William Ward, of Sudbury & Marlborough

Not the son of Edward Ward

Biography

Extracted from https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ward-112

William Ward of Sudbury and Marlborough, Massachusetts was the immigrant ancestor of this family. He was born about 1603 as on 4 October 1664 he testified he was “aged 61 or thereabouts.”[1] His ancestry is unknown – the many online sites and genealogies which assign him parents are speculative and unproven. Please see the errors section for further discussion.
He likely immigrated to New England in the fall of 1638. He is occasionally said to have immigrated aboard the ship Diligent which arrived in Boston on 10 August 1638. However, he does not appear on the constructed passenger list of the Diligent.[2] Furthermore, all the passengers of the Diligent were from Hingham, Norfolk and destined to settle in Hingham, Massachusetts.[3] It is very unlikely that William Ward and his family arrived aboard this ship.

In September 1638 the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony approved the settlement of the new plantation which would become Sudbury, Massachusetts. In early 1639, the first divisions of land were made which included William Ward who received a total of 23 acres.[4] This is the earliest record of William Ward in New England. He was granted 8 more acres in 1640.[5] He was among only nine men named when the "Cow Commons" were laid out in 1643.[6] In 1651, the boundaries of Sudbury were greatly increased and he received an additional 130 acres.[7]

William Ward was active in town affairs. He was made a freeman in 1643.[citation needed] He represented the town as deputy to the General Court in 1643.[8] He was a commissioner to end small causes in 1645 and 1646.[9] He was also a Selectman for Sudbury for several years.

William Ward was prominent in the founding of the town of Marlborough, Massachusetts. He was one of four men directed to begin organizing the new plantation on 25 September 1656.[10] In 1660, the new town was formerly incorporated and William Ward moved there with his family. He and his sons received multiple grants of land in 1663 and 1665.[11] He was appointed surveyor of fences and to layout roads.[12] He surrendered his own land to the town for the building of the church in 1663.[13] He was a selectman for Marlborough in 1663, 1664 and 1665.[14] William Ward was made a Deacon of the church in 1666.

During King Philip's War, William Ward's house was one of those outfitted as a garrison house. On 26 March 1675, Indians attacked Marlborough and most of the town sheltered in his home. While his home was secure, many of the homes and buildings were burned in the raid. His son Eleazer Ward was killed during the war and his son-in-law John Howe was killed during the raid on Sudbury on 21 April 1676.

It is clear from his will that William Ward had a first wife whose name is not given. The Vital Records of Newton, Massachusetts state that his first six children were all born in England by this first wife, though if the dates are correct it seems more likely the last, Hannah, was born in Massachusetts.[15][16] All thirteen of his children were recorded in the Newton Vital Records, though the ones born in Massachusetts were actually born in Sudbury and also recorded there. The name of his first wife is completely unknown; the name of his second wife was Elizabeth however her LNAB is still unknown.
He died on 10 August 1687 in Marlborough, Massachusetts.[17] He left a will dated 6 April 1686 and proved on 29 September 1687.[18] In it he refers to an unnamed first wife and children by this wife. He also names his current wife Elizabeth and names her as his sole executrix. Of his children, he names all 8 sons including Richard and Eleazer who were deceased at the time the will was written. He refers to his daughters though he does not name them. The will also fails to make clear which children were by his first wife and which were by his second.

Family

Born: About 1603. He testified he was “aged 61 or thereabouts” on 4 October 1664. [19]

His parents and origins are unknown. There are many incorrect and disproven theories. [20] Please do not add any parents. Please see errors section below. Specific dates and birth locations can be found on the internet. They are all incorrect. Please see errors section below.

Marriages and Children

• Married: 1st- An unknown first wife by whom he had at least his first 5 children, all born in England.[18]
• Married: 2nd - Elizabeth Unknown

Please see the errors section regarding the names of his wives. All online sources which purport to give an exact LNAB for either wife are incorrect. Specifically, there is no evidence that either wife is Elizabeth Phillips, Elizabeth Hall, Elizabeth Story or Elizabeth Whale.

