This is some additional information on Joseph Woods of Orange County NC and his family as taken from DEATH and MARRIAGE NOTICES of THE HILLSBOROUGH RECORDER 1820-1879 HILLSBOROUGH, NORTH CAROLINA, Compiled by SHIRLEY JONES MALLARD. NOTE that these entries appear to be merely abstracts. If anyone has copies of the complete entries as originally appeared in the Hillsborough Recorder, I would appreciate them sharing them. Page 18 [18 Sept 1822 Vol III #136] Died - Mrs. Mary Woods, 93, widow of Hugh Woods, 4th inst, at the house of Joseph Woods on Little River in this county. "Oldest inhabitant in the settlement." This is the supposed Mary Dunnigan, wife of Hugh Woods. Hugh and Mary were Joseph's parents. Page 138 [5 Nov 1846 Vol XXVII #1352] Died - Mrs. Anny Woods, 77, wife of Joseph Woods, in this county 24th ult. Member for 45 years of Presbyterian Church at Little River. This, I believe is Anna McKee, daughter of William McKee and Mary Rankin. Anna was born 22 Feb 1771 in Orange County. Page 182 [29 Sept 1852 Vol XXXIII #1654] Died - Joseph Woods, 102, in this county 16th inst. "He had witnessed the birth of his country's independence" and had reared 2 families of children. "Wept over the graves of 2 wives." Member and ruling elder of the Presbyterian Church." Now the big question, who was Joseph's first wife? Further, I'm wondering if his first family by this first wife might be some of the unconnected Woodses who show up in Orange County (Nathan, Matthew, etc. who both married Faucett women) and, as everyone knows, there appear to be a number of them. And if Joseph was born in 1750, he was probably having children by 1775. In one of my earlier messages in this forum, I posted a transcription of Joseph's will. Among the other names, he names two executors: a Joseph Woods who he indicates to be a grandson and a son named James Woods who had a son named Lambert. This grandson Joseph APPEARS to be the same Joseph who is enumerated on page 236 of the 1850 Orange County NC Census. As his age is indicated to be 50, he is clearly the son of one of Joseph's sons from old Joseph's (b1750) first marriage. In 1850 his family is enumerated as follows: Joseph 50 NC Hannah 40 NC Sarah 21 NC Thomas 9 NC Cynthia 6 NC Joseph 3 NC Now, old Joseph's other executor is a son James who is enumerated on page 245 of the 1850 Orange County Census. This James was born in 1792 and I BELIEVE was the same James who married Mary Polly Brown on 15 May 1818 in Orange County. As for the children of James and Mary Polly (Brown?): 1. A son born between 1820-1825 (out of household by 1850 enumeration) 2. A daughter born between 1820-1825 (out of household by 1850 enumeration) 3. James (b 1832). Enlisted in the Confederate Army in Wake County NC on 1 May 1861 (E Company, 14th Infantry regiment, NC). Killed at the Battle of the Wilderness on 6 May 1864. 4. Lambert (b 1834). Enlisted in the Confederate Army in Wake County NC on 1 May 1861(E Company, 14th Infantry regiment, NC). Killed at the Battle of Seven Pines on 31 May 1862. 5. Narcissa (b 1830) married an S. J. Allen on 15 Apr 1857 in Wake County, North Carolina. Of course, another big question remains does anyone have any idea who the children of Joseph by his first marriage might be? Thanks for any comments. Brett F. Woods Santa Fe, New Mexico