Levi Muse Wood

Notes:

From FindAGrave:

Levi Muse Wood married Prudence Jane Parker. Prudence Jane Parker: Jan 22, 1847 TX - Jun 18, 1926 TX. Both buried Wood Cemetery.

Notes:

The son of Azariah and Margaret Wood. (White and Toole, p 72). Middle name shown sometimes as Azariah/Azrall/Ayers. Barbara Yancey Dore shows Margaret's maiden name was STEDDHAME. She writes that he was "reported to be the first person buried in what would become the WOOD CEMETERY about 1860 or 1861. The Wood family deeded land for a cemetery at a later date. The Wood Cemetery Association, with a permanent care fund, meets at the cemetery each year on the first Saturday in August for their annual meeting and cemetery working."

The following biography, prepared by Robert Strickland, a descendant, is copied from FindAGrave:

Charles Ayers Wood came to Texas from New Jersey in 1831 when Texas was still a part of Mexico. Texas became a republic in 1836 and a state in 1845.

Sources disagree on his middle name. It could have been Ayers (also spelled Ayres or Ayars), his mother's maiden name, or Azrael (or Azraih / Azrail / Azel / Azrall, etc.), after his father. He had two grandsons who were both named Charles Ayers Wood. They were double cousins, sons of Wood brothers who married Meigs sisters. Ayers seems to be the most likely middle name.

According to a Bible originally owned by Samuel Stedham / Steddum / Statham, Charles Ayers Wood was the son of Azraih Wood and Margaret Ann Ayers. Charles was born 22 Mar 1806 in NJ and died 19 Mar 1858 in San Augustine Co., TX. His father, Azraih died 10 Dec 1811 near Philadelphia. "He drowned."

Azel Wood and Margaret Ayars were married Nov. 13, 1802, Cumberland County, NJ Marriages, Volume A 1795-1838, page 46 (www.familysearch.org). Margaret Ayars was born 17 Sep 1774 to John Ayars (1736-1802) and Susannah Jarman (1741-1824). Margaret died in 1815 or on 10 Feb 1813.

In John Ayars and his Descendants compiled by Frank D. Anders, Vineland, NJ, 1913, page 13, (Google Books) we find Margaret Ayars married Azel Wood. Margaret's sister, Mary Ayers (1764-1825) married Samuel Statham (the owner of the family Bible, above). Margaret and Mary were daughters of John Ayars (1736-1802) and Susannah Jarman (1741-1824) married 1757.

Charles was orphaned at the age of 7-9. Perhaps he could have have been raised by the Steddum family, but this is speculation. Samuel Steddum and Mary Ayers had a son Samuel II b. 1789 that was living in San Augustine Co. by 1836. Charles' children are listed in the Steddum family Bible. Samuel Stiddum received a land grant of 1 league and 1 labor in 1828.

By some accounts, Charles was a river boat captain before he came to Texas.

Recorded May 12, 1831, in an application for citizenship in the Republic of Texas [should instead be Mexico?]: "Mr. Chas. A. Wood presents himself a native of The United States with a passport from the Consul of the United States of Mexico, Citizen Francisco Martinez Pizarro, made 4th day of May 1830, Not numbered. Place of residence Nacodoches." Does anyone have a copy of this? Reported by Ann Gary, ancestry.com San Augustine County Message Board. Original document is probably in a library in San Augustine.

There is also an article about Charles in Sabine County Historical Sketches and Genealogical Records, by Edna McDaniel White and Blanche Findley Toole, LaBelle Printing Co. Beaumont, TX, Copyright, 1972. It says about Charles A. Wood and Elizabeth Muse, "They had married on their way to Texas, and he received a first class land grant in San Augustine Co. on the Attoyac River, but he never lived on it. He was a Blacksmith and worked on river boats. He also invented a special belt for his cotton gin." We know from other records, however, that he didn't marry Elizabeth Muse until after he came to Texas, and she was first married to Benjamin Franklin Howard.

Charles Ayers Wood received a first class grant of 1/3 league (1476 acres) of land west of San Augustine on the Attoyac Bayou. This was the amount granted to single men. (Had he had a family, he would have been entitled to a league and a labor of land.) The year of emigration was 1831. You can find a record of this on the TX GLO website, http://www.glo.texas.gov/cf/land-grant-search/index.cfm . Charles traded his grant for land near the location of the Wood Cemetery south of San Augustine. One source said this was part of the Shipp Survey, and another said he purchased it from William Lakey. (The Shipp and Lakey grants are adjacent.)