Children: All 13 children of William Ward are recorded in the Vital Records of Newton, Massachusetts.[15][21] This includes children who were clearly born in England and recorded after the fact. All of these entries are marked as coming from the ‘Town copy with additions;’ however, exactly when they were recorded and by whom is not clear and the dates are not matched to any known English records. The Vital Records of Newton state that his first six children were all born in England, though if the dates are correct it seems more likely the last, Hannah, was born in Massachusetts. His will, by referring "daughters by his first wife, implies that at least the first 5 children were by his unknown first wife. There is no way to know the correct mother for the sixth child, Hannah. The children of William Ward and his second wife Elizabeth were actually born in Sudbury, Massachusetts and are also recorded there.[22] A couple of errors brings some doubt as to the accuracy of the dates of the children born to William Ward by his first wife. Hannah is listed born in England in 1639, at a time when William Ward was already in New England. William Ward, son of William Ward is recorded in Sudbury records as born on 22 January 1640, but the Newbury records give his birthdate as 22 February 1648.

Children of William Ward and his first wife:[15] All in England.

1. John Ward, born in 1626. He married Hannah Jackson; lived in Newton. He was named in father's 1686 will.
2. Joanna Ward, born in 1628. She married Abraham Williams, and lived in Marlboro. Abraham named as son-in-law named in William Ward's will.
3. Obadiah Ward, born abt 1632. He married Mary, resided in Marlboro. He was deceased by father's 1686 will, but had son William who received a legacy.
4. Richard Ward, born in 1635. He married Mary Moore, and lived in Sudbury. Richard died before 1686 by which time Mary had remarried Daniel Stone of Sudbury; William's will names sons Obadiah and Lydia as children of Richard and Mary
5. Deborah Ward, born in 1637. She married John Johnson, and lived in moved to Marlboro.

Child of William Ward and mother uncertain:

• 6. Hannah Ward, born in 1639. She married Abraham Howe, and lived in Marlboro.

Children of William and Elizabeth Ward:[15][22] All at Sudbury.

• 7. William Ward, born January 22, 1640. He married Hannah Brighan on 4 Aug 1679 in Marlborough, and resided in Marlboro. He was mentioned in his father's 1686 will.
• 8. Samuel Ward, born 24 September 1641; m. Sarah Howe; res. in Marlboro; named in father's 1686 will
• 9. Elizabeth Ward, born 14 April 1643.
• 10. Increase Ward, born 22 February 1644; m and res in Marlboro; mentioned in father's 1686 will
• 11. Hopestill Ward, born 24 February 1646. She maried James Woods; lived in Marlboro.
• 12. Eleazar Ward born in 1649 He marrried Hannah Rice. He resided in Sudbury and was slain by Indians upon the highway between Marlboro and Sudbury about April 20, 1676. William Ward's 1686 will gives legacy to Hannah as well as her daughter Hannah by his son Eleazar. Hannah (Rice) Ward married second Richard Taylor of Sudbury.
• 13. Bethia Ward born in 1658. She married Daniel Rice, of Marlboro.

NOTE: Some sources indicate an additional daughter, Mary, who m. Daniel Stone, but as is clear in William's will, below, the Mary who married Daniel Stone was a daughter-in-law of William Ward, and who was a widow of William's deceased son Richard.

Death

Died: 10 August 1687 in Marlborough, Massachusetts.[23]
Burial: Presumably buried in Spring Hill Burying Grounds of Marlborough where his wife's gravestone can still be seen.[24] In 1924, descendants erected a memorial to him and his wife here, incorporating her original stone. [20][25]

Her stone reads: "Here lyes the body of Elizabeth Ward, the servant of the Lord, deceased in the 87th year of her age, December the 9th, in the year of our Lord, 1700."

Last Will & Testament:

Lengthy will and inventory moved to freespace: Will of William Ward (d. 1687)

Will of William Ward, Senior
Dated 6 April 1686 and proved 29 September 1687.[18]

Summary:

• William Ward Senr of Marlborough in the county of Middlesex in New England
• all my owne children, ... which I have ... by my former wife
• to my sonne John Ward
• to my sonne William Ward
• to my sonne Increase Ward
• my sonn in law Abraham Williams.
• to William Ward sonne of my sonne Obediah Ward,
• to Mary__ wife of Daniell Stone of Sudbury
• and unto Obediah and Lydia the children of said Mar... by my sonne Richard Ward Deceased
• To Hannah now wife of Richard Taylor of Sudbury
• and unto Hannah Daughter of the said Hannah by my sonne Eleazer Ward Deceased
• to my sonne, Samuell Ward,
• unto all myne own children (vizt) all my sonns and daughters which I have by my former wife and all that I have survive me by my present wife
• this Twenty Sixth Day of Aprill in the year of our Lord Christ One Thousand Six Hundred Eighty
• Signed William Ward Senr, by his mark
• Witnesses Abraham Williams, Joseph Rice, John Matthews

