When Alpheus Rodney Woodruff was born in 1802, in Southington, Hartford, Connecticut, United States, his father, Philemon Woodruff, was 26 and his mother, Mary Ann Mathews, was 32. He died on 12 April 1832, in his hometown, at the age of 30, and was buried in Southington, Hartford, Connecticut, United States.
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France sells Louisiana territories to U.S.A.
Post office est. 04/01/1805
War of 1812. U.S. declares war on Britain over British interference with American maritime shipping and westward expansion.
English: from Middle English woderove ‘woodruff, sweet woodruff’ (Old English wudurofe), a sweet-scented plant. The leaves of the plant have a sweet smell and the surname may also have been a nickname for one who used it as a perfume, or perhaps an ironical nickname for a malodorous person. Alternatively, perhaps a topographic name for someone who lived at or near a place where woodruff grew. There may have been some confusion with Woodrow .
History: Two English families brought the name Woodruff to the American colonies: those of Matthew Woodruff and of John and Ann Woodruffe. The latter migrated to Lynn, MA, from Kent, and moved to Southampton, Long Island, NY, before 1640. John and Ann's many descendants were established in NJ, NC, and SC by 1790. The city of Woodruff, SC, is named for this family. The name is variously spelled Woodrove, Woodroffe, Woodruffe, Woodrough, and Woodruff in colonial records.
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
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