BADGER FAMILY CHRONICLES

© Christopher Earls Brennen

Appendix 9A. Woodburn Families

This appendix delineates several Woodburn families which may be related but whose precise connection has not been established.

Family of John Woodburn:

Information on this family was obtained from Michael A. Wallace at Genealogy.com Message Board and from Nancy Woodburn Schrecongost at Genealogy.com Message Board who cites ``Pioneer and Patriot Families of Bradford County, Pennsylvania'', by Clement F. Heverly, Towanda, PA., Bradford Star Print, 1913, pp. 80-82.

  1. John Woodburn was born in Ireland and, as the story goes, when a young man ``went to England and engaged in business at Liverpool with an English nobelman by the name of Carr. He married Carr's daughter and soon after sailed for America, landing at Boston, 1718.'' Three years later he settled at Londonderry, New Hampshire, shortly after it's founding about 1721. His children:
    1. Sarah Woodburn was born on Dec.23, 1731, and, in 1756, married John Wallace, the ancestor of Michael Wallace.
    2. George Woodburn married Mary Putnam and removed from New England with his family to Cherry Valley, N. Y. after the Revolutionary war. Three of their children, John, Moses and Napthali came to Bradford County in 1808. The above article contains biographies of John, Moses and Napthali Woodburn, their wives and children. George's children:
      1. John Woodburn moved to Bradford County in 1808.
      2. Moses Woodburn moved to Bradford County in 1808.
      3. Napthali Woodburn moved to Bradford County in 1808.

Family of ?? Woodburn:

Information on this family was obtained from Robert Thorbrogger and Bruce Woodburn at Genealogy.com Message Board:

  1. ?? Woodburn was the father of
    1. Stephen Wallace Woodburn married Isabella Wreath. Stephen moved to Rock Island County, Illinois, and is buried there. Stephen was the great great grandfather of the above Bruce Woodburn and of Robert Thorbrogger. The children of Stephen and Isabella Woodburn:
      1. Mary Woodburn was the oldest daughter of Stephen and Isabella Woodburn. She married John Burton the brother of Mary's brother's wife. They also had a brother Alen Burton who lived near Cordova, Illinois.
      2. John Woodburn resided in Walton, New York, and married Rebecca Burton, the sister of Mary Woodburn's husband.
    2. John Woodburn stayed in New York when his brother Stephen moved to Illinois. He and his brother Robert became stone cutters and cut and carved a massive tombstone for Stephen. They shipped it out to Illinois where it stands in an old United Presbyterian cemetery in Pleasant Point, Coe Township, Rock Island County, Ill. Many of Stephen's descendants are buried in this same cemetary including Robert Thorbrogger's mother, Helen Woodburn Thorbrogger. Robert Thorbrogger's uncle, Wallace Woodburn was the sextant of this cemetary at one time.
    3. Robert Woodburn, see above.

Family of James Woodburn:

Information on this family was obtained from ahedghes at Ancestry.com Message Board:

  1. James Woodburn was born in Ireland in 1744 and married Jane Pollock (born about 1743, father Samuel Pollock) about 1762 in Drunmore Township, Lancaster, PA. James and Jane had children:
    1. Nancy Woodburn was born in 1762 and married Robert Russell.
    2. John Woodburn was born in 1764.
    3. Margaret Woodburn was born in 1764.
    4. Samuel Woodburn was born in 1765.
    5. Martha Woodburn was born in 1770.
    6. William Woodburn was born in 1777 and married Elizabeth Veasley.
    7. Mary Woodburn was born in 1779 and married Thomas Sprott.

