From 2005 until 2019 the Woodworth Genealogical Reunion group have been conducting reunions every odd numbered year. During these reunions we have set up the plans (2005), visited Plymouth MA with side trips to Scituate MA and Little Compton, RI in (2007), visited a Woodworth house Corning NY in (2009), Griswald CT (2011) where we visited Lebanon CT. These meetings were orga-nized and led by Lowell and Cathy Woodworth. Dale and I accepted the role of organizing the following reunions. Our first reunion was held in Wolfville Nova Scotia (2013) where we met many of our Canadian cousins. In (2015) Lake George NY was our reunion site. We toured the site that was owned by Ephram Woodworth and confiscated by General Horatio Gates and used as his headquarters in 1777 and learned how the Underground Railway system worked. The (2017) reunion was held in Jackson IL where we visited the Lincoln Museum and ended in Hannibal MO to learn more about Mark Twain’s childhood. Finally, the (2019) in Stafford England the birthplace of our progenitor, Walter Wood-worth. It can be seen that the reunions covered the start of the Woodworth clan in the Americas by visiting Scituate MA where Walter immigrated to areas of the country where his progeny spread to finally his birth place in England.

On our first day we visited Saint John the Baptist Church in Chartley at Stowe. The church has been kept up showcasing their past.  It is beautiful.  I felt comfortable there.  Afterwards we scoured the church cemetery looking for anything Woodworth.  I found a tombstone for a for Sampson and Dorothy Webb possible descendant from Walter’s mother Jone Webe’s family line.

In our Familytree Y-DNA file, a William Deakins registers as having equal matches to our Woodworth men.  I found a gravestone for George (1836-1898) and Catherine Deakins (1843-1913) in the cemetery.

CHARTLEY CASTLE AND MANOR

In 1463 a Walter Devereux took over ownership when his wife, Anne DeFerrers, inherited it from her father.  At that time in history, married women couldn’t inherit.  The Devereux family considered it too cold to live in so they built a moated half timber half stone house about 900 feet west of the castle and let the castle building deteriorate.  The home has been referred to as the Chartley Manor since.

The Devereux family lived in the manor for several generations.  And around the time that Walter’s parents lived in the Chartley area a Walter Devereux (1541-1576,) 1st Earl of Essex, and his family lived there. I have no idea what Walter’s father, Henry, did to feed his family, but I’m guessing that the Woodworth’s worked at that Manor at some level.

The other interesting note about this Manor was that Mary, Queen of Scots was imprisoned there for a short time in 1583, but it was too damp for her.


 

On our second day we visited the Records library.  It is located about two blocks from our hotel.  This is where our genealogist photo’d Walter’s baptism notice. When all of us Woodworth’s entered and requested to see the original certificates, the librarian said that they never show the originals to the public. However it was one against all us Woodworth’s who were reacting to the response assertively as only a Woodworth can, that he relented and we were able to photograph the records we wanted to.

NOTE; As Mary Jane Wood and I were checking through the "Staffordshire Parish Registers" on page 74, Walter’s name was abstracted correctly.  I know that over the years several people have searched for Walter in England, but never found the right place to look.  I think the fact that he was probably buried with the "Men of Kent" confused the issue, but it doesn’t mean he was one—he just happened to live near by—in fact he owned his land in Scituate before the Men from Kent settled there.  We have FamilytreeDNA and all of you Woodworth men who tested their Y-DNA to thank.  Without the information that Walter’s DNA showed up in the Staffordshire area we would probably still be looking for him in the wrong place.

SOME HISTORY ON THE SWAN HOTEL

We stayed at the Swan Hotel, located right in the center of the old part of the town of Stafford.  We definitely felt like we were in a small semi medieval Village.  The Swan was originally built in the fifteenth century and I imagine that Walter would have, at least, seen it.  Attached to the Swan is the High House, which turned out to be a museum showcasing many artifacts from both the military and other items that were found locally.  Part of the frame from the original building in the 1500’s are still incorporated into the building.  Part of the interior of the hotel represents 400 years of it’s existence.

THE STAFFORD CASTLE

On the third day, most of us trekked to the Stafford Castle.  It is located about a mile from our hotel and is up on a hill.  "The first castle in Stafford was a wooden motte and barley which was constructed in 1070.  However it was quickly abandoned, for reasons that are now lost to history, and the town's castle was built on its present site."  When William the Conqueror took over England he passed out large areas of land to his followers.  When William visited the Staffordshire area, he ordered that a castle be built there. The Stafford Castle was originally given to Robert deTosny who changed his name to Robert Stafford .

Although it was wooden and most traces of the building have gone, the earthwork banks and ditches from this early work can still be seen.  The earthworks extend for 10 acres around the site and the castle backs onto woodland which could have been medieval hunting grounds.

The castle passed down the de Stafford family line and it was Ralph de Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford who converted the castle to a stone structure in 1347.

Later that night we enjoyed a musical show at the local theater.

THE END

These reunions have been a lot of fun for Dale and I.  Growing up the only Woodworth’s I knew were my family and three cousins.  I never dreamed that there were so many Woodworth cousins "out there."  However, Dale and I are tired as old age issues are starting to affect our health, and will not be able to continue to shepherd this effort.  The Woodworth Family website has not been maintained or updated as it should but it is paid for until next June and is available for another Woodworth to take it over if they choose or we will have to take it down.

I am still doing my genealogy work, am trying to update Jeanette Behan’s genealogy The Woodworth Family of America and am changing my email address to Wwoodworthfamily@gmail.com.

We are hoping that someone will volunteer to continue these reunions and we will happily help anyone willing to take the lead. Please think about it.

None of this could have happened without the generous help from Melanie Woodworth