Woods - Erroneous Pedigree

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Virginia
Surname/tag: Woods, Worsop

Parents of Michael Woods of Virginia - NOT John Woods & Elizabeth Worsop.

Histories were written in the early 1900s giving the parents of Michael as John and Elisabeth Worsop.

Contents 1 Earliest Sources 2 Notes on “Col” Charles A R Woods (1865- 1938) 3 Woods, Neander (1905) The Woods-McAfee Memorial containing an account of John Woods & James McAfee of Ireland[2] 4 Miller, W.H. (1907) History and Genealogies of the Families of Miller, Woods, Harris, Wallace, Maupin, Oldham, Kavanaugh and Brown[3] 5 McClenaghan, Rev. H (preface 1911) Dunshaughlin being some Historical Notes[4] 6 References

Earliest Sources

Age Books: Alabama State Archives [geoblocked outside of the US]
transcription available: Internet link no longer available

Age Book 1 - covers about 1706-1804 written by Michael, grandson of immigrant Michael. Does not mention immigrant Michael or even Ireland.

Age Book 2 - covers about 1767-1812 written by Michael, great grandson of immigrant Michael. Does not mention immigrant Michael or Ireland.

Apparently these were first transcribed by the Alabama archivist about 1935.

Additional “Woods Genealogy” accompanying the Age Books– author Martha Harle Woods (1873-1941), 4xg grand-daughter of Immigrant Michael, compiled after 1911 (she mentions her father’s death in 1911) gives parents of Immigrant Michael as John and Elizabeth Worsop [disproved-see John Wood & Elizabeth Worsop].

Notes on “Col” Charles A R Woods (1865- 1938)

A descendant of Michael Woods

Using US records

1870 with parents, Missouri

1880 with parents, Missouri

1886 married Dora Snoddy Missouri

1900 teacher, Missouri , with Dora (died 1902)

c1903 married Martha W Clark

1910 lumber yard proprietor, Arkansas, with Martha

1920 lumber yard proprietor, Missouri, with Martha

1930 sawyer, Buffalo Missouri, with Martha

1938 Death Buffalo Pike Co, Missouri

His profile can be found here:^[1]I can't find any military records for Charles and though I have his death cert I have not been able to find an obituary which may confirm the claim to Colonel. I know nothing about US uniforms but I suspect the uniform is for Tennessee not Missouri. Also I can’t find any records of admission to West Point.

Woods, Neander (1905) The Woods-McAfee Memorial containing an account of John Woods & James McAfee of Ireland^[2]

• In the preface he acknowledges Col Charles A.R. Woods as a contributor.

• Pg 56 Col Charles A R Woods, ….who has probably expended more labor in efforts to obtain full information concerning his Woods ancestors than any other person.

• Pg 59 Col Charles A R Woods of Norborne, Missouri…..paid a visit to Madison County last year (1903), and made a diligent search for Archibald’s grave.

• Pg 328, pedigree of Charles from William, son of immigrant Michael

• Pg 336 Col of Voluntary Infantry, 1898. Did not pass physical for regular army (33 years old)

Miller, W.H. (1907) History and Genealogies of the Families of Miller, Woods, Harris, Wallace, Maupin, Oldham, Kavanaugh and Brown^[3]

• Pg 182 “Colonel Charles A.R. Woods (1865- ) married firstly Dora Lee Snoddy, secondly, Martha W. Clark…….is somewhat of a genealogist, and takes much interest in pedigrees. He made us a visit a few years since, and we visited several old grave yards and copied inscriptions from the tombs”.

McClenaghan, Rev. H (preface 1911) Dunshaughlin being some Historical Notes^[4]

• Pg 125 “The present representative of the American branch is the energetic Colonel Charles A.R. Woods of Parsons, Kansas who is a direct descendant of the above-mentioned Michael Woods of Dunshaughlin.”

• “Elizabeth Parsons, daughter of Richard Parsons and Letitia aforesaid [Loftus], married Thomas Woods of Dunshaughlin about the year 1660”. [INCORRECT: Elizabeth Parsons married Sir Thomas WORSOPP.]

• “Their daughter Elizabeth Woods married John Woods, probably her cousin, about the year 1680-83”. [INCORRECT: Daughter Elizabeth Warsopp married John Wood circa 1690.]

• “From one of their sons came the Woods family of Milverton Hall, Skerries. From another son Michael, born 1684, came an American branch of the Woods family” [INCORRECT: John Wood did not have any children.]

So bottom line is that the parents of immigrant Michael were not even mentioned before early 1900s and I somehow feel that Charles was the one to mention them. He had travelled to the UK and most likely decided Dunshaughlin was the place of origin. Unless there are other sources I would say that Michael and family may have arrived from anywhere.

I was even sceptical about his wife being Mary Campbell until I found mention of a gravestone in the old Blair Park burial ground pg 214 W.H. Miller (1907)
"Here lies the body of John Woods, son of Michael Woods, and Mary Campbell, who was born Feb 18, 1812 [1712] and departed this life Oct. 14 1791"...……..obviously no longer there but hopefully was there in 1907.

References

1. ↑ https://archive.org/details/woodsmcafeememor02wood/page/336/mode/2up?q=charles+A+Rprofile
2. ↑ https://archive.org/details/woodsmcafeememor00wood/page/2/mode/2up
3. ↑ https://archive.org/details/historygenealogi01mill/page/357/mode/2up/search/dunshaughlin
4. ↑ Internet link no longer available