Descendants of Richard Crouch

of Goochland County, Va.

To: Index Contact: Joe Crouch

The information below was compiled by Amy Dyer

 Mary P. Crouch 5 (John E. "Jack" 4, William 3, John 2, Richard 1) born 8 July 1821 in Alabama, died 14 May 1884 in Sharp County, Arkansas, married 3 September 1839 in Shelby County, Tennessee to Robert Farrar Woolridge.

In John E. Crouch's household in 1840 Census were John and Nancy, both age 40 to 50, a daughter age 15 to 20 (not Mary), a son age 10 to 15, a daughter age 10 to 15, two sons ages 5 to 10, and a daughter age 5 to 10. Mary and Robert Wooldridge were listed separately, both age 20 to 30, with a daughter under 5.

Mary P. Crouch's husband, Robert Farrar Wooldridge, was himself a native of Goochland County. Robert was born there in 1816, the son of Jeremiah Wooldridge and Susannah Farrar. Robert and his older brother Jeremiah Clay Wooldridge came to Tennessee before 1840. They may have resided in Davidson County, Tennessee for a time, where their uncle Josiah Wooldridge had settled. In 1840, Jeremiah was in nearby DeKalb County, Tennessee with his wife Mary E. J. Power and several children.

By 1850 both Wooldridge families were in Independence County, Arkansas (Barrin Township, p. 319, dw #101 fam #101):

Robert Wooldridge 30 m farmer AL (should be VA)

Mary Wooldridge 25 f AL

Sarah Wooldridge 10 f TN

Robert W. Wooldridge 7 m TN

Susan F. Wooldridge 3 f AR

John P. Wooldridge 1 m AR

According to the birthplaces given for the children, they must have come to Arkansas between 1843 and 1847. The birthplaces for Robert's brother's children (page 319a) indicate that his family came to Arkansas before or during 1843. Robert's brother Jeremiah Clay Wooldridge is thought to have served in the Mexican War. It's possible that Robert served as well.

By 1860, Nancy Crouch was living with her daughter Mary and her family, apparently widowed (1860 Independence County, Arkansas, Barren Township, p. 117, #227/266):

Robert Wooldridge 45 m VA

Mary P. Wooldridge 39 f AL

Sarah J. Wooldridge 20 f TN

Robert W. Wooldridge 18 m TN

Susan F. Wooldridge 14 f AR

John P. Wooldridge 11 m AR

Josiah Wooldridge 9 m AR

George W. Wooldridge 7 m AR

Thomas J. Wooldridge 5 m AR

Henry Wooldridge 10/12 m AR

Martha A. Wooldridge 3 f AR

James E. Crouch 30 m AL farmer $50/$100

Nancy Crouch 60 f VA $75

James E. Crouch and his nephew, Robert W. Wooldridge, enlisted in Company C, the First Battalion Six Months Arkansas Infantry, USA, on June 10, 1862 (Desmond Walls Allen, First Arkansas Union Infantry, 1987):

This unit was formed of Independence and Izard County men who were sympathetic to the north, and volunteered to serve in a 6-month unit. They had a very difficult time of it. The 30th of June in 1862 General Curtis began to move the army without warning, so the recruits in the first battalion were caught unaware. Most were in their fields, and walked away without saying goodbye or packing any personal belongings. Initially they thought they would be cavalry, so they took their horses, but the army upon arriving at Helena designated them as infantry. They were not allowed to feed their horses with feed from the quartermaster, nor to allow their horses to graze on the countryside, so some horses died. Others were sold for a pittance. By the fall of 1862 the unit was sent to camp Benton near St. Louis. Most of the unit were ill and 150 were dead by the time their enlistments were up, 31 Dec 1862.

I have found no trace of James after his enlistment, so it is possible that he died in St. Louis. Robert W. Wooldridge returned and married in about 1870. In 1890 at age 48 he applied for a pension as an invalid, and in 1895 his widow applied for his pension.

The 1870 census of Independence County is not available in my area, or perhaps I'd have more to add. It is interesting to note that on the 1880 census of Independence County, an Eli Harrell was listed in the Robert F. Wooldridge household, as a nephew aged 22. This supports the idea that one of Mary's sisters married a Harrell. Mary's eldest daughter Sarah Jane married James Willis Brewer, whose sister Isabella married a Madison B. Harral. Madison was born in about 1840 in Tennessee, the son of Milton P. Harral. His mother's name isn't known; possibly this was the Crouch sister. I haven't found a brother for Madison named Eli, but Madison did name a son William Elijah, so it's possible.

Until I know more about Mary P. Crouch Wooldridge's siblings, I can only provide her children as Crouch descendants:

1. Sarah Jane Wooldridge, b. June 15, 1840 Shelby County, TN, m. May 22, 1862 James Willis Brewer, Independence County, Arkansas, died January 5, 1907 Collingsworth County, TX (my g-g-grandmother).

2. Robert W. Wooldridge, b. 29 Mar 1842 Shelby County, TN, m. abt. 1870 Elvira Estelle Redus, died 11 Dec 1895 Independence County, AR.

3. Susannah Farrar Wooldridge, b. 3 Nov. 1846 Sharp County, AR, m. February 15, 1877 Independence County, AR to James Burrow Hines Gray, d. July 26, 1910 Independence County, AR.

4. John Patrick Wooldridge, b.30 Mar. 1848 Sharp County, AR, m. 1) Lovena Bailey 9 Dec 1870, 2) Suzan J. Reeves 4 Jan 1873 Independence County, AR. Died 1 Apr 1926 Independence County.

5. William L. Wooldridge b. aft. 1850, m. Elvira L. Montgomery 24 February 1870 Independence County.

6. Josiah S. Wooldridge b. 1851 Independence County. Married Nancy Pearlie Reeves 14 Sept. 1877 Sharp County, AR. Died 1928 Independence County.

7. George W. Wooldridge b. 29 Mar 1853 AR, m. Lydia A. Morris 9 Aug 1874 Independence County, died 21 Apr 1926 Independence County, AR.

8. Thomas J. Wooldridge b. 1854 Independence County, AR, m. 1) Mariah J. Brewer before 1880 (niece of James Willis Brewer who m. Sarah Jane Wooldridge), m. 2) F. C. Hawkins abt. 1889. Died 1925 Independence County, AR.

9. Martha Ann Wooldridge b. 12 Apr. 1860 Independence County, m. Christopher Columbus Laman 25 Feb. 1875. Died 31 Jan 1926 Independence County.

10. Henry Clay Wooldridge, b. 1859 AR, m. 1) Susan Montgomery 16 Sept. 1880, 2) F. C. Dawkins.

11. James Milliner Wooldridge b. 6 Oct 1861 Independence Co., AR. Married Helen Morrow Montgomery 11 Aug 1880 Sharp County, AR. Died 13 Mar 1948 Terrell, Kaufman Co., TX.

12. Marion Brownlow Wooldridge, b. 5 Jun 1864 AR, m. Nancy Ellen Laman 25 Sept. 1884 Sharp Co., AR. Died 16 Feb. 1938 Terrell, Kaufman Co

The information above was compiled by Amy Dyer

If you are a descendant of the Goochland County, Virginia Crouch's, have information different, or in addition to what's shown above (birth information, baptistry info, marriage bonds/certificates, wills, obituaries, deeds, court records, etc..) please feel free to forward to or contact Joe Crouch who maintains this site.