This is the Woods burial place, cemetery, in
Ivy, just five
miles east of Blair Park.CHAPTER 31
The Tracy Family History
Michael Woods Sr., of Blair Park, 1684-1762
This photo is of the graveyard on the
plantation. It is from
Neander Woods’ book. Photo taken in1895, and we can
assume these are our cousins standing proudly in front. The graveyard has been
described by various historians to be at differing distances from the dwelling,
anywhere from 100 to 500 yards, south from the house, which no longer stands. At
the time there was a rail fence around the burial ground with an abundance of
cherry trees. The grave was “...located in the extreme northwestern corner of
the plot.” At the time of the photo the grave of Michael was known. There was a
crude wooden marker and foot stone which was lost sometime after the Civil War.
The location of the grave has been lost since this cherished photo was taken.
There is a monument to commemorate our interesting ancestor.
It is believed that his wife,
Mary Campbell, preceded him in
death by some 20 years and is buried next to him, along with their children, and
their children’s children.
Michael Woods lived on the plantation for 28 years, dying at
the age of 78, in the year of 1762. Many in the family and their following
generations would grow up in
Albemarle County. During these first 28 years they
would live in constant fear of the Indians, for good reason as will be soon
explained.
The plantation stayed in the family for a few short years,
until it became the property of Chief Justice Blair. (John Blair was Chief
Justice of the Provisional Supreme Court of Virginia during the Revolutionary
War. Later, George Washington appointed him as a Justice of the US Supreme
Court. The Blair’s and our people intermarried.) Since then, Michael Woods has
been known by the distinguished titled of “Michael Woods, Sr., of Blair Park.”
However, distinction, stature and status had nothing to do with it. Families in
those days tended to be large, 10 to 12 children. The Scotch-Irish, by
tradition, had a system of naming children after relatives. There was one
Michael Woods, Jr., and seven grandchildren would carry the name. After this
generation we lose count. The use of the name Senior, and of Blair Park was used to
distinguish him from the descendants who carried the same name. His son was
known as Michael of
Botetourt.
This is the signature of Michael Woods, Sr.,
on his will dated 24 November 1761. This is a blurry copy of a copy. On the
original it is obvious that his signature is very shaky, thus we can be assured
that this is his true signature.
However, the 2 signatures of the witnesses are forgeries. I
am quite sure that Michael Woods (minor) and Michael Wallace were not present.
The forgeries were by two people who were playing games. Look at the capital
letter on the top Woods. The top end of the W has a spear point.
Below, Wallace, the top end has a loop. Below that, the signatures appear
again. This time the Woods has a loop and the Wallace has a spear point, showing
the two forgers changed the names they were writing.
Neander Woods says that Michael Woods Sr., always wrote his
name with a very small "m" between Michael and Woods. (I have not seen it.)
No one was ever able to figure out why. They wonder if "m" was his middle initial.
This is a classic in handwriting analysis. Yes, "m" was his middle initial.
Why so small? He did not like his middle name.
This is the Woods burial place, cemetery, in
Ivy, just five
miles east of Blair Park.
We know that Michael
Woods, Sr., is buried on the plantation called Blair Park.
Yet, at the little cemetery at Ivy there is a large monument
to Michael Woods. (The largest in the cemetery.) Numerous tombstones engraved
with the name Woods surround the monument.
It is the St. Paul’s Episcopal graveyard!
One of the reasons our people immigrated from Ulster was to
be free of the
Episcopal Church, the Church of England. They also wanted to
get away from the Irish Catholics, who the Scots had been fighting for
generations.
We know that our people were devout Presbyterians. So where
did all of these Episcopalians come from?
Located 10 miles west of
Charlottesville, VA.
From Charlottesville, take 250 West to
Crozet. Turn on Old Three Notch Road.
(Charlottesville you can not miss as it is a city of 45,000. Crozet is
unincorporated.) The church is not far (North) off I-64.
