further inform ation on either George or Thomas Woodward.
Another indication that Thomas was a son of Robert is that Richard named
a son Thomas, apparently for this brot her.
There is a Web Site, Woodward-Mattson