The name of William Ward's second wife is unknown. Many secondary sources attempt to give her a LNAB but none are proven or even likely. Please see the error section below for discussion and references.
Birth
Born: About 1613 in England.
Age 87 at her death in 1700.
Her origins and parents are unknown so any precise date assigened to Elizabeth is in error. See photo of grave marker at right.
Marriage and Children
Married: Between 1637-1639 to William Ward of Sudbury. The earliest confirmed reference to Elizabeth is the baptism of her son William in January 1640, so they would have been married by 1639. William's daughter Deborah was almost certainly by his first wife, so they would have been married after 1637.
Children: All 13 children of William Ward are recorded in the Vital Records of Newton, Massachusetts. [1][2] 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. [3] 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.
1. John, b. 1626; m. Hannah Jackson; lived in Newton; named in father's 1686 will.
2. Joanna, b. 1628; m. Abraham Williams; lived in Marlboro; Abraham as son-in-law named in William Ward's will
3. Obadiah, b. abt 1632; m. Mary; resided in Marlboro; deceased by father's 1686 will, but had son William who received a legacy
4. Richard, b. abt 1635, m. Mary Moore; res. in Sudbury; he 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, b. 1637; m. John Johnson; moved to Marlboro
Child of William Ward and mother uncertain:
6. Hannah, b. abt. 1639; m. Abraham Howe; lived in Marlboro
Children of William and Elizabeth (Unknown) Ward: [1][3]
All at Sudbury.
7. William, b. Jan 22, 1640; m. and resided in Marlboro; mentioned in father's 1686 will
8. Samuel, b. Sept. 24, 1641; m. Sarah Howe; res. in Marlboro; named in father's 1686 will
10. Increase, b. 22 Feb 1644; m and res in Marlboro; mentioned in father's 1686 will
11. Hopestill, b. Feb 24, 1646; m. James Woods; lived in Marlboro
12. Eleazar, b. abt. 1649; m. 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 Eleazar. Hannah (Rice) Ward married second Richard Taylor of Sudbury.
13. Bethia, b. abt. 1658; m. Daniel Rice, of Marlboro.
Death
Died: 9 December 1700 in Marlborough, Massachusetts. [4]
Burial: Elizabeth was buried at Spring Hill Cemetery, Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, where her gravestone can still be seen.[5]
[6] In 1924, descendants erected a memorial to him and his wife here, incorporating her original stone. [7]
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."
Common Errors to Avoid
Incorrect LNAB: 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. [8] This apparently the earliest known reference for this name and has been copied and spread accross 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?]"." [9] 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. [8][10]
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. [11]
Sources
↑ 1.01.11.2 Newton. Vital Records of Newton, Massachusetts to the Year 1850. (Boston: NEHGS, 1905):197-204. Archive.org LINK
↑ Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, Ancestry.com Online Database of original handwritten images. Ancestry.com LINK
↑ 3.03.1 Sudbury. Vital Records of Sudbury, Massachusetts to the Year 1850. (Boston: NEHGS, 1903): 147-148. Archive.org LINK
↑ Marlborough. Vital Records of Marlborough, Massachusetts Vital Records to the end of the year 1849. (Worcester, 1908):397. Archive.org LINK
↑
"Find a Grave", database with images,
Find A Grave: Memorial #11019982 (accessed 5 March 2024),
Memorial page for Elizabeth Ward (1613-9 Dec 1700), citing Spring Hill Cemetery, Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA; Maintained by John Susnir (contributor 48823986).
↑ Rice, Franklin P. Marlborough, Massachusetts, burial ground inscriptions: Old Common, Spring Hill, and Brigham cemeteries. (Worcester, 1908) P.155 #527.
↑
"Find a Grave", database with images,
Find A Grave: Memorial #6190756 (accessed 5 March 2024),
Memorial page for Rev William Ward (1603-10 Aug 1687), citing Spring Hill Cemetery, Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA; Maintained by John Susnir (contributor 48823986). Photos of stone available.