Thomas H. Ward

Thomas H. Ward was born on Oct. 6, 1822, to William Thomas and Sarah Love Warde shortly after the Warde family immigrated to the states from England. Warde/Ward names were both used by William Thomas Warde in records, but his children dropped the "e" & used the name Ward. The Warde family lived in the Greenville, South Carolina, until about 1837-38, when they moved to Fayette County, Alabama.

There Thomas met and married Penelope Catherine Taylor about 1840-41. Between 1848 and 1850, the couple moved to Pontotoc County, Mississippi. They lived in the Talibenella area where Thomas was a farmer . The couple had nine children of record - 1.) Charles Thomas; 2.) William Daniel; 3.) Mary Elizabeth; 4.) Phillip Floyd; 5.) Sarah Jane 6.) Benjamin F.; 7.) Minerva Catherine "Callie"; 8.) Jesse James; and 9.) John Lee.

There was a Thomas H. Ward from that area who served in the Confederate Army, but records were confusing as there was more than one Thomas Ward from that area. The United Daughters of Confederacy, R. A. Pinson Chapter, dedicated a headstone to Thomas H. Ward on Memorial Day, April 27, 1975. A tribute to him was given by Mrs. Charline Henderson, a fourth generation descendant who had been instrumental in obtaining this memorial for him.

Although his date of death on memorial is shown as 1870 - that date was used because they knew that he was deceased by that date, but unsure of the actual date. From his son Charles Thomas death records on May 16, 1863, we know that he had died by that time. There was also a note written by his grandson, Elder. W. T. Stegall, stating that "Grandpa Ward died on a hill where Uncle Wilson Stegall was living, just this side of where Mace Jaggers used to live." This would indicate that Thomas H. Ward died in Pontotoc County. His last son John Lee was born in 1860, so we know he died between 1860 and 1863.

After his death, Penelope moved to Oxford, Lafayette County, Mississippi, where she lived with her youngest sons. About 1870 most of the family moved on to Texas and then Indian Territory.

In 1905, the Thomas Ward Family had a Reunion in Pontotoc County, Mississippi. His son, Rev. Jesse J. Ward wrote that he revisited the places where he grew up and also his father's grave. He wrote that he had been four years old the last time he had stood at his father's grave, and reminisced over the hardships and joys they had all endured.

SOURCE: Find A Grave.com