Person:Irene Woodard (1)

Walter Kenneth Smith http://awt.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=wksmith&id=I1410 Note: In 1860, Irene Woodard was living in the household of Jonathan and Roseanne Tomlin.Following the death of her husband, in 1833 Irene moved from Anson County, NC to Newton Co., Ga Irene Woodward Hyatt Wiggins made two Revolutionary War pension applications as the widow of Allen Alse Hyatt. One was in Sept. 1855 when she stated she was 63. The other in June, 1859 when she stated she was 65. In one record she stated she was married in 1810 in Anson County, the other in 1811. The Anson County records are lost and it cannot be determined which date is correct. The 1850 Federal Census gives 55 as her age. It is commonly reported that Irene was the daughter of Pleasants Woodward. However, since she was born between 1792 and 1795, she would have appeared on the 1800 census as age 0 - 10. His census listing reports only one child in that age range and as his daughter Winifred Woodward was born about 1798, she would also fit that age range. Letters of Woodward descendants from the late 1800's which contain family history do not give Irene as the daughter of either Pleasants Woodward or Jordan Woodward. It is certain that Irene is the granddaughter of Cristopher Woodward and evidence exists to suggest that she is the daughter of Mary Woodward, the subject of a court case involving Nathaniel Jones in Wake County Court Minutes, March 6, 1793. She retained the sirname of her mother, Mary, youngest daughter of Christopher Woodward. The name of the child in this court case is not recorded and there are no records to prove that she is the daughter of Nathaniel Jones. It is possible that Irene is a daughter of Jordan Woodward who moved to Anson County. It is very unlikely that she is a daughter of Pleasants Woodward. Mary, daughter of Christopher Woodward, is often confused with Mary, daughter of Richard Woodward, who married Young Utley in Wake County 20 October 1806 with Richard Woodward as Bondsman. From a deposition dated Nov. 30, 1809 Michael Duskin, Jr., J.P. of Wake County testified: "On October 20 last, he was at the house of Richard Woodward who lives near the line of Tennessee and Kentucky, where Polly Utley, the reputed wife of Young Utley of this State and County resided at that time." Based on his testimony, both the House and Senate of North Carolina passed and act titled, "A Bill to Divorce Young Utley of the County of Wake from his wife Polly." (GASR Nov.-Dec. 1811, Box 1, folder: "SB 14 Dec.). The proceedings of this case alternately refer to her as Mary and Polly Woodward.

1. ↑ United States. Census Office. Alabama, 1850 population census schedules, M432. (Washington, D.C. : The National Archives, 1964)
   Irene Wiggins household; Randolph county; roll 14, page 323, line 7; FHL film.
2. ↑ United States. Veterans Administration. Post Revoutionary War Series of Bounuty Land Applications, Record Group 15. (1790 to 1855)
   Allsa Hyatt; BLW 87920-160-55; War of 1812, Capt Blue, North Carolina Militia; widow Irene Hyatt.
3. ↑ United States. Census Office. Alabama, 1860 population census schedules, M653. (Washington, D.C. : The National Archives, 1950, 1967)
   Jonathan Tomblin household; Randolph County, roll 22, page 696, family 482; FHL.
4. ↑ She is age 55 and was born in North Carolina. She is unable to read and write. Her grandson, James Almond, lives in the same household. Eighteen other family members live in the vinicity. Her name is now Irene Wiggins. She remarried. Her husband is not recorded in the census.
5. ↑ She appeared before the Justice of the Peace to make an application for bounty land entitled her under the act of Congress dated March 3rd, 1855. Her husband, Allsa had served as a volunteer in the milita during the war of 1812. She married him in 1810 or 1811, and he had died in 1831. Now because of the act of Congress she was entitled to bounty land. She prosecuted her claim through an attorney. Her witnesses were William and Eliza Wiggins who claimed to know both Alsa and Irene prior to his death.
   In 1856 her claim had been suspended after obtaining another attorney she once again in 1859 submitted addtional paper work through the courts in Heard County, Georgia.
6. ↑ She lived with her daughter, Rosanna Tomlin. Her name was recorded as ?rrena Wiggins, age 64. She could not read or write.