... From what we know of Abraham Woodward he was serious and pious but he was also capable of youthful indiscretion. On the 12th day of the 12th month 1760, Bradford Preparative Meeting informed the Monthly Meeting that "Alice Simcock accuseth Abraham Woodward with being the father of her bastard child and likewise complains of him for accomplishing his marriage with another woman by the assistance of a priest." These were very serious charges; Alice Simcock was a descendant of John Simcock, a trusted aid to William Penn, and neighbor of Abraham's grandfather Richard Woodward. Marriage by a priest was also a serious charge against a devout Quaker (see Quaker Marriages). At least part of the charges were certainly true as on the 10th day of the 8th month, 1760, Abraham Woodward and Hannah Thornbrough were married by Andrew Borell at Old Swede's Church south of Philadelphia on the Delaware River, bypassing all proper Quaker procedure!(the records are in Swedish and Hannah is listed as "Anna Tarnebery"). ... Bradford Monthly Meeting appointed a committee composed of John Cope, James Trimble, Robert Miller and Thomas Coates to inquire into the truth of the charge against Abraham Woodward and to treat with him on those accounts and to report back to the meeting. This must have been a very painful experience for Abraham as his grandfather Richard Woodward had been Elder of the Bradford Monthly Meeting; his grandparents Abraham & Mary Marshall had been very active at Bradford, and only two years before an accusation had been brought before the meeting against Aaron Mendenhall, husband of Abraham's sister Mary Woodward Mendenhall, for committing adultery with the same Alice Simcock!
As was usual in such cases, the Committee arranged for a meeting between Abraham Woodward and Alice Simcock to hear both sides. Usually at such meetings the boy simply didn't show up, thus admitting his guilt. On 16th day, 1st month, 1761 at Bradford Monthly Meeting: "The Friends appeared reporting that they have had an opportunity to hear Abraham Woodward and Alice Simcock face to face and that she still continues to accuse him of being the father of her bastard child and that they, the committee, were unanimously of the opinion that he was guilty of having carnal knowledge of her, the said Alice, and likewise that they had treated with him concerning his outgoing in marriage and that he did not appear to them to be in a fit disposition to make suitable satisfaction for his transgression. Therefore John Coope and Jonathan Parke is appointed to treat further with him and if he should not appear in a fit disposition to make such satisfaction to draw testimony against him and produce it to next meeting." Third month, 13th day, 1761 among the miscellaneous papers of Bradford Monthly Meeting is a notation that Abraham Woodward was disowned on the accusation of being the father of Alice Simcock's child and marriage by a priest to another woman. Hannah Thornbrough Woodward was at that time just two months from delivering their first child Eli Woodward. The choice of the name Eli is telling. It was not the usual name honoring a close relative as would have been appropriate for their first born. In the Bible, Eli was a high priest of Israel and a judge; and as a judge he dealt too leniently with his sons Hophni & Phinchas when they behaved scandalously. Interesting choice of name considering their situation!...
