Charles A. Wood

1806 - 1858  (51 years)

• Name	Charles A. Wood  [1, 2]
  Birth	22 Mar 1806	New Jersey   [1, 2]
  Gender	Male
  Death	19 Mar 1858	San Augustine County, Texas   [1, 3]
  Burial	Wood Cemetery, San Augustine County, Texas
  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
  Person ID	I17785	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	17 Aug 2014

  
  

  Family	Elizabeth Muse,   b. 28 Oct 1812, North Carolina d. 15 Feb 1877, Sabine County, Texas (Age 64 years)
  Children	1. Francis Wood,   b. Abt 1837, San Augustine County, Texas d. 26 Jun 1863, Louisiana (Age 26 years)   2. Charles T. Wood,   b. 14 Mar 1839, Texas d. 3 Mar 1894, Sabine County, Texas (Age 54 years)   3. Margaret Wood,   b. Abt 1841, San Augustine County, Texas d. Yes, date unknown   4. Azariah Aquilla Wood,   b. 9 Jan 1843, San Augustine County, Texas d. 20 Oct 1920, Jasper, Jasper County, Texas (Age 77 years)   5. Thomas E. "Edd" Wood, Sr.,   b. Abt 1844, San Augustine County, Texas d. Abt 1877, Brookeland, Sabine County, Texas (Age 33 years)   6. Levi Muse Wood,   b. 3 Mar 1848, San Augustine County, Texas d. 15 Feb 1918, San Augustine County, Texas (Age 69 years)   7. Sarah Mariah Wood,   b. 10 Jun 1851, Texas d. 10 Mar 1923, San Augustine County, Texas (Age 71 years)
  Family ID	F6582	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	11 Nov 2012

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 22 Mar 1806 - New Jersey Death - 19 Mar 1858 - San Augustine County, Texas  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources

  [S461] White & Toole, "Sabine County Historical Sketches and Genealogical Records" c. 1972, p 72 (Reliability: 3). [S873] Find A Grave [database online]; http://www.findagrave.com/, (Thousands of contributors submit new listings, updates, corrections, photographs and virtual flowers every hour to the FIND A GRAVE website. When it comes to administrating, building and maintaining the site, Find A Grave is largely operated by its founder, Jim Tipton.), Find A Grave Memorial# 41647553 (Reliability: 3). [S873] Find A Grave [database online]; http://www.findagrave.com/, (Thousands of contributors submit new listings, updates, corrections, photographs and virtual flowers every hour to the FIND A GRAVE website. When it comes to administrating, building and maintaining the site, Find A Grave is largely operated by its founder, Jim Tipton.), Find A Grave Memorial# 41647553, although the tombstone is engraved with a death date of Aug. 15, 1850, the bio on the site has a later DOD, based on the family bible. Presumably the tombstone was engraved later, maybe in 1887 when his wife died. (Reliability: 3).