Woodside-Hill Biography

The following biography was found in History of Perry County, Illinois, Volume II, 1998, Perry County Historical Society, Turner Publishing Company, Paducah, Kentucky, page 301.

WOODSIDE-HILL
Robert Woodside, son of Samuel Woodside, with his wife, Ann Hill, and eight children, came from Kentucky to Perry County, Illinois in 1829.

Robert, who was born in South Carolina, 07 February 1772, settled at Four Mile Prairie, south of Pinckneyville. He lived in Perry County until his death, 05 October 1842. Robert was a farmer and maker of hats. In Kentucky he had been surveyor of land and Justice of Peace, authorized to perform marriages. The first school in Perry County was near his home at Four Mile Prairie.

Robert's oldest daughter, Mary Jane, who married William Armstrong in Kentucky, came with her husband and oldest children, Nancy Jane, born 1825 and Robert W., born 1827. Their other children, Martha Ann 1829, Alexander P. 1831, William Stewart 1833, Thomas Allen 1836, James Logan 1838, Mary Hadassa 1841, and Elizabeth Emma 1843, were all born in Perry County.

Robert's other children were: Jinny, married in Perry County 28 February 1832 Thomas Washington Armstrong, son of Alexander and Nancy Armstrong. Thomas belonged to the 2nd Regiment of Illinois Volunteers, Company K and served as Captain in the Mexican War. Their children were John Calvin, 1832, Thomas Washington, 12 February 1837, Samuel Preston, May 1839, Agnes Ann, October 1841, and Martin L., February 1844.

Elizabeth married Abner Newton Milligan 10 April 1834 in Perry County. Their children were Mary J. 1836, John C. 1838, William Chalmer 20 March 1839, and Agnes 11 March 1846. Elizabeth married, second, John N. Graham, 20 April 1852.

Agnes, called Nancy, married John Steele, son of James Steele and Jennet Smith, 26 January 1830, in Pinckneyville. Their children were Margaret A., 17 September 1831, died young; John P., 03 January 1833, died young; Robert, 16 July 1834; Mary Jane, 28 February 1837; Cyrus Jackson, 16 January 1841; George Burder, 27 January 1843; John Scott, 12 December 1844; Erben Cassadore, 05 May 1847; and James Henderson, 10 February 1849.

John Morrow Woodside married Lucinda Evaline Pettit 10 December 1835 in Perry County. Their children were Louisa Ann, 1836; Robert N., 1838; Rachel, 1840; Joseph Thompson, 1842; Martha, 1843; David James, 1844; Thomas Pressley, 1846; Ephraim Milton, 1848; Lucinda E., 1848; John C, 1850; James M.; William S.; John A.; and Jonathan D.

Margaret Ann married James Steele Wilson, son of Alex Wilson, 09 November 1837, in Perry County. They had a daughter, Margaret Ann.

Ephraim Milton Woodside married Louisa L. Baird, 19 March 1846. She died in 1848. He married, second, Mary Jane Maxwell, 16 April 1850 in Randolph County. Their children were Catherine Ann, 01 May 1851; Robert Morgan, 26 February 1853; Harriet Velona, 08 June 1854; Mary Susan, 14 February 1856; John Clark, 04 April 1858; Abraham Lincoln, 26 October 1860; and Albert Lyman, 04 July 1865.

Many descendants of Robert Woodside and his brothers, James, Samuel, and John, and sisters, Martha, Sarah and Elizabeth, still live in Illinois. Brother David returned to Kentucky, sister Nancy did not marry, and Mary's family is unknown.