U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Woodford, William ------------------------------------------------------------------- The History of Barbour County, West Virginia, From its Earliest Exploration and Settlement to the Present Time by Hu Maxwell The Acme Publishing Company, Morgantown, W.Va., 1899 Page 500 William Woodford, son of General William Woodford, was the first of the name to settle in what is now Barbour County. He came from Rockingham County, Virginia, in 1804, and his family, some of whom were born before he came, consisted of five children. General Woodford, the father of the subject of this sketch, was an Englishman who married a daughter of Sir William, afterwards General Howe. The marriage was opposed by the lady's father, and Colonel Woodford left England with his wife and came to America, and made his home in Shenandoah Valley. He was one of the earliest to take up arms against the British in the cause of independence, and on December 9, 1776, he defeated the British under Captain Fordyce at Great Bridge. His father-in-law, General William Howe, was commander-in-chief of the British army in America from 1775 to 1778. William Woodford, the pioneer in Barbour, was an only son, but had seven sisters. He married Hannah Moss and settled on Bull Pasture River, now in Highland County, Virginia. He was the ancestor of all the Woodfords in Barbour and adjoining counties, and his descendants, both those by the name of Woodford and those who have intermarried with other families and bear other names, have always been distinguished for industry, perseverance and business ability. When William Woodford came to Barbour he made his home on Fox Grape Creek, near land owned by William Thompson, one of the earliest settlers. When Mr. Woodford came to Barbour, he carried all his household goods on a pack-horse. His children were, John Howe, Jacob, William, George and Mary. ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Barbour County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/barbour/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------