Jesse Ward 1765-1839

Born 23 July 1765 in Connecticut to Mary Johnson and Thomas Ward
Married Olive Nye in June 1788
Jesse-Silas-Orin-Amos-Cora-Clifford
Died 18 December 1839 in Vermont
Buried in Waltham

Biography by Clinton Merrell

Jesse Ward was born in Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut to Thomas Ward and Mary Johnson on 23 Jul 1765. He was the oldest of a family of twelve children. His father, grandfather and great grand father were all named Thomas Ward and they had all been residents of Middletown, Connecticut. His mother was born in Haddam, Middlesex, Connecticut, but little is known about her ancestors except for the names of her parents, Richard Johnson and Mary Porter.

When Jesse was five or six years old his family moved from Connecticut 69 miles to the northwest to Otis, Berkshire, Massachusetts. At that time Jesse had a sister Mary three years old and a baby brother Seth about one year old. The other nine children of the Ward family were born in Otis. Jesse's parents lived in Massachusetts until their death. His father died in nearby Tyringham and it is not known where his mother died, but it is assumed that she was living with Jesse's younger brother Elisha in Otis at the time of her death.

While living in Massachusetts, Jesse fought three years in the Revolutionary War on the side of the patriots, even though he was only 11 years old at the time. Jesse grew up in Otis, Massachusetts, but got married to Olive Nye in Jun of 1788 at the age of 23, and they made their first home in Lee, Berkshire, Massachusetts about 14 miles from Otis to the northeast.

Olive was born in Connecticut in July 1762. It is assumed that Olive was living with her father in Lee, Massachusetts at the time of their marriage. It is also assumed from the 1790 Census and other records of Lee, Massachusetts that Olive's parents were John and Annis Nye, although this is not very well documented. If this is true, then Olive's father John was a captain in the Massachusetts Militia during the War of 1812, although his company did not have to fight. Olive's parents died in Lee, Massachusetts. Jesse and Olive had one son, Chester born in Lee, Massachusetts 15 Jan 1790. When Jesse was 25 years old they moved from Lee, Massachusetts to Waltham, Addison, Vermont shortly after Chester was born, a distance of 155 miles directly to the North. Waltham is on the western edge of Vermont very near the New York border near Lake Champlain.

It is very possible that Jesse came to Vermont with his brother Thomas, who was 19, and his brother Amos, who was 11. Both of these brothers show up in the Vermont records later on.

Thomas Ward is listed as having been elected a Hayward in New Haven, Addison, Vermont in 1797. (Hayward was a comical title given to a male who was getting married soon.) He is listed in the 1810 Census of New Haven with 1 male under 10 and 2 females under 10. He is listed in the 1820 Census of New Haven with 4 males under 10, 1 male 10-16, 1 female under 10, and 2 females 10-16. Neither Thomas nor Amos appear later in the Vermont records. Amos Ward is listed as having married Lidia Gray on 18 Aug 1805 in New Haven, Addison, Vermont and appears in the 1810 Census of Waltham, Addison, Vermont with five members of his household, including 1 male under 10, and 2 females under 10. The whereabouts of Thomas and Amos have not been discovered.

Jesse and Olive settled on land that had not previously been settled in Waltham. They first built a log house in the northern part of Waltham to live in. Smith's 1886 History of Addison County Vermont states on p.709, "Jesse Ward was probably the first settler on the farm now owned and occupied by Numan Hunt. He came from Lee, Mass., and located in town (Waltham) in 1803 (1790 is more likely since his second son Silas was born 21 Mar 1791 in Waltham); passed the balance of his life in town, and died about the year 1838. His son Chester settled near the former (Jesse) in Waltham and was a prominent citizen until his death in 1882, aged over ninety-two years. Two sons succeeded to the ownership of his (Chester's) large and very valuable farm, and one of them, Watson W., is the town's treasurer and has often held the other principal town offices. Ira, another son, (of Jesse) resides in New Haven. These men have been successful farmers, accumulating a competency, and possessing the respect of the community."

On page 703 of Smith's History it states, "Jesse Ward figured conspicuously in giving character to the community and in promoting the general and important interests of the town (of Waltham)."

Jesse and Olive had four children born in Waltham, Silas born 21 Mar 1791, Olive born 11 Jun 1793, Ira born 9 Apr 1796, and Orin born 14 Jun 1799. Smith's 1886 History on page 760 states, "During the boyhood of Ira Ward (and the other Ward children) the towns in the northern part of Vermont were in every way undeveloped, and afforded the youth of the period but small opportunities for an education. Such as he could obtain, however, fell to the lot of Ira Ward (and the other Ward children)."

All seemed well with them until Olive, their 10 year old daughter died in August of 1803. She was buried in the Ward Family Cemetery in Waltham. Two months later another tragedy occurred when Jesse's beloved wife Olive passed away in October of 1803. Olive was 31 years old and just at the prime of her life. She was also buried in the Ward Family Cemetery in Waltham.

At the time of Olive's death, Jesse was faced with raising 4 boys ranging in ages from Chester, who was 13 to Orrin, who was barely 4 years old. Jesse chose to marry Ruth Brooks on 6 Oct 1803 in Middlebury, Addison, Vermont, a nearby town, to help take care of the house and help raise the four boys. They lived together in Waltham until they both died there in 1839. Much credit and thanks can be given to Ruth for caring for the boys and raising them to manhood and for taking care of Jesse. Ruth and Jesse never had any children of their own. They were both buried in the Ward Family Cemetery in Waltham. Not much is known about Ruth, but it is assumed from the Vermont records that Ruth grew up and lived in Middlebury until she married Jesse. It is not known how they met. It is also assumed from the Vermont records that Ruth's parents and grandparents lived in Middlebury. The names of Ruth's parents are not known. It is also assumed that Ruth had an older brother and sister Cephas and Sibyl, although none of this is very well documented.

8 Apr 2001