Dr. William WARD

Notes:

Name:
William Ward was appointed by Gen. Court of Conn. as Surgeon, to accompany Fairfield Co. troops in expedition against the Narragansetts. He lost his life in the attack on the Indian fort, in the "Great Swamp fight." He purchased the Perry house and home lot of Dr. Thomas Pell's heirs on Newton Sq.
He was made freeman on may 31, 1657. According to page 10 of the Fairfield Prob. Rec. of that period, on Mar. 4, 1675/6, an inventory was made of the estate of Ensign William Ward. An ensign was a commissioned officer, holding his power from the Government and Legislature.

William married Deborah LOCKWOOD about 1657. Deborah (daughter of Robert LOCKWOOD and Susannah NORMAN) was born on 12 Oct 1636/7 in Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Esther/Hester WARD was born about 1664; died in 1732 in Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Birth: prob. 1597

Notes:

"History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield": the statements in the preface to the "Andrew Ward Genealogy" with regard to Andrew's being of the family of Richard Ward of Gorleston or Homersfield have been investigated. No such person as Richrd Ward was found; no Gunville family existed in that vicinity as lords of the manor; and eery reference given has proved to be fictitious. It is likely that these statements were the invention of a fraudulent genealogist, innocently accepted by members of the Ward family, through whom they found their way into the book.
It is certain that he m. in England, Hester Sherman, who was bapt. 1 Apr. 1606 at Dedham, co. Essex, and we should look for his antecedents in that quarter. The will of Robert Lockwood of Eye, near Yaxley, co. Essex (who m. Margery Sherman), in 1558 named his daus. Mary wife of John Ward and Ann wife of Anthony Barker. David Rawson of St. Gregory's, London, Father of Edward (Sec. of Mass. Col.) and son of Edward and Bridget (Ward) Rawson, in his will 1616 named his uncle John Ward, and Andrew Ward (a minor), son of his uncle Ralph. Now Dr. John Ward of Ipswich, Mass., besides mentioning various Sherman cousins in his will 1652, gave L20 each to the two youngest sons of his "Cousin Ward of Wethersfield." Dr. John Ward was son of John Ward (will 1631) of Stratford St. Mary, co. Suffolk, just across the River Stour from Dedham, co. Essex. The mother of Dr. John Ward was Anne, whose will 1635 made Dr. John Clarke of Colchester Executor. This was the Dr. John Clarke who settled later in Newbury, Mass., the same town to which the younger Edward Rawson had come in 1637.
Andrew may have been the son of Ralph, nephew of John of Stratford, and cousin of Dr. John Ward and of Sec. Rawson; but positive proof has not been found. ( Stephen and Joyce (Traford) Ward had a son Richard of Faxton, co. Northampton, whose will in 1640 named various relatives, including a brother Andrew; but as this Andrew was in England in 1640, he was not the emigrant. However, Richard gave a legacy to Gov. Thomas Dudley in new England, and a clue may be found here.)
He first settled in Watertown, Mass.; was a founder of conn. Colony and an original settler at Wethersfield; he was also a founder of Stamford in 1641, having with Robert Coe on behalf of the Wethersfield men arranged with New Haven Colony for the settlement there; and rem. 1647 to Fairfield, where he died in 1658. He m. Hester Sherman, dau. of Edmund, bapt. 1 Apr. 1606, d. in 1666.
Will 8 June 1659; wife Ester; son John, L50, when 21; dau. Sarah, L40; dau. Abigail, L40, when 18; housing and lands to sons Andrew and Samuel, to be divided when the eldest (Andrew) is 21; the rest of his children have had full portions except Edmund, who is to have L20 "if he come to this place." Inv. 18 Oct. 1659; Ester and son William granted adm'n.
Will of Hester, 27 Dec. 1665; son William, L5; dau. Mary Burr, L2; sons Andrew and Samuel, L8 each; dau. Abigail, L10; children of dau. Anna Nichols. L9; gr. child Hester Ward, L9; son John's child, L9; gr. children Sarah and Nathaniel Burr, children of dau Sarah, L9; clothing to daus. Ann, Mary,Sarah, Abigail; sons William and Andrew, Exec'rs; to Daniel Burr and Hester Burr, 10 shillings each. Inv. 30 Jan. 1665/6
It is reasonable to suppose that Edmund was eldest son, named for Hester's father Edmund Sherman, but dead before Hester made her will; yet Elizabeth Barker of Nayland, co. Suffolk (five miles from Stratford, where the Dr. John Ward family lived), in her will 1627 named her gr. child Edmund Ward. It should be considered as a possibility that Andrew Ward m. (1) a Barker, mother of Edmund; and that Edmund returned to England, not being of "this place" when Andrew made his will; and this theory would explain Hester's will not naming him, even if he was then living.

Andrew married Hester SHERMAN in 1627 in England. Hester (daughter of Edmund SHERMAN and Grace MAKIN) was born in 1606 in Dedham, Essex, England; was christened on 1 Apr 1606 in Dedham, Essex, England; died between 27 Dec 1665 and 30 Jan 1665/6 in Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]