52
Ancestors 52 Weeks #10 – Wiley Woodard I
The
question is could Wiley Woodard (1) be the gggrandfather of this branch? Twenty-four years ago, my family journey
began with a focus on my maternal side of the family. I quickly learned that often assumptions
would be shared that were generalities and not necessarily facts. A genealogist with a master’s degree told me
that being African American more than likely I would have success on the maternal
side. Being new to the family history
journey, I followed his lead and began with Susie Mae Young, my grandmother who
died in 1937 when my mother was four years old.
I secured her death certificate and found the documented listed both her
parents as unknown. The informant was
the first cousin, Charlie McClendon, of her husband John Henry Woodard. Interviewing my mother taught me that
Matildia (Harris) and George Freeman raised my grandmother and were somehow
related. They were grandparents to my
mother and her siblings. I began
interviewing my mother’s siblings and learned Matildia and George raised Susie
Mae since she was an infant. Some said
they heard her mother died in childbirth yet no one knew her name. On that leg of my journey it was a dead end
back in the day so I took the path to my mother’s paternal side, Woodard.
I
quickly learned about my grandfather’s family, the Woodard’s from Georgia. Guess the genealogist with a master’s degree
didn’t mention the exceptions of the African American family. Found the Woodard family in the 1900 US
Census living in Meriwether County Georgia.
Learned my grandfather was the youngest of Wiley (2) and Josephine
(Martin) Woodard that were married in 1868.
Wiley was born in 1925 in
Virginia and one of their sons was name Wiley (3). The search was on to find out information
about Wiley’s (2) parents. While
standing in line at the Georgia Archives, I happened to look up and saw a
bookshelf with oh about ten books on the ledge.
A large red book caught my attention titled 1860 US Georgia Census
Index. Going with strong feelings, I
reached for the book and before opening it wondered what the heck, no African
American are listed in this index, this was before freedom. Flicking through the pages to Woodard, I
landed on Wiley Woodard in Baldwin County Georgia. Thoughts were that this couldn’t be my Wiley
for surely he was a slave. I headed to
the microfilm files that would have more details, found the film and loaded on
the machine. This was a black man, Wiley
Woodard(1). More research led to the
learning of this Wiley being a free person of color, brick mason living in Baldwin
County Georgia that was born in Brunswick County Virginia with Thomas Crowder
also born in Brunswick County being his sponsor. Further exploration led to Thomas’ death and
a will administered by Charles Malone in 1836.
Charles Malone purchased in a private sale, one Negro, woman Lucy and
children, Wilson, Sally and Mill for $1,350.
Charles died shortly after acquiring this slave family. Interesting enough, I found Gilbert Malone in
Meriwether County (1803-1838) who married Amanda Leveritte in 1821. Is there a tie could Gilbert have inherited
the slave Lucy with her children Wilson, Sally and Mill? Gilbert’s widow Amanda own thirteen slaves in
the 1850 census.
This
family historian has hunted for the documentation and found nothing definite
yet something led me to find the 1860 US Census in Baldwin County that led me
to Wiley Woodard, born 1784 in Brunswick County Georgia. Perhaps Wiley (1) belongs to my family and
the questions remains will I ever be able to prove it?
Happy hunting and my twenty four year journey continues.