Common Errors to Avoid

Discussion of errors in this profile and commonly found on the internet.
Disputed origins: Despite much investigation, there is absolutely no evidence to link this William Ward of Sudbury to any Ward family in England. No wills or baptisms which match the known history of William Ward have ever been found. Specifically:

He has been said to be the same as William Ward who married Elizabeth Phillips on 4 May 1626 at the parish of St. James, Clarkenwell.[26] There is no evidence that this William is the same as William of Sudbury other than them having the same name. There are reasons why this is very unlikely to be the correct identification. First, if their first son John Ward was born in 1626 as stated in the Newton Vital Records, then it is unlikely that he is the son of a couple married in May of 1626 - the dates don't work. Second, the baptismal parish records for parish records for Clarkenwell have been published and they do not show the baptisms for any of the children of William Ward.[27]
He has been said to be a son of "Mr. Johannes Edward Warde" by his wife Marie Hatton. This is an assertion copied from the old LDS ancestral files. No such person by this name ever existed. There is certainly no evidence to back this up, and this link has been disconnected.

Ward was an extremely common name found throughout England. His ancestry, if ever found, will undoubtedly be discovered by finding the baptisms of his 6 children known to have been born in England. This has not yet happened.

First wife: The name of his first wife is unknown. The will of William Ward refers to children "which I have by my former wife" and "all my sonns and daughters which I have by my former wife." This daughters in the plural implies that the first five and maybe six children were by his first wife. As discussed above, it is unlikely that she is the Elizabeth Phillips who married a William Ward at Clarkenwell. Torrey, in his New England Marriages Prior to 1700, lists for William Ward's first wife "Eleanor? __?__"[28] All 11 sources given for this marriage were examined and only one gave the name "Elinor", and it is untrustworthy and flawed secondary source.[29]

Name of second wife: From baptismal records and the will of William Ward it is known that his wife's name was Elizabeth. However, her LNAB remains unknown. There is no evidence which conclusively proves her name or origins. Specifically:

Elizabeth Phillips - As mentioned above, a William Ward m. Elizabeth Phillips in 1626. Since we know William Ward had several children by an unknown first wife, this marriage cannot possibly be the marriage to his second wife Elizabeth.

Elizabeth Storey - The Newton Genealogy published in 1915 stated that William Ward's second wife was named Elizabeth Storey.[30] This apparently the earliest known reference for this name and has been copied and spread across many secondary references. No evidence has ever been found to support this LNAB. Torrey, in his New England Marriages Prior to 1700, lists for William Ward's second wife "Elizabeth "[Storey?]"."[28] Seventeen of the 18 sources were examined and only 2 gave the name Elizabeth Storey. One was the Newton Genealogy and the other gave just (Story?) and was likely following the Newton Genealogy.[30][31]

Elizabeth Hall - A number of online trees show her as Elizabeth Hall. All of them are unsourced and this name does not occur in any printed reference. There is no evidence whatsoever to support this LNAB.

Elizabeth Whale - At least one profile on WikiTree (and several others on the internet) called his second wife Elizabeth Whale, daughter of Jonas Whale and Frances Radley. However, Jonas Whale (d. 1621) did not have a daughter Elizabeth. [32]

Incorrect birth date: As his origins are completely unknown, there is no foundation for any specific birth date. Previous profiles merged with this one suggested he was baptized on May 15, 1603 in Warrington, Lancashire or May 15, 1603 in Bolton Percy, Yorkshire. There is no evidence to show that William Ward of Sudbury was either born on this date or at these locations.
Immigration: He is occasionally said to have immigrated aboard the ship Diligent which arrived in Boston on 10 August 1638. However, he does not appear on the constructed passenger list of the Diligent.[33] Furthermore, all the passengers of the Diligent were from Hingham, Norfolk and destined to settle in Hingham, Massachusetts.[34] It is very unlikely that William Ward and his family arrived aboard this ship.

House Lots of Founders of Sudbury, Massachusetts placed upon modern map of Wayland, MA

Image Source: The William Ward genealogy : the history of the descendants of William Ward of Sudbury, Mass., 1639-1925; https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/15323/; pg. 26