If you are coming in from the West, through Staunton --
take exit 107 (Crozet exit) from 1-64. Go 4.5 miles east on US 250 (toward
Charlottesville). Take a hard left on State Route 240. Go a half mile on 240 to
its intersection with Old Three Notched Road. Turn right on Old Three Notched
Road. The church will be 0.3 miles on the right. (Note: It is not the white
frame church at the intersection of 240 and Old Three Notched Road. )
That is Mountain Plain(s) today. ( In the early days it
sometimes went by the name of Henderson’s Quarter, but that name has long past
from history.)
“The church is just outside the small town of Crozet, VA. There are a few small old houses on the road on which the church is located. A farm borders part of the church property. Recently some new, large very expensive houses have been built next to or very near the church’s property. Because the lots are wooded, there is still some sense of isolation from these new houses. Crozet is a rapidly growing community, but the major large scale developments are about a mile from the church. The church cemetery is about 200 yards from the sanctuary, to the north of the church.”
You will remember the Rev. James Anderson of Donegal Church, Pennsylvania. He made at least one trip to Mountain Plains Church. It is not well documented or understood, but it is obvious that there was a strong connection, traveling back and forth, and correspondence, between our Virginia people and our Lancaster County cousins that lasted for a number of years. I suspect well beyond the Revolutionary War.
Confusion
At this point I must confess to some confusion about the
Mountain Plain Church. I will quote from George Selden Wallace, Genealogical
Date, etc. (1927).
"Inasmuch as the old Mountain Plains Church, that may have been built for and
occupied by the
Rev. Samuel Black, its first pastor, has long since passed away,
it is proper that I shall place on record a description of it. It was framed and
weather-boarded, after the old style, and of fair size. Neither ceiled nor
plastered. The pulpit was in the side and, as was common at that time, perched
very high. The building was well provided with pews and had three doors. It also
had a large gallery in one end for the colored people. My impression is that
Father Black resided in the neighborhood. There were several families of that
name, some of whom were related to him. And few, if any, of his or their
descendants have ever left the Presbyterian Church. The Wallace family, in which
I boarded, with the Presbyterians of that neighborhood, having preaching at
Waynesboro only every other Sabbath, with the then only Elder of the Mountain
Plains Church, 'Beaver Creek William Woods,’ senior, as he was universally
called, would on the alternate Sabbath, attend at the church to hear the Rev. Benjamine
Ficklin, Colonel William Woods had married a sister of William Wallace
(whose mother was a Woods) and was a near neighbor of the Rev. Mr. Ficklin.
Whilst the latter was an 'Iron-Side Baptist' and an uncompromising 'water man',
Colonel Woods, or Father Woods as most people called him, was as rigid a
bluestocking...”
These facts were furnished to the Rev. Mr. Black, the author,
by Matthew Pilson, a venerable Elder of the Tinkling Springs Church (another
church across the Blue Ridge Mountains in Augusta Co). The events related
occurred when Mr, Pilson, now more than eighty years old, was a young man. The
history was published in 1870.
I have not researched the above. So here is my best read: We
are talking of a wood-frame church that no longer exists. We know that our
Mountain Plain Presbyterian Church was, and still is, brick. I think we are
talking about the
Baptist Church, which existed concurrently with the
Presbyterian Church. In the 1820's the Baptist took over the Presbyterian Church
building. Thus, they went from the old wood-frame church to our now brick
church: Two churches; two buildings. Also, many of our people converted from
Presbyterians to Baptists. This is the reason the Baptist took over the
Presbyterian Church. ”The Presbyterians becoming scarce.” Our family now becomes
two churches.
I just can’t figure out who, what, where, when, how come everything happened. It
was common for different denominations to meet in the same church buildings on
alternate Sundays, which only adds to the confusion.
George Selden Wallace was born in Greenwood, Virginia, just 10 miles west of Charlottesville,
right in the middle of our Woods-Wallace country. His was an illustrious career.
