James Ward

"James Ward was born about 1624, probably in Haverhill, Suffolk, England; the son of Nathaniel Ward and his wife Elizabeth _____(surname unknown.) The year of his birth is based on the deposition that he was "about 20 years of age" on June 5, 1644.

James migrated to New England with his parents in 1634, settling in Ipswich, Massachusetts. His mother, Elizabeth (_____) Ward died about the time of their immigration. His siblings were John Ward, minister at Haverhill, Massachusetts Bay; and Susan Ward who married Giles Firmin and returned to England.

He graduated at Harvard College in 1645. A mistake was made in the spring of 1644 when James and John Weld (who was the son of Thomas Weld) entered the homes of Joshua Hews and Joseph Weld and took money and gunpowder. John Winthrop recorded:

Two of our ministers' sons, being students in the college, robbed two dwellings in the night. . . Being found out they were ordered by the governours of the college to be whipped, which was performed by the president himself - yet they were about 20 years of age . . ."Although expelled, Ward graduated with a BA in 1645.His father, Nathaniel Ward, received a certificate attesting to the degree, which was taken with them to England.

James returned with his father to England in 1646/47, as he readied himself for return, he "obtained a testimonial letter from Henry Dunster and Samuel Danforth."

He, with his BA from Harvard was integrated into Oxford on October 10, 1648, Susan Hardman Moore says, "the first Harvard student to take up that opportunity." He graduated with a MA in 1648 and became a fellow of Magdalen College a constituent of the University of Oxford. He graduated with a Bachelor of Phsic in 1649 and became a physician."

• Source - Wikitree - James Ward, date accessed June 24, 2020.