From Virginia Through the Southwest:Information about Edward Wooldridge
Edward Wooldridge (b. 1711, d. October 10, 1808)
Notes for Edward Wooldridge:
Edward Wooldridge (1711-1808) was probably born in what is now Chesterfield County, Virginia; it was then southside of Henrico County.The estimated date of birth assumes he was of legal age when he patented land with his brother Thomas in Goochland in 1732.On this estimate he lived to be 97, the oldest in a generation of notable longevity:his brother William reached 89 and brother John, 78.
Edward Wooldridge married Mary Flournoy, the daughter of Francis and Mary Flournoy and sister of Sarah Flournoy who married Edward's brother William.The Flournoys were among the French Huguenots who came to Manakin.The date of the marriage would be in the 1740s, prior to July 29, 1749, when "Francis Flournoy of Chesterfield County and parish of Dale" deeded 200 acres in the Forks of Tomahawk in Chesterfield County to his "beloved son-in-law, Edward Wooldridge."Edward sold this land to Valentine Winfree a year later.Edward Wooldridge was godfather to his nephew, David Trabue, in 1737.
Altogether, Edward owned at one time or another, 1600 acres in Virginia and 2000 in Kentucky, although he never moved to Kentucky.He seemed content to live as a prosperous planter of his day, never holding public office as far as the records show.His home was probably on a tract his father gave him in 1753 on the Buckingham Road about the location of the present town of Midlothian near the Powhatan line.
In addition to being a planter of substance, Edward was licensed in March of 1756 to keep an ordinary (operate a Tavern) at his house.Thus three of the five brothers at one time or another kept ordinary, though from their land dealings all seem primarily to have been tobacco planters.
In January of 1757, the Chesterfield County Court examined Edward Wooldridge for the "supposed murder" of Francis Brown.The circumstances of the alleged murder are not given, but the Court concluded he was not guilty and did not pass the case to the General Court for trial.
On reaching his mid-60s, Edward began to give land to his children:230 acres to Edward, Jr., and 240 acres to William in 1775, (both on Buckingham Road in Chesterfield) and 140 acres to Simon in Prince Edward two years later.On December 23, 1778, Edward conveyed a Negro boy, Charles, to his grandson, Obed Hancock, son of William Hancock for natural love and affection and five schillings.
Edward Wooldridge obtained a grant of 1400 acres on West Fork of Station Camp Creek in Madison County, Kentucky on May 10, 1793, and on August 9, 1798, he obtained two additional grants of 300 acres each at the same location.On March 29, 1799, he gave a power of attorney to Josiah Wooldridge, who may have been his son Josiah, and Elisha Wooldridge of Woodford County, Kentucky, who probably was the son of his brother Robert and husband of his daughter Hannah, to divide his Kentucky land into equal parts and deed one half to Green Clay in payment for locating (i.e., surveying) the land.His son Josiah served in the American Revolution and also furnished supplies for the army.
Chesterfield Court discharged Edward Wooldridge from paying taxes on his own person because of age and infirmity in April of 1787.He died at a very advanced age on October 8, 1808.His wife Mary (Flournoy) Wooldridge is named in his will dated July 20, 1805, but had apparently died by the time the will was probated, October 10, 1808.
More About Edward Wooldridge and Mary Flournoy:
Marriage: 1740, Chesterfield Co. Virginia.
Children of Edward Wooldridge and Mary Flournoy are:
- Miss Wooldridge, b. Abt. 1743, Chesterfield Co. Virginia, d. 1778, Virginia.
- Simon Wooldridge, b. Abt. 1747, Chesterfield Co. Virginia, d. January 29, 1830, Prince Edward Co. Virginia.
- Edward Wooldridge, Jr., b. Abt. 1748, Chesterfield Co. Virginia, d. 1807, Chesterfield Co. Virginia.
- +William Wooldridge, b. 1750, Chesterfield Co. Virginia, d. 1824, Hardin Co. Kentucky.
- Josiah Wooldridge, b. November 05, 1755, Chesterfield Co. Virginia, d. November 15, 1837, Todd Co. Kentucky.
- Hannah Wooldridge, b. November 16, 1761, Chesterfield Co. Virginia, d. Aft. 1813, Woodford Co. Kentucky.