Capt. John Ward, Ancient Planter

Charles E. Hatch, Jr. in his book, The First Seventeen Years Virginia 1607-1624 (pp 73-74) writes that CAPTAIN JOHN WARD arrived in the Colony of Virginia on April 22, 1619 aboard the ship Sampson with about 50 emigrants to establish a private plantation. Samuel Argall later placed the date as 1618. He selected 1,200 acres west of Martin's Brandon, adjoining a creek on the south side of the James River which still bears his name. He was in some sort of association with CAPTAIN JOHN BARGRAVE who was involved in Virginia trade and colonization. Several members of the Bargrave family were with Captain Ward. CAPTAIN BARGRAVE in 1622 claimed the distinction of having "undertaken to be the first planter of a private colony in Virginia." [The plantation was located between Captain Spilmans Divendent established before 1622 and Martin's Brandon, established in 1616. Captain Thomas Spilman came to Virginia in 1616 or 1617. Two people were slain in 1622 at his plantation and he relocated in Elizabeth City and by 1625 was established with his wife and child born in Virginia and 4 servants.]

Both CAPTAIN WARD and CAPTAIN BARGRAVE were among those granted patents in the year 1619. They were included in the eleven people "Who had undertaken to transport to Virginia great multitudes of people, with store of cattell."

Soon after arriving in the Colony, CAPTAIN WARD found himself on the New England coast fishing in order to aid Virginia's food supply. When he returned in July he made his contribution to the general store.

Captain Ward's plantation was among those that sent representatives to the first Assembly of Jamestown in July and August 1619. His Lieutenant, JOHN GIBBS, attended and CAPTAIN WARD served on the Assembly committee that examined the first and third books of the "Great Charter." Initially the Burgesses challened his representation on the grounds that he had seated in Virginia without authority or commission. They did recognize his support of the Colony and that he had adventured his person. He was allowed to take his seat with the cavea that he agree to a lawful commission. Perhaps he fulfilled his obligation when his old indenture was passed again under the seal on May 17, 1620 in the name of "CAPT JOHN WARDE and his associates."

In the fall of 1620 Captain Ward was again trading on the Potomas. "The people there, are said, to have dealt falsely with him, so he took 800 bushels of corne per force." Such acts probably had a bearing on the massacre of 1622, which may have ended the Ward Plantation story as it did the story of other settlements in early Virginia. Most likely the twelve people killed at Lieutenant Gibbs' "Dividend" referred to the Ward Plantation. Mention of the plantation ceased after that date although CAPTAIN WARD received a new grant or reaffirmation of his old one in June 1623.

The relationship between SETH WARD and JOHN WARD has not been established. SETH WARD was the ancestor of the Ward family of Henrico, Virginia and later of Chesterfield, Amelia, Nottoway, and other locals in Virginia, and North Carolina.

Family

Grace was the first wife of John Ward of Henrico County. This is documented posthumously in a land grant of John Ward's second wife.

A 1636 land grant made to James Place in Henrico County was made due to the rights of his wife Elizabeth, who was the widow of John Ward, who was due lands as an Ancient Planter for transport of his wife Grace and three others.

Records

James Place, 550 acs. Henryco Co., 1 June 1636, p. 405. Upon a small cr. by a cleare feild called Pimasioes (?) feild otherwise porridges feild, bounded upon the maine river S. W., Sly. & N. W. towards the falls of the great river & S. E. Ely. towards land of Robert Hollum, N. E. into the woods. Due in right of his now wife Elizabeth, to whom it was due, viz: 250 acs. in right of her first husband Georg Boates, to whom it was due for trans, of sd. Elizabeth & 4 servants; 300 acs. in right of her late husband John Ward, to whom it was due, viz: 100 acs. for his per. adv. as being an Ancient Planter in the time of Sir Thomas Dale, & 200 acs. for trans, of his first wife Grace Ward & 3 pers: Cornelius Dehull, Vincent Dehall, Rich. Tombs, Jon. Morgan, Tho. Robinson, Richard Greete." [1]

---

Origins

John Warde, son of Seth, was named so in Seth's will proved June 20 1598. John was still living at the time, and Seth's will names the following children of his son John. [1]

John Ward - grandson of Seth, son of John, given £10 when reaches age 21
Seth Ward - grandson of Seth, son of John, given £10 when reaches age 21
Anne Ward - grandaughter of Seth, dtr of John

John Ward's son John is most likely the John Ward that sailed with Sir Thomas Dale to Virginia in 1611 [sic: 1619]

"Seth Ward, of Abbington, Cambridgeshire, yeoman; will dated I4 Febru- ary I 598; proved 20 June I 598, by John Warde. Testator wished his body buried in the parish church of Abbington. - Wife Anne; - Sons John Ward, Enos Ward, and Thomas Ward; - Daughters Marie Ward and Anne Jacob; - Grandchildren John Ward and Seth Ward, sons of testator's son John Ward; Grandchildren Anne Ward (daughter of John Ward), Martha Ward, Alice Ward and Marie Ward;

References

1. Virginia Gleanings in England. The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. Vol. 56, No. 1 (Jan., 1948), pp. 70-79 https://www.jstor.org/stable/4245521
2. Cavaliers& Pioneers Abstracts of Virginia Land Grants 1623-1800 Nell Marion Nugent page 52. < Archive.Org >
3. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Goode-95
4. http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/f/r/e/Tammy-Freeman-MI/W...
5. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ward-2191 cites
   1. Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers, 1607-1635: A Biographical Dictionary page 240
   2. Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1800. [1st ed.]. Abstracted and indexed by Nell Marion Nugent. Introd. by Robert Armistead Stewart. Patroness, Agnes Bernadine Sitterding. Published 1934 by Press of the Dietz Print Co. in Richmond.< Archive.Org >
   3. Ancient Planters, Order of Descendants of Ancient Planters (accessed 25 July 2020).
   4. When referred to on page 19 of the book this date is 1633. Other patents on 19 are also dated 1633
   5. Search results of the 1624/5 Jamestowne Muster, for Ward (25 July 2020).
   6. Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1800, Nell Marion Nugent, page 52
   7. Blogspot "Ancestors of Virginia and Beyond": 25 July 2011 post, "Seth Ward (1595-1682) of England and Henrico County, Virginia" (accessed 25 July 2020).
   8. http://www.blissfhs.co.uk/pioneers.htm#new see also
   9. https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LY8Q-69N/john-ward-1597-1633
   10. http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=barbhymas...
   11. https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/f/r/e/Tammy-Freeman-MI/WEBSITE-0001/U...
   12. https://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=bhreed&id=I56698
   13. http://www.thehennesseefamily.com/getperson.php?personID=I32893&tre...
   14. The First Seventeen Years: Virginia 1607-1624, by Hatch, Charles E. < Archive.Org >
   15. Henrico County, Virginia: Beginnings of Its Families: Part I Transcribed by Kathy Merrill for the USGenWeb Archives Special Collections Project http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/henrico/bios/earlyfam.txt
   16. Cavaliers and Pioneers Abslracls of Virginia Land Patents and Grants 1623 -1800 By NELL MARION NUGENT https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/ebbb/9a58c6af6e7bd899cd9140353e92c...
   17. List of James River plantations https://www.worddisk.com/wiki/List_of_James_River_plantations/
   18. LISTS OF THE LIVINGE & DEAD IN VIRGINIA - February 16th, 1623 and THE LIST OF THOSE MASSACRED - March 22, 1622 http://www.jamestowne.org/1623-lists-of-living--dead.html

       ---

resolve

Birth Date //1598 //1595