Hi,
I’m trying to learn more about an interesting family I have been reading about in the newspapers. Unfortunately it’s been difficult to get some details.
Here is what I know so far, the concise version.
Robert Woodward:
Born 1758: parents and birth location unknown as was Foster child.
Baptism: Unknown
Married: Known to be married but date of marriage and name of spouse unknown
Spouse: Name, DOB and DOD unknown. Still alive by 1806 as mentioned in newspaper article in that year.
Ordained as deacon: 1779, becomes curate of Tarrington, Herefordshire
Ordained as priest: 1781
Final appointment: 1799, Vicar of Harrold, Buckinghamshire
Children: 3 Daughters at least, eldest is Sarah born approx 1784
Susanna born approx 1794
3rd unnamed daughter, no DOB or DOD information.
I have no baptisms for any of these daughters. Given that he was a COE Curate or Vicar when they were born, it seems very unlikely they were not baptised.
Criminal Conviction: 1817, released from prison two years later.
Here’s the long version!
Robert Woodward was most likely born around 1758. Unfortunately I have no details about his birth or who his parents are, or even what his real surname was. According to a later record by the Church of England about his religious career, he was a foster child.
He was fostered by a Robert, likely also Robert Woodward Senior who was an ordained man. He was living in Oxford. From what I’ve been able to understand of his records, it doesn’t appear that he ever took on a parish.
Robert Woodward Junior was ordained as a Deacon in 1779 and became a curate in Tarrington, Herefordshire in the same year.
He became ordained as a priest in 1781.
In 1799, he became the Vicar of Harrold in Buckinghamshire.
At some point he married. I do not know when, or to who, despite looking through many marriage records. His wife was still alive at least by 1806 as she is mentioned, not by name, in a newspaper article from that year.
I know from newspaper accounts that he had at least 3 daughters. One remains unnamed.
The other two are Sarah and Susanna.
There ages are not 100% clear as different accounts are given.
However, Sarah was definitely the eldest according to the papers, and she was probably born around 1784.
Susanna was likely born around 1794.
The family got into a lot of legal trouble and eventually in 1817, both Robert and his two daughters went to prison for conspiracy, having been accused of lying about the circumstances in which Susanna’s illegitimate child was fathered.
Sarah had an illegitimate child in 1806, which died shortly after birth. This was also reported in the papers, as her father successfully sued the alleged father for damages.
I’m fascinated by the family and would love to know what their eventual fates were. Unfortunately with so few details it’s been hard to trace them.
The two daughters were released after one year, and their father after two. I have not been able to trace them beyond that.
I also know that Robert wrote a book called “Errors of Dissenters” which I’ve skim read online and it contains no further biographical details.
Thank you for sticking with me and I hope that made sense!
