Gloucester County Democrat., 1912-05-02
INFORMATION WANTED
THE WARD AND WILKINS FAMIL-
les EARLY In GLOUCESTER
COUNTY IA
By Edison Salisbury Jones,
Greenwich. Conn.

Historical Society October 18th, 19O9.)
The difficulties often attending at
tempts to prove ancestral lines, by
public records, are well known to
those who have engaged in genealo-
gical research. Not infrequently the
necessary links of evidence are miss
ing, and we, must seek unrecorded
deeds, agreements, family records, pa
pers, ETC., the information in which
may be possessed only by the Gus
todians OF them, but may also be
known to others, who have studied
the families resident in a township,
or county, during the first half cen
tury of its existence.
The most available way of reach
ing such persons seems to be through
the local Historical Society; and as
the present writer is interested in sew
eral families early in this county,
what follows is addressed to members
of this Society, with the hope that one
or more of them will be able and de-
sirous to aid in the solution of prob
lems, which the writer's research thus
far has failed to secure.
THE WARD FAMILIES
The earliest record of persons bear
ing the surname of Ward in Glouces-
ter county, that persistent efforts by
the writer has yet discovered, is under
date of September l, 1886, when Is
rael, George, William and James
Ward had the ear-marks of their hogs
registered. These entries are found
in the, volume entitled Court Minutes,
1712-1739," which, as now bound, is
composed of two original books-the
smaller containing ear-marks, and
few marriages.
The next earliest mention of the
name is the marriage of Elizabeth
Ward and Samuel Taylor, March 13,
1887, to which James Ward was wit
ness.
The third record is the marriage of
Margaret Ward and John Hillman, OF
Gloucester County March 6, 1923.
The fourth mention is the marriage
of George Ward, of Upton, and Han
nah Wainwright, of Woodbury. Creek,
November 10, 1897, which was witness
ed by John Ashbrook, Thomas Bull,
James Whiteall, Samuel Taylor, John
Emo, Elizabeth Tatum, SusauEah
Waynwrignt, John Brown, Israel
Ward, William Ward, John Tatum,
Thomas Gibson, Isaac Wood and Chas.
Crossthwait The recorded certificate
indicates that the parties thereto We're
members of the Society of Friends.
Between the years 1856 and 1715
no new Ward names appear in the
Minutes of Gloucester County Courts,
but on June 21, 1715, Samuel Ward
was a juror.
We naturally query: Whence came
the early Wards to this county? We're
they related, and if SO, how
The only light yet obtained by the
writer as to a prior residence OF any
of them is that Israel Ward was late
of Long Island" in 1884, when he
purchased 100 acres in West Jersey
from James Whiteall, of Upton. Glou-
cester Deeds, 8. BAD Prior to this
date. the latest census of Long Island
towns contained in the Documentary
History of New York." is found in
Vol. 2; but the name, Israel Ward,
does not appear. Under date of Sep
tember 29, 1888, however, a William
Warde was taxed two shillings in
Flushing. His name is not seen in
the list of those having estates there
in 1875; but some William Ward re-
sided in Westchester, N. Y, in 1873.
In Brookhaven, Long Island, Thorn
as Ward was taxed in 1875 and 1853,
and is said to have been among those
who settled there in 1865.
We have proof that Israel and Will
liam Ward, of Upton, were related, for
administration on the estate of Will
liam was granted to his brother, Is
rael. September 1, 1702-the de-
ceased's widow, Grace, having refused
to act. IN. J.. Arch. %. 491.) Here
it may be remarked that William
Ward left but one child, Sarah, who
married John Inskeep, and that she
and her husband sold some of her
fathers lands to George Ward, Jr., in
1881. CIV. J. Deeds, S. 1879
In the Court Minutes, Israel Wards
name appears many times as juror,
from 1896; and in 1866, as an over
seer for Deptford The writer has not
attempted to follow this man, but con-
lectures that it was he, of Greenwich,
who made his will August IA, 1874,
naming sons, William, Israel, Jacob
and Samuel and daughters without
names or number. .(W.J Wills, 3. 431)
From 1892, the Court Minutes also
have numerous mentions of James
Ward, usually as a juror. Probably it
WAS he, Ol WOOuUuly VI COh, WIZ tiAtt>N =
a will December 81, 1927, showing
children, Moses, William, Aaron, Hen
ry, Habakuk and Phillis wife of Will
lam Clark. (WJ. Wills, 2. 512.)
George Ward appears most frequent
~ among those Of the surname on tine
Court Minutes, from 1897, usually as
a grand juror. He was an oYeraeer OF
Deptford roads in 17rS, F18,
1921, 1874, and 1927; an over
seer of the poor there in 1716;
applied to the Court to keep a
house of public entertainment in l7l9;
and was freeholder of Deptford IN
1929. Beyond the year 1875, the writ
er's search of these Minutes has not
extended but in the History Of Glou-
cester, Salem and Cumberland Coun-
ties q8SS), George Ward is named
as a surveyor of Deptford roads IN
1739-40, and freeholder in 1740-l;
while George, Jr., appears as free
holder in 1741-2 and 1744-5.