He started off humble, was educated at public school and the
Mechanics’ Institute
in
Richmond (Robert E. Lee had an office in the building during the Civil War.);
worked as a railroad messenger boy at age 13; and wound up earning his Bachelor
of Laws from West Virginia University in 1897. He started practicing law in 1897; served as
2nd and 1st Lieutenant in the 2nd West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, 1898-99;
division quartermaster; member West Virginia National Guard, 1900-16, advancing to
Lieutenant Colonel, acting; in the
Judge Advocate General's (J.A.G)
office, Washington DC.
He was promoted to Lieutenant
Colonel and went to France in 1918, where he was Senior Assistant to acting J.A.G
for France. This put him on
General Pershing’s staff. His list of publications
are numerous, histories, genealogies, biographies and especially in the field
of military law. A
Huntington, West Virginia, lawyer he served in turn as a bank president, prosecuting
attorney, circuit judge, and builder of his city parks and was active in the Democratic
party. He started practicing law in Huntington, West Virginia, before the year 1900 and
continued to within a few months of his death, at age 91, in 1962. He was an
Episcopalian. There are fine photos of this distinguished man, but I have chosen
his obituary photo, which shows him the way he was at the time he died at such
an advanced age and after an active life.
His highly recommended book is
Wallace, Genealogical Date Pertaining to the Descendants of Peter Wallace &
Elizabeth Woods, His wife. The main emphasis is on the Wallace name.
It is a genealogical book, not a strong mixture of genealogy, history, and
family stories such as Reverend Neander Woods’ book.
It is interesting, published in 1927, with 275 pages.
Available in reprint through Higginson Book Company, 148 Washington Street, P.
O. Box 778, Salem, Mass 01970
The following book I have not read. However, it might be of interest to our cousins who would like to know more about this family. The Michael Woods--Mary Campbell family in America, by Patsy Woods Young. Published 1984, with 603 pages.
Updated
September 2007, information from
Michael Upchurch –
I am employed as a geologist for the Commonwealth of Virginia
and have become interested in the history of the land Michael Woods named
Mountain Plains. Three years ago, I purchased from the estate of Robert Page the
“plains” portion of Michael’s land between Three Chopt Road southward to the
slopes of Calf Mountain (43 acres). I am trying to determine if Michael cleared
the land for farming or had any structures that high up in the mountain. I would
like to restore the land to what Mountain Plains used to be shortly after 1737.
I believe I found the site of the first or “upper” Mountain Plains Church next
to the cemetery in the gap. There are records indicating that “logs were dragged
to the gap for the church.”
The cemetery that adjoins my land is now in the park, and
there is no sign of the church that I have heard referred to as “upper” Mountain
Plains Church. There are approximately 20 graves with unmarked rocks standing on
end at the head and the foot, not the graves of wealthy landowners. Perhaps this
church was organized after 1819. There is a gravel state road that goes to the
crest of Woods Gap, so access is not a problem.
I understand that the land has been used for tobacco, corn,
cattle, apple/peach orchards, and even a movie. If you ever see “Evan Almighty,”
the final scene was filmed under an apple tree on Mountain Plains.
Note: Most of the filming of “Evan Almighty” was done at “Old Trail,” now an upscale subdivision and part of Michael Woods’ plantation, also filming was done in the area and mountain close to the plantation.
Michael Woods and Mary Campbell are unknown in American history. However, many of their descendents would become prominent.
For more on the family tree of Michael Woods and his wife, Mary Campbell, go to my home page. Instructions on how to print your own free 260 page book from this web site on the lives of Michael Woods and Mary Campbell can also be found by going to my home page. Home Page www.thetracyfamilyhistory.net
NOTE: There are two standard screen resolutions. The new one at 1024x768, and the old one at 800x600. If text and images interfere, overlap one another, it is probably because you are using the new one. Change to 800x600 and you should be alright.
CHILDREN OF MICHAEL WOODS AND MARY CAMPBELL
William
John
Michael Jr
Archibald
Hannah
Margaret
Sarah
Magdalena
Richard
Martha
Andrew
