William Price "William Porterfield" Woolsey
| Charts | Ancestors of Dora Myrtle Woolsey Richard M. Nixon - Dora Myrtle (Woolsey) Smith James Earl Carter Jr. - Dora Myrtle (Woolsey) Smith |
William Price "William Porterfield" Woolsey, son of William Hopkins Woolsey and Celia Houchin, was born at Warren Co., Kentucky, 26 November 1813.1,2,3,4,5,6 He died at Monroe, Pike Co., Indiana, 23 November 1892,1 and was buried at New Liberty Cemetery, Monroe, Pike Co., Indiana.1
William married Eliza Jane Wheatley, whose ancestry is unknown (or not traced here), at Pike Co., Indiana, 11 February 1846.7,6
His middle name is probably Price, though Porterfield is possible. Both W. W. Whitaker (2003) and J. W. Woolsey (1981) transcribed the Ephrates Boucher manuscript on the descendants of William Hopkins Woolsey and they give the name as Price on the family record for William Hopkins. However, on William P.'s family record, Woolsey uses "Porterfield," but included, "Was known by many as Wm. Price." Several land records of Pike Co., Indiana refer to him as William Price Woolsey. One in particular names his wife "Eliza Jane." Unless this is a different man, it seems J. W. Woolsey introduced some needless confusion. Nothing else conclusive has been found as his tombstone and various census records only show, at most, William P. Woolsey.8
It is far from certain, but it seems likely William married twice, the first wife being unknown. His son John appears to have been born before William married Eliza, and William was about 13 years older than Eliza.
Shortly after he married, 11 Aug 1845, William sold the southeast quarter of section twenty in township Number two south of Range number seven west in Pike Co., Indiana, containing 80 acres to Temple Woolsey for $200. Three years later, 3 Aug 1848, he bought it back for the same price, and 17 Jan 1852, he and Eliza Jane together sold the same property back to Temple Woolsey, this time for $400.9
In Pike county, probably around 1850, an indictment for assault and battery with intent to commit murder was returned against William Woolsey and James Woolsey. James was tried and found not guilty. The case against William was dropped. James has not been identified, but he could be the unnamed son of William H. Woolsey, born in 1826. Also, based on the indexes for the 1850 census, there were two other William Woolsey's in Pike Co. at the time, all in Monroe Township.10
The census records of 1860 and 1870 show where the children were born and from those records it appears the family moved to southeast Missouri before Woodford was born in 1853, and returned to Indiana before Laura was born in 1860. Land and court records of Stoddard Co., Missouri tell a somewhat different story:
10 Dec 1860, the county of Stoddard granted William P. Woolsey of Stoddard Co., 137 acres described as: The East half of Lot Number Two in the North West quarter , and lot Number 2 in the North west quarter of Section Number four in Township number twenty three North of the Base line in Range Ten East of the fifth principal Meridian. Recorded 14 Dec 1860.11
However, in 1866 a judgement was rendered against William in two suits, one from Solomon Kitchen v/s William P. Woolsey and J. W. Reese for $313.92 plus costs. The second was from Reuben P. Owen and Adrian B Owen v/s William alone for $57.59 damages plus costs. Reese was dismissed from the first suit by motion of the plaintiff, and as William or his attorney did not appear, the court found for the plaintiffs in the full amount.12 The sheriff later sold the property for $400 to Minerva Buford, 11 Mar 1867.13
The Census for 1870 shows William not owning any real estate (the 1880 census did not ask about real estate ownership), and Pike County land records show no ownership there after 1852. It appears that he never recovered financially from whatever reversals occurred in Missouri. Whether the Civil War was a direct or indirect cause of his difficulties is not known.
William married Eliza Jane Wheatley, whose ancestry is unknown (or not traced here), at Pike Co., Indiana, 11 February 1846.7,6
His middle name is probably Price, though Porterfield is possible. Both W. W. Whitaker (2003) and J. W. Woolsey (1981) transcribed the Ephrates Boucher manuscript on the descendants of William Hopkins Woolsey and they give the name as Price on the family record for William Hopkins. However, on William P.'s family record, Woolsey uses "Porterfield," but included, "Was known by many as Wm. Price." Several land records of Pike Co., Indiana refer to him as William Price Woolsey. One in particular names his wife "Eliza Jane." Unless this is a different man, it seems J. W. Woolsey introduced some needless confusion. Nothing else conclusive has been found as his tombstone and various census records only show, at most, William P. Woolsey.8
It is far from certain, but it seems likely William married twice, the first wife being unknown. His son John appears to have been born before William married Eliza, and William was about 13 years older than Eliza.
Shortly after he married, 11 Aug 1845, William sold the southeast quarter of section twenty in township Number two south of Range number seven west in Pike Co., Indiana, containing 80 acres to Temple Woolsey for $200. Three years later, 3 Aug 1848, he bought it back for the same price, and 17 Jan 1852, he and Eliza Jane together sold the same property back to Temple Woolsey, this time for $400.9
In Pike county, probably around 1850, an indictment for assault and battery with intent to commit murder was returned against William Woolsey and James Woolsey. James was tried and found not guilty. The case against William was dropped. James has not been identified, but he could be the unnamed son of William H. Woolsey, born in 1826. Also, based on the indexes for the 1850 census, there were two other William Woolsey's in Pike Co. at the time, all in Monroe Township.10
The census records of 1860 and 1870 show where the children were born and from those records it appears the family moved to southeast Missouri before Woodford was born in 1853, and returned to Indiana before Laura was born in 1860. Land and court records of Stoddard Co., Missouri tell a somewhat different story:
10 Dec 1860, the county of Stoddard granted William P. Woolsey of Stoddard Co., 137 acres described as: The East half of Lot Number Two in the North West quarter , and lot Number 2 in the North west quarter of Section Number four in Township number twenty three North of the Base line in Range Ten East of the fifth principal Meridian. Recorded 14 Dec 1860.11
However, in 1866 a judgement was rendered against William in two suits, one from Solomon Kitchen v/s William P. Woolsey and J. W. Reese for $313.92 plus costs. The second was from Reuben P. Owen and Adrian B Owen v/s William alone for $57.59 damages plus costs. Reese was dismissed from the first suit by motion of the plaintiff, and as William or his attorney did not appear, the court found for the plaintiffs in the full amount.12 The sheriff later sold the property for $400 to Minerva Buford, 11 Mar 1867.13
The Census for 1870 shows William not owning any real estate (the 1880 census did not ask about real estate ownership), and Pike County land records show no ownership there after 1852. It appears that he never recovered financially from whatever reversals occurred in Missouri. Whether the Civil War was a direct or indirect cause of his difficulties is not known.
