The Ward Family of Virginia and Alabama

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SAMUEL WARD (d. c. 1857) m. Elizabeth Unknown (c. 1815 – 1880)

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MARIETTA WARD (1841 – 1909) m. William Joshua Sibert

First Generation

SAMUEL WARD (d. c. 1857)

Parents: Unknown

Samuel Ward died about 1857. He married Susanna Cannon. He probably married second Elizabeth Unknown. It is said that she was born in 1815 and that she died in 1880 and is buried in the Forrest Cemetery in Gadsden, Etowah, Alabama. Click here to see her page on FindaGrave.

Smith and LeLand [Ref, p. 368] say that Samuel was a planter in South Carolina and a soldier in the War of 1812; that his wife was Susanna Cannon. She died before he moved to Cherokee county, Alabama in about 1834. He had four sons and four daughters and later moved to DeKalb.

Samuel Ward appears to have died intestate. His administrators were O.W. and S.C. Ward. His other heirs appeared to have filed suit in probate court against O.W. and S.C. [Ref]

A Jan 1858 petition paper associated with the settlement of Samuel's estate says, "We are acquainted with the lands and negros of said estate ... We are acquainted with the heirs and legatees of said estate. Their names are Polly Mathis, married to Edward Mathis, DeKalb county, Sally Keener married to John T. Keener in DeKalb, Winifred Berry married to A.J. Berry in DeKalb, Noah W. Ward in Leon county, Texas, Elizabeth Ward in DeKalb, John Ward, deceased, his heirs represented by Jesse Cunningham, guardian, O.W. Ward in DeKalb, J.C. Ward of Cherokee county, all of age and sound mind ... There cannot be a beneficial and equitable division of said land and negros among his heirs withous a sale thereof." Samuel's eight slaves sold for $5,550. [Ref]

A. J. Berry received $40 from O. W. and S. C. Ward for the purchase of a tombstone for Samuel Ward on 22 Mar 1859. [Ref]

In 1559 William J. Sibert acknowledged a small payment from the estate of Samuel Ward, apparently for attorney's fees. Elizabeth Ward acknowledged receiving $1346.34 (or, more likely $1946.34, as written on the back of the receipt) from Samuel Ward's estate on 10 Jul 1860. [Ref]

