Interior Journal, Stanford, Lincoln County, Kentucky

Tuesday, July 22, 1952

Lincoln County Pioneer Families

By H. W. Mills

Woods Family

The Woods family of Virginia and Kentucky descends from the immigrant, Michael Woods.  Of him, Rev. Edgar Woods, in his History of Albemarle County, Virginia, states (page 351):  ‘The first Woods who settled in Albemarle was Michael, who was born in the North of Ireland in 1684, and with his wife, Mary Campbell, and most of his children, came to this country sometime in the decade of 1720.  Landing on the banks of the Delaware, he spent some years in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, thence ascended the Valley of Virginia, and crossed the Blue Ridge by Woods’ Gap in 1734.  In 1737 he entered more than 1300 acres on Mechum’s River and Lickinghole, and the same day purchased 2000 acres patented two years before by Charles Hudson and situated on the head waters of Ivy Creek.  It is believed he was the first settler in western Albemarle, and perhaps anywhere along the east foot of the Blue Ridge in Virginia.  His home was near the mouth of Wood’s Gap.  He died in 1762 and was interred in the family burying ground about a hundred yards from the dwelling.  His tombstone was standing just after the Civil War, when it was broken to pieces and disappeared; but a fragment discovered a few years ago indicated the year of his birth.  His will is on record, in which are mentioned three sons and three daughters, Archibald, John, William, Sarah the wife of Joseph Lapsley of Rockbridge, Hannah, the wife of William Wallace, and Margaret, the wife of Andrew Wallace.’

(It is said that Michael Woods, the immigrant, was son of John Woods of Scotland, and his wife, Elizabeth Worsopp, the latter a descendant of Sir Adam Lohos, Archbishop of Ireland.  Tradition is that Mary Campbell, wife of Michael Woods, was of the Duke of Argyle line.)

Captain John Woods (son of Michael, the immigrant), was born February 19, 1712, and died October 14, 1791.  He married Susanna Anderson, daughter of Rev. James Anderson, whom he knew as a child in Pennsylvania.  Their children were as follows:

1. Michael Woods, married Esther Carothers; removed from Albemarle County to Nelson County, Virginia; children: William M., Mary (married Hugh Barclay); Susan (married Nathaniel Massie); John, James and Samuel.
2. James Woods (born 1748; died 1823), was an officer in the American Revolution. He married Mary Garland, daughter of James Garland of Albemarle County, and removed to Lincoln (now Garrard) County, Kentucky, where they reared a family of 12 children.
3.  Susan Woods, married Daniel Miller, and removed to Kentucky.
4. Mary Woods, married John Reid.
5. Luty Woods (born February 29, 1752; died March 26, 1823, Garrard County, Kentucky) married on September 9, 1779, to Samuel Reid, born January 25, 1754; died November 26, 1835, in Garrard County, Kentucky. Their children:  1) Alexander; 2) Mary, 3) James; 4) Susanna; 5) John, born October 25, 1783, Hustonville, Kentucky, died there October 3, 1861; married April 10, 1810, Jane Murrell, born October 6, 1787; died September 15, 1850, daughter of Col. George Murrell, member of the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1799 and Kentucky Senate, 1813, and had issue:  Amanda, James, George, Eliza, Sarah, Samuel, William and John.  John Murrell, born November 16, 1823; died March 13, 1895, married Elizabeth Ann Devonshire Hays, born November 26, 1830; died December 18, 1911, and had issue:  Frances, Dr. Hugh, James Campbell, Elizabeth and Mary.

(Authorities:  Woods’ History of Albemarle County, Virginia; Morton’s History of Rockbridge County, Virginia; family notes from a descendant in Kansas; records from Miss Esther Burch, Stanford, Kentucky.)

More on the Wood’s family in the coming days.