The Underwood Family

 

The Underwood family is extensively covered in the sources, with information spanning multiple generations and locations. Here's a breakdown of the Underwood family genealogy and related details:

Origins and Early History

• The Underwoods are of English descent, although it has not been possible to trace their lines back to a specific English origin.
• The Underwoods came from England to Connecticut, and then to Anthony Creek, before any other settlers arrived in the area.
• William Alderman married Mary Case, and their family is recorded.

Key Underwood Individuals and Families

• Nathan Underwood was a very old man when he died in 1802 in Madison County, Virginia. He may have been born in 1708 in Middlesex County, Virginia.
  • He married Elizabeth Anderson and had 10 children.
  • He was possibly in the Orange-Culpepper area of Virginia by 1734.
  • He bought and sold numerous tracts of land in Virginia, including land on the Conway River and Elk Run.
  • He deeded 52 acres to William Walker and another 100 acres to Joshua Underwood.
  • His will was not probated, and his estate was tied up in court for many years.
• Elijah Underwood (son of Nathan Underwood)
  • He is noted as the only one of Nathan Underwood's ten children that never owned land.
  • He moved to Greenbrier County, West Virginia, around 1813 and lived there until about 1825.
  • He married Mary Smith, daughter of Isaac Smith, in 1802.
  • He was involved in a suit regarding tobacco and hogheads and also regarding payment for services rendered in the revolution.
  • He had multiple children.
  • He married Betsy Wade.
• Michael Moses Underwood was born on January 2, 1822, and died on December 31, 1912.
  • He married Martha Ann Gum in 1846 in Greenbrier County, West Virginia.
  • He moved a few miles north into Pocahontas County around 1851.
  • He was a surveyor of a road.
  • He was buried near Beaver Creek.
  • His children are listed in the 1860 census and include Charles Wesley Underwood, Jesse Underwood, Elizabeth Jane Underwood, and Michael Wallace Underwood.
  • He was a brother to Elijah Underwood.
• Reuben Underwood
  • Reuben Underwood of Virginia is said to have been a soldier in the Revolutionary War and was with General Green in his retreat through the Carolinas.
  • He is said to have been killed at the Battle of Guilford Court House, N.C., on March 15, 1781.
  • Another family tradition says he was killed in Waxhaw, N.C., or that he lived in what is now West Virginia and was killed by a falling tree.
  • He had several children including Jehu, Reuben, James, John, and Berman.
• Jehu Underwood
  • Jehu Underwood was a farmer who moved from Greenbrier County to Kentucky in 1794.
  • His second son, James, was born on the way to Kentucky.
  • He settled in the wilderness of Kentucky and then returned to Virginia before moving back to the same land in Kentucky he had abandoned earlier.
  • He married Elizabeth Richards and moved to Missouri.
• James Underwood (son of Jehu)
  • He was born on the "Wilderness Road" during his father's first migration into Kentucky.
  • He spent his childhood in Greenbrier County and returned to Kentucky with his father in 1809.
  • He lived near Owensville, KY until after his marriage and the births of all his children except the youngest.
  • He moved to Missouri in 1828.
• Origin W. Underwood was the son of the late Howard and Effie Sharp Underwood. He married Eula Mary Alderman.
• Leonard G. Underwood edited and rewrote family history information.
• M.M. Underwood was born January 2, 1822. He married Elizabeth Gum on June 1, 1848.

Land and Property

• James Rucker obtained a 400-acre patent on Sugar Run and the Middle fork of Anthonys Creek in 1793.
• In 1794, James Rucker deeded 75 acres of it to James Underwood and 75 to Berriman Underwood.
• James Underwood sold his 75 acres in 1809 to Lemuel Rucker.
• Lemuel Rucker sold the same 75 acres and 150 additional acres to Leonard Wade.

Family Relationships and Marriages

• The Underwoods intermarried with families such as Gum, Sharp, Alderman, Wade, and others.
• Elijah Underwood married Betsy Wade.
• Michael Moses Underwood married Martha Ann Gum.
• Origin W. Underwood married Eula Mary Alderman.
• There is a tradition that the descendants of Mary Underwood knew they were related to the descendants of Michael Underwood.

Geographical Locations

• The Underwoods lived in various locations including Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri.
• They settled in areas such as Anthony Creek, Beaver Creek, and Droop Mountain in West Virginia.
• Some Underwoods lived in Greenbrier and Pocahontas Counties in West Virginia.

Other Notes

• Some members of the Underwood family were involved in the Civil War.
• Michael Underwood's father was taken to the Mexican War and never heard from again.
• Some Underwoods were preachers.

Summary

The Underwood family has a rich and complex history with connections to various places and events in early American history. They were among the early settlers in regions like Connecticut and West Virginia, and were involved in activities such as land ownership, farming, and surveying. Their family history is interwoven with other prominent families through marriages, creating a large network of descendants. The sources provide a detailed look into the lives of many individuals within the Underwood family.