References

• Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Directory: Immigrants to New England, 1620–1640 (Boston, Massachusetts. New England Historic and Genealogical Society. 2015) p 359
• Sudbury, Massachusetts, Town Records Vol 7 Case # 23758 link
• Charles Martyn, The William Ward Genealogy (New York 1925).
• Burial record: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6190756/william-ward
• Also see: http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~historyofmarlboroug...
• http://www.genealogy.theroyfamily.com/p728.htm SEE ALSO:
• http://www3.telus.net/robertkline/wwbook.html
• Genealogies of the Families and Descendants of the Early Settlers of Watertown Including Waltham and Weston;
• The William Ward Genealogy by Charles Martyn, 1925;
• Genealogy of Some Descendants of Captain Matthew Fuller, John Fuller of Newton;
• Newton, Massachusetts, 1679 -- 1779, a Biographical Directory;
• A history of the Early Settlement of Newton; History of Cambridge, MA. Ward Family. By Andrew Henshaw Ward, Boston, 1851.)
• http://www3.telus.net/robertkline/wwbook.html
• http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cousin/html/p450.htm
• http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/AF/family_group_record.asp?f...
• Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s about William Ward Name: William Ward Year: 1638 Place: Massachusetts Source Publication Code: 1862 Primary Immigrant: Ward, William Source Bibliography: ENGLISH & WELSH EMIGRANT INDEX. In The English Genealogist, vol. 4:2 (1981), pp. 368-372. Page: 371
• U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 about William Ward Name: William Ward Gender: Male Birth Year: 1603 Spouse Name: Elizabeth ??? Spouse Birth Year: 1613 Number Pages: 1
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ward-112 cites
  • Banks, Charles. The Planters of the Commonwealth in Massachusetts, 1620-1640. (Boston, 1930): pages 191-194.
  • Hovenden, Robert ed. A True Register of all the Christeninges, Mariages, and Burialles in the Parishe of St. James, Clarkenwell, From the Yeare of our Lorde God 1551, volume I Christenings 1551-1700. (London: Harleian Society, volume XIII, 1887): page 56. Marriage of William Ward and Elizabeth Phillips.
  • Hudson, Alfred Sereno. The History of Sudbury, Massachusetts. 1638-1889, (1889). page 111.
  • Leonard, Ermina Newton. Newton Genealogy, Genealogical, Biographical, Historical... (1915): pages 199-200.
  • Marlborough. Vital Records of Marlborough, Massachusetts Vital Records. (Worcester, 1908): page 397.
  • Martyn, Charles. The William Ward Genealogy: The History of the Descendants of William Ward of Sudbury, Mass., 1639-1925, (New York: Artemas Ward, 1925).
  • Google Books link Internet Archive Ancestry.com link HathiTrust link
  • Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988: Newton: Births, Marriages and Death. (Ancestry.com Online Database of original handwritten images): image 110 of 4059.
  • McIntire, Robert Harry, Ancestry of Robert Harry McIntire and of Helen Annette McIntire, His Wife. (Norfolk, Va., 1950): pages 129, 135.
  • New England Historical & Genealogical Register, volume 15 number 1 (January 1861): pages 25-29. Daniel Cushing’s Record of Hingham, by the editors.
  • New England Historical and Genealogical Register, volume 63 number 1. (January 1909): pages 59-67. "Colonial Records of Marlborough (continued)," by Mary E. Spalding.
  • Newton. Vital Records of Newton, Massachusetts to the Year 1850. (Boston: NEHGS, 1905): pages 197-204.
  • Norton, Arabella L. G., Descendants of John Gamage of Ipswich, Mass. (Worcester, Mass.: Charles R. Stobbs, 1906): page 45.
  • Rice, Franklin P. Marlborough, Massachusetts, burial ground inscriptions: Old Common, Spring Hill, and Brigham cemeteries. (Worcester, 1908): page 155.
  • Sudbury. Vital Records of Sudbury, Massachusetts to the Year 1850. (Boston: NEHGS, 1903): pages 147-148.
  • "Suffolk County, MA: Probate File Papers." (AmericanAncestors.org $ online database):[https://www.americanancestors.org/DB2735/i/48697/1601-co1/1416767656 Will of William Ward.
  • Harold Broad letter, June 11, 1939: "His house was near an old Indian trail leading past Baldwin's pond (the trail is still preserved.) ... On the Marlboro road is a memorial to William Ward and his wife, stating that they were the great grandparents of General Artemas Ward, the first commander-in-chief of the American Revolution.” See also:
  • Find A Grave Memorial #6190756, William “REV.” Ward. Image of non-original gravestone.
  • Pope, Charles H. The Pioneers of Massachusetts. (Boston, 1900): page 478.
  • Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, in 4 volumes. (Boston, Little, Brown and Company, 1860): volume 4, page 559.
  • Ward, Andrew Henshaw. Ward Family : Descendants of William Ward, who settled in Sudbury, Mass., in 1639... (Boston: S.G. Drake, 1851). Google Books link.