Michael Marion Woods, of "Blair Park" - Michael Woods' Wife

Private User these are great grandparents of mine and now I am grandmotherless. I am revisiting this connection myself, do you have any insight into which is the real wife? I have read the stories about her being of the house of Argyll, and that she was the daughter of Archibald and Elizabeth. One of his sons is named Archibald. Then I saw one that she is the daughter of James of Auchinbreck. As of last night when I looked, there were only two wives listed, with neither being connected to myself somehow. I will be researching this again and would be happy to hear of any information you might find also.

Through later marriages I appear to be a direct descendant of 2 of Michael Woods' children, Margaret and William and his sister Elizabeth. I don't have documentation for which Lady Campbell Michael Woods married. I have the June 2 1690 baptism record at Canongate, Edinburgh for a Margaret Campbell born to Archibald Campbell earl of Argyll and his lady Elisabeth countess of Argyll:
https://media.geni.com/p13/85/b1/40/db/5344484adfe71b0f/second_daug...
This appears to answer the questions of whether Archibald Campbell had a 2nd daughter and who was born June 1, 1690, a popular date for the various proposed Campbell wives of Michael Woods.
I also have a record of Michael's time in Pennsylvania with wife Mary Campbell:
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/60592/44308_347549-01154?pid=7...

Nothing else I trust.

That is a great find. I had heard this record existed but have never seen it until now. I was trying to sort out the naming of Michael’s children and their birth order. The Scottish naming pattern was first son named after father’s father, second son after mother’s father, third son after the father, etc. It looks like Archibald was a first born son, but I am still looking at this. In any case, Michael’s father looks to be John Andrew Woods as far as I have researched. The fact that the Woods came from Ireland might mean that they didn’t think the naming pattern was that important, but if his wife was Scottish, she would probably have wanted her son named after her father. Just a thought.

You seem to have found the key to the identity of the 4th child in the reference:The Scots Peerage, Sir James Balfour Paul, Ed., 1904 Vol 1, pp 368-370. Could you provide an expanded description or the birth record? I would like to get a certified copy from Scottish Record Office if possible.

Your efforts are much appreciated!

This should get you to where you can get a copy from Scotlandspeple.. Go to PDF below page 3. Haven't done official copy, but "buy credits" looks like it tells you how to. Make sure you are getting the right documents before you start spending credits. This documents was lost originally due to misfiling.

https://www.geni.com/documents/view/6000000050389337835?doc_id=6000...

Your directions were great! I now have a copy.

Have you had a chance to look at the Balfour reference in my earlier note? It references Margret going to Ireland with her sister, Anne. I am digging into the implications of this "trip" with respect to the likelihood of M marrying Michael Woods.

Thanks again.

Yes I am familiar with the Balfour reference to Archibald Campbell saying in a letter that he is sending his daughters to Roseneath. Here is a copy of a translation of the letter:
https://archive.org/details/statepaperslette00macc/page/286
The letter documents that Archibald had more than one daughter and that he is obviously separated from his wife.

The separation of Archibald from his wife late in his life may be the key to finding more information about the marriage of his daughter Margaret. He died in 1703 before the 1704-5 date mentioned in several secondary sources for the marriage of Michael Woods to a Lady/Mary/Margaret/Catherine Campbell. The "witnesses" to her baptism filled the role of Godfather in the Presbyterian church. They would be expected to step in for the good of Margaret after the death of her father. They were very important people for the time and could have arranged Margaret's marriage. I haven't yet found anything in their documents but will continue to try. There is a project on going to catalog and translate the papers of the Earls of Argyle (Friends of the Argyll Papers) I plan to get in touch with them and see if they eventually find something of interest.

Also there are claims that the Genealogist for the Campbell Society has reason to believe Michael Woods' wife was Margaret,daughter of Archibald Campbell. I will try to contact her but she can only be contacted by snail mail.

More good information, thanks Marshall and Private User. Interesting look into the situation between Archibald and his wife! I had read of their separation but no details. Thanks for posting this.

James,
I really appreciate the URL for the Carstares papers. I did not find it when I searched archive.org yesterday.