Family | Eliza Jane Wheatley b. 16 Aug 1823, d. 22 Jan 1886 |
| Children |
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| This person was last edited on | 27 Sep 2020 |
Citations
- [S1285] Grave Stone Photos, New Liberty Cemetery, Pike Township, Monroe Co., Indiana; Photographed by the compiler, July 1985.
- [S457] Ancestry.com, 1850 United States Census [on-line database and images] (http://www.ancestry.com), Monroe Township, Pike Co., Indiana, population schedule, sheet #177/9, dwelling #163, family #163, William Woolsey household, age 36, born in Kentucky, a farmer with $300 in real estate; original data: NARA micropublication M432, Seventh Census of the United States, 1009 rolls, roll #165.
- [S458] Ancestry.com, 1860 United States Census [on-line database and images] (http://www.ancestry.com), Liberty Township, Stoddard Co., Missouri, population schedule, sheet #4, dwelling #32, family #31, William P Woolsey household, age 47, born in Kentucky, a farmer with $1000 in real estate and personal estate of $500; original data: NARA micropublication M653, Eighth Census of the United States, 1438 rolls, roll #657.
- [S459] Ancestry.com, 1870 United States Census [on-line database and images] (http://www.ancestry.com), Patoka Township, Pike Co., Indiana, population schedule, sheet #571/35, dwelling #274, family #274, William Woolsey household, age 60, born in Kentucky, a farmer with a personal estate of $600; original data: NARA micropublication M593, Ninth Census of the United States, 1748 rolls, roll #350.
- [S460] Ancestry.com, 1880 United States Census [on-line database and images] (http://www.ancestry.com), Monroe Township, Pike Co., Indiana, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 173, sheet #286/39, dwelling #336, family #341, William P Woolsey household, age 66, born in Kentucky, a retired farmer, sick with Rheumatism; original data: NARA micropublication T9, Tenth Census of the United States, 1454 rolls, roll #304.
- [S811] James W. Woolsey, The Wolsey-Woolsey Family of America, two parts, (Kansas City, Missouri: Heart of America Genealogical Society, 1981), microform copy: FHL Film/Fiche #1276468, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah, 186, further cited as Woolsey, Wolsey-Woolsey Family.
- [S1480] Pike County Courthouse, Petersburg, Indiana, Marriage Records, 1817-1922, 2:130, FHL microfilm 1433319, further cited as Pike Co. Marriages.
- [S811] Woolsey, Wolsey-Woolsey Family, 185-186.
- [S1716] Pike County, Indiana, Deeds, F:406-7, G:471, I:162-3, FHL Film #1433494-6; County Recorder, Petersburg; FHL microfilm.
- [S1482] , History of Pike and Dubois Counties, Indiana, From the Earliest Time to the Present With Biographical Sketches, Reminiscences, Notes, Etc., Together With an Extended History of the Northwest, the Indiana Territory and the State of Indiana (1885; reprint, Evansville, Indiana: Unigraphics, 1977), 310, further cited as History of Pike and Dubois Cos. Indiana.
- [S1768] Stoddard County, Missouri, Deed Records, G:398, FHL Film #1006806; Recorder of Deeds, Bloomfield; FHL microfilm.
- [S1769] Stoddard County, Missouri, Court Records, D:85-6, FHL Film #1977674; Circuit Court, Bloomfield; FHL microfilm.
- [S1768] Stoddard Co., MO, Deed Records, J:719-20, FHL Film #1006807.
- [S457] 1850 United States Census, Monroe Township, Pike Co., Indiana, pop. sch., sheet 177/9, dwelling 163, family 163, William Woolsey hshld., age 6, born in Indiana.
- [S457] 1850 United States Census, Monroe Township, Pike Co., Indiana, pop. sch., sheet 177/9, dwelling 163, family 163, William Woolsey hshld.
- [S458] 1860 United States Census, Liberty Township, Stoddard Co., Missouri, pop. sched., sheet #4, dwelling #32, family #31, William P Woolsey household.
- [S1025] Josephus W. Woolsey, Death Certificates, File No. 11863 (1931), Indiana State Department of Health, Indianapolis, Indiana.
- [S459] 1870 United States Census, Patoka Township, Pike Co., Indiana, pop. sched., sheet #571/35, dwelling #274, family #274, William Woolsey household.
- [S459] 1870 United States Census, Patoka Township, Pike Co., Illinois, pop. sched., sheet #571/35, dwelling #274, family #274, William Woolsey household.
- [S460] 1880 United States Census, Monroe Township, Pike Co., Indiana, pop. sched., e.d. 173, sheet #286/39, dwelling #336, family #341, William P Woolsey household.