Family of John Woodburn:

Information on this family was obtained from Newton Wilson at Genealogy.com Message Board:

  1. John Woodburn was a literate, prosperous linen merchant in Belfast, as was his father. His father opposed his emigration to America and his marriage to Jane Hutchison. He was born in County Down and she in County Antrim, I think her father was aristocratic, and possibly a Presbyterian minister; most of the line subsequently were called ``Covenanters'', then later ``Seceders'', a strict sect of Presbyterians who had their seminary in Cannonsburg, later in Pittsburg. John died near Freeport in Armstrong County, PA, and is buried there (in 1849, his grave later relocated). He was an elder of the Presbyterian Church in Kittaning at one time, and had country stores in several locations. One previous partner absconded with the firm's money while on a buying trip, but John was still worth some $20,000 net in 1849, not bad for the time. He died of pneumonia.

Family of Thomas Woodburn:

Information on this family was obtained from debrobbins55 at Ancestry.com Message Board:

  1. Thomas Woodburn was born in Ireland (probably in the 1780s) and married Mary A. ?. Their children:
    1. William Woodburn was born in Ireland about 1818 and emigrated to Canada where he married ?? after her first husband died (they were the great great grandparents of Deb Robbins).

Family of ?? Woodburn:

Information on this family was obtained from Thomas Lilly at Genealogy.com Message Board:

  1. ?? Woodburn lived in Ireland and had at least two sons:
    1. Robert Woodburn lived in County Antrim far from Ballymena.
    2. ?? Woodburn also lived in County Antrim far from Ballymena. He had at least two sons:
      1. Samuel Woodburn was born about 1802 and lived in Ahoghill, near Ballymena, Co.Antrim. He emigrated to the USA about 1820 and died in Pontotoc County, MS, in 1860.
      2. John Woodburn also emigrated to the USA.

Family of Robert Woodburn:

Information on this family was obtained from Georgia A. McEllhiney at Genealogy.com Message Board:

  1. Robert Woodburn was born in Ireland and married Margaret Wasson, also born in Ireland. Their children:
    1. Samuel Woodburn was born on Jul.20, 1846, in County Antrim and died Jan.29, 1915, in Gibson County, Indiana.
    2. Margaret Woodburn
    3. William Woodburn became a farmer near Lockport, New York.

Family of William Woodburn:

Much information on this family was provided by Michele Martin through Genealogy.com:

  1. William Woodburn of Garvagh, Co.Derry, had a son:
    1. James Woodburn of Garvagh, Co.Derry, emigrated to Canada about 1839 and settled in Green's Creek, Glouster Township, Carleton County, Ontario, Canada in 1841. James married Martha Mayne (born 1807) and their family is considered to be one of the pioneer families of New Edinburgh, Ontario. The children of James and Martha Woodburn:
      1. Mary Ann Woodburn was born in County Derry and emigrated to Canada. In 1846, she married James Duffy who was born in County Donegal about 1832. The Duffys and Woodburns were heavily into the printing and publishing business in Canada (Ottawa Free Press & Ottawa Evening Journal) and Ireland. Alexander Smith Woodburn has fonds in the National Archives of Canada, and the Duffys also have ties to Hollywood and the Arts. The children of James and Mary Ann Duffy:
        1. Alexander Mayne Duffy was born on Feb.14, 1852, and moved to NY.
        2. James Woodburn Wellington Duffy was born on Apr.5, 1853.
        3. Augustus Duffy was born on Feb.2, 1849, and oved to the Cleveland, Ohio area to become a steel worker. A great grand daughter of Augustus lives in Ohio.
        4. William Knox Duffy stayed in Ottawa, Canada and went on to be the Post Master. He married three times (surnames Wood, Forde and Millar) and was the great grandfather of Michele Martin. .
      2. Elizabeth Woodburn was born in 1830.
      3. Alexander Smith Woodburn was born in 1831.
      4. James Woodburn was born in 1833.
      5. William Woodburn was born in 1842.
      6. Thomas Woodburn
      7. George Henry Woodburn was born on Sep.3, 1845 and baptized in Glouster on Jul.9, 1846.
      8. Walter Mayne Woodburn
      9. Samuel Woodburn

Christopher E. Brennen