Also, the Friends of the Argyll Papers web site seems interesting. Do you plan to contact them soon? If so, I will await their response to you. But if you would like, I will try to see if they know anything further about Margaret.

Marshall,
I am tied up for the next couple of weeks and I like the idea of someone else taking a fresh look at this. I think it is an excellent idea for you to contact Friends of the Argyll Papers first.
Let me know what you find.
Good hunting,
Jim Browne

Jame & Cynthia,

I have just sent an inquiry to FoAP requesting info on Margret Campbell (b: 1690, Canongate). I will keep you informed.

Thank you, Marshall Appreciate your help!

I have received the following response from FoAP:

Dear Mr Moss,
Thank you for your email to the Argyll Papers concerning your possible descent from Margaret, daughter of the 1st Duke of Argyll.

The 10th Earl/1st Duke had, for certain, a daughter named Anne who married firstly, James Stewart, 1st Earl of Bute, and secondly, Alexander Fraser of Strichen. A daughter, Margaret, was baptised in the Canongate, Edinburgh on 2 June 1790. She is presumed to have died young and thus is not included in The Scots Peerage. It is therefore highly unlikely that you are descended from this Margaret.

The sources for the connection between the Campbell and Woods families appear to be unclear, although they have been much investigated. It has been suggested that Mary Campbell may have been the daughter of James Campbell, 6th Baronet of Auchinbreck. Her grandmother married twice, first to the 4th baronet of Auchinbreck (from which alliance Mary was descended) and secondly to the 9th Earl of Argyll – which might explain the stories of Mary Campbell being ‘of Argyll’.

Alternative explanations of the sources focus on a Gilbert Campbell – who may also have been of the Auchinbreck line by the 5th baronet’s second marriage to Susannah Campbell, sister of James Campbell, Thane of Cawdor.

There is also an explanation which suggests that the Campbell family living near the Woods family of Michael and Samuel Woods was headed by Charles Campbell I, originally from Co. Down. His family is thought to be connected to the House of Skeldon in Ayrshire: Skeldon is the style first given to a younger son of John Campbell of Cessnock and his wife, who was daughter to Matthew Campbell of Loudon.

There seems to have been quite a lot of investigation into the surviving sources – without any definitive answers! I cannot claim to be an expert and have not studied the sources personally, but I attach two pieces of research which relate to the Campbell-Woods connection, which I hope are helpful to you in your research.

Best wishes

Alison

If you would like copies of her attachments, please let me know.

Marshall I would love to see her attachments. Regarding Margaret, I assume she meant the baptism was 1690. I wonder why there is no death and burial information for her. At least she gives some other alternatives to research here. Some of the references to James of Auchinbreck are familiar, but I will look at the Gilbert Campbell and House of Skeldon connections now. Thank you Marshall (and James), your work is appreciated, even if it means losing this connection.

Due to a change in the above profile for Michael Marion Woods, of "Blair Park" that eliminates Archibald Campbell, 1st Duke of Argyle, as a parent to Michael's wife this discussion should move to Archibald's Profile.

Marshall,
Alison's reply is a good statement of where we are in the hunt for Michael Woods wife. Allison's statement sums it up: "The sources for the connection between the Campbell and Woods families appear to be unclear, although they have been much investigated." There is a long way to go, I also want a copy of her attachments.

In the meantime I have found more original Old Parish Records that show Archibald had a third daughter:
CAMPBELL, KATHARIN
ARCHIBALD DUKE OF ARGYLL CAMPBELL ELIZABETH TOLLEMACHE OR TA
F
11/02/1687
685/3
60 229
Canongate

This is the original Canongate Old Parish Record for the Baptism of Kathrin, Daughter of Archibald Campbell 1st Duke of Argyll:
https://media.geni.com/p13/8a/db/99/68/5344484d7006bdff/kathrin_cam...
All it adds is that Duke Archibald had 3 daughters. Only one, Anne, is known for sure to have lived to maturity.
I will research this more and post the results, if any, here and attached to the profile for Duke Archibald Campbell, of Argyll,