Charles Ayers Wood married Elizabeth Muse about 1837. Elizabeth Muse had first married Benjamin Franklin Howard (or Harwood) who was born about 1807. They were married 31 Jan 1830 or 1831 in Madison Co, TN. One date appears in a loose document and the other appears in the bound record. They had one child, George Washington Howard, born about 1834 in TN, died during the Civil War in 1863 or 1864 on or near Galveston Island.

Benjamin F. Howard and Elizabeth Muse separated. One family history account says that B.F. Howard left his family and was reported dead. However, records show that he was still living, in 1865 and possibly 1874 or later. For more information on the Howard family, see micspoon.tripod.com/nti/nti11685.html.

Elizabeth Muse then married Charles Ayers Wood. The 1850 and 1860 US Census recorded the family in San Augustine Co., TX. Charles was a farmer. They had at least 8 children, all born in Texas, probably all in San Augustine Co.

Charles A. Wood was said to be the first person buried on the land that would become the Wood Cemetery. The Wood family deeded the land later.

Many thanks to Skyquest, Find A Grave Contributor 46907373, for a draft of this memorial and for helpful tips. Thanks also to Nancy Jack, Contributor 47107985 for the information about the Howard family.

There is little agreement about Charles A. Wood's date of death. The headstone reads, "August 15, 1850." The headstone appears to be modern. This date is not possible if he is the father of daughter Sarah Mariah, born 10 months later. Other accounts list the date of death as 15 Aug 1860 or 1861. These are not likely because he doesn't appear with his family in the Sabine County census recorded 20 Jul 1860. The origin of the 1860 or 1861 date could have been when the cemetery was deeded by the Wood family. The 1858 date (Steddum Bible?) seems to be the only choice consistent with the census records.

Maintained by: R Strickland
Originally Created by: BARBARA GUNDOLF
Record added: Sep 06, 2009
Find A Grave Memorial# 41647553

Charles married Elizabeth Muse. Elizabeth was born on 28 Oct 1812 in North Carolina; died on 15 Feb 1877 in Sabine County, Texas; was buried in Wood Cemetery, San Augustine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

From FindAGrave:

Elizabeth Muse was born in North Carolina (1850 San Augustine Co. TX census). Elizabeth Muse married (1) Benjamin Franklin Howard (or Harwood) who was born about 1807. They were married Jan. 31, 1830 or 1831 in Madison Co, TN. The Howard family moved to Texas before the Texas Revolutionary War. B.F. Howard served in the Texas Revolution. According to a land grant record, he came to Texas in 1835.

Benjamin Franklin Howard and Elizabeth Muse had one child:

George Washington Howard, born about 1834 (1850 and 1860 census) or 1832 (Howard family history and Civil War records) in TN. He married Sereptha Williams, born in Feb 1822 in AL. Sereptha had first married Thomas Watts, Jr. (1822-1849). Sereptha and Thomas had three children, Greenberry b abt 1843, Amanda b abt 1846 and Benjamin Franklin b abt 1848. Sereptha then married George Washington Howard on July 14, 1853, San Augustine Co. The 1860 San Augustine Co. census found "Wash" and Sereptha with the 3 Watts children and 3 of their own: Mary E. born abt 1854, Napolean B. born abt 1858, Find A Grave 51926307, and Ada born abt June, 1860. Other records show daughter Georgianna born 1862. George Washington Howard died in the Civil War about 1863/4 on or near Galveston Island, burial unknown. There were three George W. Howards from Texas in the Civil War. The most likely was a corporal in Bates' Regiment, 13th Texas Volunteers, Co. M., headquartered at Velasco (present day Surfside). Howard family lore says Sereptha moved to Brownsville after the Civil War and died near the King Ranch on the way back to East Texas. Other accounts have her living longer and dying in Louisiana.

B.F. Howard and Elizabeth Muse separated. One family history account says that B.F. Howard left his family and was reported dead. Records show that he was still living in 1865 and possibly 1874 or later. For more on the Howard family, see micspoon.tripod.com/nti/nti11685.html .

Elizabeth Muse then married (2) Charles A. Wood. They were married about 1837. They had at least 8 children (census records), all born in Texas, probably all in San Augustine Co. Elizabeth and Charles A. Wood are at rest in the Wood Family Cemetery on the shore of present day Lake Sam Raburn.

Maintained by: R Strickland
Originally Created by: skyquest
Record added: May 04, 2010
Find A Grave Memorial# 51983204