Obadiah Ward (1663 - 1717)

Born 19 Apr 1663 in Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Joannah (Mixer) Ward — married 20 Dec 1693 in Sudbury, Middlesex, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Descendants

Died 17 Dec 1717 at age 54 in Worcester, Worcester, Province of Massachusetts Bay

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Biography

Obadiah Ward was born in Sudbury, Massachusetts, on April 19, 1663 (Middlesex County Record), the son of Richard Ward and Mary Moore.^[1][2][3]

He married Joanna Harrington of Watertown, Massachusetts, young widow of Joseph Harrington and daughter of Isaac Mixer, at Sudbury on December 20, 1693. They settled in Sudbury and had nine children there.^[4][5][6]

In 1616, he was of Worcester, and in that year purchased of his brother-in-law, John Maynard, and wife Lydia, all her interest in her father's estate in Sudbury and elsewhere. He erected a mill on his farm in Worcester, where, a few years since, were the "red mills," so called.^[5]

Obadiah Ward died at Worcester on December 17, 1717, at the age of 54. His will was written the day before his death and appears to have been written in haste. Only his two eldest children are named in the will. His wife Joanna was given the residue of his estate to be disposed at her discretion among her children.^[4][5]

Children

Children of Obadiah and Joanna (Mixer-Harrington) Ward, all born in Sudbury:

1. Richard, born 1694; married, January 1, 1718-19, Lydia Wheelock.^[4][5][7]
2. Obadiah, born 1695; married Eunice ___.^[4][5]
3. Hannah, born 1696; married Daniel Heywood.^[4][5]
4. Daniel, born September 3, 1700; married Sarah ___.^[4][5][8]
5. Sarah, born 1701.^[4][5]
6. Dominada, born November 26, 1702.^[4][5][9]
7. Uriah, born December 3, 1704; died August 3, 1724, killed by the Indians at Rutland, in garrison.^[4][5][10]
8. Isaac, born March 25, 1707; married Sybil Moore.^[4][5][11]
9. Thankful, born February 15, 1711-12; married Jonas Farnsworth.^[4][5][12]

Will

The will of Obadaih Ward, written December 16, 1717:^[13]

In the Name of God Amen: y^e Sixteenth Day of December one thousand Seven hundred and Seventeen I Obadiah Ward of Worcester in y^e County of Mid^lsex & Province of y^e Maffachufets Bay in New England husfbonman Being very Sick and weak in Body but of Parfict mind & Memory Thanks be Given unto God Thearfore Calling unto Mind y^e Mortality of y^e Body & Knowing that it is appointed for all men once to Dye Do make & ordain this my Laft Will & Teftament that is to say: Principally & firft of all I Give & Recomend my Soul unto God that Gave it: And my Bdy I Recomend to the Earth to be Buried in Decent Christian Burial at y^e Discitition of my Executors nothing Doubting but at y^e General Refurection I Shall Receive y^e Same again by y^e Mighty Power of God: and as Touching Such worldly Esteat who is with it hath pleased God to Blefs me in this Life I Give Demife & Difpose of y^e Ya*** in y^e following manner & form:

Imprimus: I Give and Bequeath to my Eldest fon Richard Ward one yoak of oxen & one Cow which with Shall he hath allready had it in full of his portion.

Itim: I Give & Bequeath unto my Second Son Obidiah Ward five pound To be payed by my Executor out of my Esteat when he comes of full age which with Good & *aight Confidiucations is in full of his portion.

Itim: The Rest of my Estate I Leave with my Dearly beloved wife whome I Likewise Conftiute make & ordain my Sole Executrix of this my Last will & Testament for y^e Comfort of her Life & to be Dispofed of by her both in her Life & at her Death to my Children not above named as She Shall See meet my Juft Debts & Townail Charges being firft payd by my Executrix out of my Esteat.

Ratifying & Confierming this & no other to be my Last will & Teftament. In witnefs whearof I have ** unto * my hand & Seal y^e Day and your above written. Obadiah Ward {X his mark}.
Signed Sealed Publifhed Pronounced and Declared by y^e said Obadiah ward as his Laft will & Teftament in y^e Presfents of us y^e Sibscribants:
Gershom Rice
James Rice
Jonas Rice
June? 26, 1718.^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ Ward: Page 13. Citing: "II. Richard Ward m. Mary ... Moore ... chil. ... 1. Obadiah, b. Dec. 10, 1663, m. Joanna Harrington."
2. ↑ Sudbury Records: Births. Page 148. Citing: "Ward, Obadiah, s. Richard and Mary, Apr. 19, 1663. M.R."
3. ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FCMB-ZBH : 15 January 2020), Obadiah Ward, 1663.
   Transcript of Image: "Obadiah Sonne of Richard & Mary Ward borne Aprill 19th . 1663."
4. ↑ ^{4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10} Savage: Vol. 4 (1862). Page 412. Citing: "Ward, Obadiah ... m. Joanna, ... wid. of Joseph Harrington, d. of Isaac Mixer."
5. ↑ ^{5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11} Ward: Page 23. Citing: "III. Obadiah Ward m. Joanna Harrington."
6. ↑ Sudbury Records: Marriages. Page 281. Citing: "Ward, Obadiah and Johannah Harrington, Dec. 20, 1693. M.R."
7. ↑ Sudbury Records: Marriages.Page 281. Citing: "Ward, Richard 'of or Near Joyning to worcester,' and Liddia Whelock, Jan. 1, 1718-19. [Lydia Wheelock, M.R.]"
8. ↑ Sudbury Records: Births. Page 147. Citing: "Ward, Danil, s. Obedial [and] Johannah, Sept. 3, 1700."
9. ↑ Sudbury Records: Births. Page 147. Citing: "Ward, Dominada, d. O[blotted]diah and Johana, Nov. 26, 1702."
10. ↑ Sudbury Records: Births. Page 148. Citing: "Ward, Uriah, s. Obadiah and Johnah, Dec. 3, 1704."
11. ↑ Sudbury Records: Births. Page 147. Citing: "Ward, Isaac, s. Obediah and Johannah, Mar. 25, 1707."
12. ↑ Sudbury Records: Births. Page 148. Citing: "Ward, Thankfull, d. Obediah and Johannah, Feb. 15, 1711-12."
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Middlesex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1648-1871.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives. Digitized images provided by FamilySearch.org). Case# 23734-Page2. Citing: "Will of Obadiah Ward."

See also:

• Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England. (Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1862).
• Vital Records of Sudbury Massachusetts to the Year 1850. (New-England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass., 1903).
• Ward, Andrew. Ward Family, Descendants of William Ward, Who Settled in Sudbury, Mass., in 1639. (Samuel G. Drake, Boston, 1851).
• Weis, Frederick Lewis. Early Generations of the Family of Robert Harrington of Watertown, Massachusetts, 1634. Page 18. Citing: "7. Joseph Harrington."
• Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 10 July 2020), memorial page for Obadiah Ward (10 Dec 1663–17 Dec 1717), Find A Grave: Memorial #59626313, ; Maintained by Lineage Quest (contributor 47040436) Unknown.
  Note: Contains Unknown Burial. For Research Only.

Acknowledgments

• Thank you to Jon Myers for creating WikiTree profile Ward-6831 through the import of MYERS-EVEY Family WikiTree.ged on Apr 18, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Jon and others.