Elizabeth Ward's settlement

Children of Samuel Ward and Susanna Cannon

  1. Samuel C. Ward was probably a son of Samuel Ward.
  2. Mary (Polly) Ward was probably a daughter of Samuel Ward. She was born on 14 Jun 1809 in Spartanburg county, South Carolina and she died on 24 Sep 1881 in Shelby county, Texas and was buried in the Mount Zion Cemetery in Shelby county. Click here to see her page on FindaGrave.She married Edward Mathis. He was born on 17 Feb 1804 in Spartanburg and he died on 28 Mar 1870 in Shelby county and is buried in the Mount Zion Cemetery. Click here to see his page on FindaGrave.
    Edward Mathis and his wife Mary Mathis acknowledged receiving $1,946.34 from Samuel Ward's estate on 10 Jul 1860.
  3. Winifred Ward was probably a daughter of Samuel Ward. She was born on 1 Nov 1811 and she died on 15 Feb 1892 and is buried in the Harbour Cemetery. Click here to see her page on FindaGrave. She married Andrew Jackson Berry. He was born on 1 May 1815 in Greene county, Tennessee and he died on 13 Mar 1888 in DeKalb country, Alabama and is buried in the Harbour Cemetery. Click here to see his page on FindaGrave.
    A.J. Berry and his wife Winifred Berry acknowledged receiving $1,946.34 from Samuel Ward's estate on 10 Jul 1860.
  4. John Ward was probably a son of Samuel Ward. He was born about 1816 in South Carolina. [Ref, Note 1] He died before 10 Jul 1860. He appears to have married Hannah Unknown. [Ref, Note 1] Hannah was born about 1823 in South Carolina. [Ref, Note 1]
    It was acknowldeged that Samuel and Noah Ward, the minor sons of John Ward, deceased, received $648.78 and $448.78 (or $648.78 as written on the back of the receipt), respectively, from Samuel Ward's estate on 10 Jul 1860.
    In 1850 John, age 34, and Hannah, age 27, were living in DeKalb Division 25 with their children James, Saran and Noah, aged 5, 3 and 1, respectively and born in Alabama and with A. Martin, a 51-year-old physcian born in Virginia, George Capeheart, a 30-year-old blacksmith born in South Carolina and John's brother O.W. Ward. John was a farmer with real estate worth 2,000. [Ref, Note 1]
  5. Obadiah W. Ward was born on 14 Dec 1817 near Spartanburg, South Carolina. [Ref, p. 368] He died on 21 Apr 1880 in Gadsden, Etowah, Alabama. [Ref, p. 368][Ref, Note 2, says Apr 1880] He is buried in the Forrest Cemetery in Gadsden. Click here to see his page on FindaGrave. He married Sarah Sedberry in Aug 1850 in Cherokee county. [Ref, p. 368] She was the daughter of S. H. and Annie J. (Fletcher) Sedberry of Cherokee county. [Ref, p. 368] She was born on 15 Oct 1832 and she died on 25 Apr 1901 and is buried in the Forrest Cemetery. Click here to see her page on FindaGrave.
    Obadiah was probably a son of Samuel Ward.
    Smith and LeLand [Ref, p. 368] say that Obadiah was the son of Samuel Ward and Susanna Cannon, that he was a clerk and proprietor in the mercantile business in DeKalb when he was a young man, that he moved to Gadsden in 1868 and was a member of the Masonic fraternity and the Methodist Episcopal church. They list his five children as John of Nashville, Tennessee; Charlsie, the wife of J. B. Martin; Mary, deceased [by 1888]; Sallie, the wife of James L. Tanner; Charles.
    Obadiah Ward purchased 81 acres in Huntsville, DeKalb, Alabama on 1 May 1845.
    Obadiah W. Ward was appointed postmaster on 21 Apr 1846, 12 Dec 1850 and 28 Feb 1854 in Van Buren, DeKalb, Alabama, on 26 Sep 1856 in Duck Springs, Etowah, Alabama, on 19 Jan 1860 in Hendricksville, DeKalb, Alabama and on 1 Jun 1860 in Clay, DeKalb, Alabama. [Ref]
    In 1850 O.W., age 32 and born in South Carolina, was living with his brother John in DeKalb Division 25. He was working as a merchant and owned real estate worth $1,000. [Ref, Note 1] In 1860 O. W. Ward, age 42, and born in South Carolina and Sarah A. Ward born in South Carolina, age 27, were living in Duck Spring, District 3, DeKalb, Alabama with their children John and Charlsie and Samuel E. Hamlin, a 26-year-old school teacher born in Massachusetts. O. W. was a merchant with real estate worth $10,000 and a personal estate of $12,400. [Ref, Note 3] Obadiah moved to Gadsden about 1867. [Ref, Note 2] In 1870 O. W., age 52 and born in South Carolina and Sarah, age 37 and born in South Carolina, were living in Attalla, Subdivision 42, Etowah, Alabama with thier children John, Charlsie, Mary and Charley and two servants. O. W. was a merchant with real estate worth $2,500 and a personal estate o $400. [Ref, Note 4] In 1880 Sarah, age 47, was living with her children in Gadsden. [Ref, Note 5]
    O.W. and S.C. Ward were administrators of Samuel's estate. O.W. went to Cherokee county, Alabama.
    At the time of his death Obadiah Ward was 63, he was described as born in South Carolina, as were his parents, he was a retired merchant. His death was caused by "paralysis". [Ref, Note 2]
  6. Noah W. Ward was probably a son of Samuel Ward.
    Noah went to Leon county, Texas. N.W. Ward, who had gone to Texas, received $1,615 from Samuel Ward's estate on 22 Mar 1859. An undated letter to O.W. Ward from Eagle Valley, Leon, Texas, acknowledging receipt of some funds from the estate of Samuel Ward says, "... your brother N.W. Ward is very ill, he has been sick a long time, he is sicker than he has been since he came to this county ... [I] think there is no chance for him. The letter mentions N.W. Ward's family. N.W. Ward acknowledged receipt of a payment from Samuel Ward's estate on 10 Jul 1860.
  7. Sarah (Sally) Ward was probably a daughter of Samuel Ward. She married John T. Keener.
    John T. Keener and his wife Sarah Keener, acknowledged receiving $1,946.34 from Samuel Ward's estate on 10 Jul 1860.

Children of Samuel Ward and Elizabeth Unknown

  1. Marietta Ward was born on 28 Nov 1841 in DeKalb county. She died on 15 Aug 1909 in Gadsden. She married William Joshua Sibert.

Notes for children of Samuel:

1. Year: 1850; Census Place: Division 25, De Kalb, Alabama; Roll: M432_5; Page: 326B; Image: 7.
2. Archive Roll Number: 5; Census Year: 1880; Census Place: Gadsden, Etowah, Alabama; Page: 1
3. Year: 1860; Census Place: District 3, De Kalb, Alabama; Roll: M653_9; Page: 196; Image: 200; Family History Library Film: 803009.
4. Year: 1870; Census Place: Subdivision 42, Etowah, Alabama; Roll: M593_16; Page: 304B; Image: 136; Family History Library Film: 545515
5. Year: 1880; Census Place: Gadsden, Etowah, Alabama; Roll: 13; Family History Film: 1254013; Page: 379A; Enumeration District: 071; Image: 0265

Second Generation Marietta Ward

MARIETTA WARD (1841 – 1909)

Parents: Samuel Ward and Elizabeth Unknown

Marietta was born on 28 Nov 1841 [Ref, p. 6] in DeKalb county. [Ref does not give the day][Ref] She died on 15 Aug 1909 in Gadsden. [Ref, p. 6] She is buried in the Forrest cemetery. [Ref] Click here to see photos of William and Marietta's gravestone on the FindaGrave website. She married William Joshua Sibert on 28 Sep 1856 [Ref, p. 6] in DeKalb county. [Ref]

In 1850 Marietta Ward was eight and living in Division 25, DeKalb. with Elizabeth Ward (age 35, born in South Carolina), Samuel Ward (age 69, born in Virginia, a farmer with real estate worth $1,200) and Abijah Brooks (age 60, born in North Carolina, a mechanic). [Ref] Elizabeth was probably Marietta's mother and Samuel was probably Elizabeth's husband and Marietta's father.

Marietta's letter to her son William

Some notes on the Wards

more photos

© A. Buiter 2014