Person:William Ward (150)

Will Transcript

I WILLIAM WARD of the County of Rutherford and State of Tennessee being of sound mind and memory do make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following.

First, it is my will and desire after my death all my estate of every description whatever except the property hereafter given to my nephew THOMPSON WARD should be kept together in the possession of my beloved wife MARY WARD for her use and benefit during her life and at her death to be equally divided and take half of my said estate when divided I give and bequeath to my said wife MARY WARD to dispose of in any way she may wish at her death.

I do also give and bequeath to my nephew THOMPSON WARD son of my brother JAMES WARD seven negroes as follows: BEN a negro man I bought of KIRK, POLLEY his wife and her five children namely, COLEMAN, JANE, MARTIN, ELIZA, and SARAH and all other future increase to him and his heirs forever.

I do also give and bequeath the one half of my property above given to my said wife MARY WARD during her life to be equally divided at her death between my brother JOSHUA WARD'S three daughters, RACHEL, RODY, and SEALY and THOMPSON son of my brother JAMES WARD to them and their heirs forever. :I do appoint my beloved wife MARY WARD sole Executrix of this my last will and Testament, hereby revoking all former wills by me made. It is my will and desire that my said wife shall not give any security as Executrix.

In Witness whereof this 20th day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two.

William Ward (Seal)

Signed and acknowledged

In the presence of us:

J.. D. Donnelson, Jurat

Robert Booth, Jurat

B. Randolph, Jurat

In 1835 a will & administration record was entered for WILLIAM WARD in Rutherford County, TN Record Book 9, page 215. Another record was recorded in 1836 for Doctor William Ward in Record Book 9, p 304 in Rutherford County, TN. In 1847 another record was recorded in Record Book 14, p 166 of Rutherford County for William Ward.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Ancestry.com. Public Member Trees: (Note: not considered a reliable primary source).

   DR. WILLIAM WARD was first recorded at Washington County, North Carolina in the 1770's with his brother, BENJAMIN WARD. By 1804 DR. WILLIAM WARD settled near Jefferson on the Stones River in Rutherford County, Tennessee. Rumors abound that the Wards had good relations with the Indians, however when the first white settlers came into the middle Tennessee region the land was unoccupied. In 1748 Dr. Thomas Walker, a Virginia land speculator, explored a part of upper east Tennessee. He later passed through the Cumberland Gap. In the spring of 1779 JAMES ROBERTSON and a small group of men, including one Negro, left Watauga, going through the Cumberland Mountains thrugh Kentucky, entering Tennessee in what is now Sumner county. They were joined by another group led by MANSKER. Robertson, with over 200 emigrants, set out late in 1779 for the Nashville area reaching French Lick in January 1780, during one of the severest winters on record. Soon a group led by JOHN DONELSON (DONALDSON) left by water to join the ROBERTSON party arriving Apr8l 24, 1780. In 1780 many east Tennesseans fought in the Battle of Kings Mountain. In 1783 Rutherford County was part of Davidson Co.,NC. Rutherford Co. was formed in 1804 from Davidson and Williamson counties.
   
   http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=bhreed&id=I12913

2.   Hansard, Mary A. Old time Tazewell. (Sweetwater, Tennessee: M.L.H. Wilson, c1979).

   "In the year 1839 Dr. William Ward of Rutherford County, Middle Tennessee, an uncle of Father's died. He was a very rich old genteleman, owned a large boundary of land on Stones River not far from the Hermitage of Andrew Jackson, ex-president, and about 25 miles distant from nashville. His widow [Mary Robertson Ward] engaged my father [Peter Markham/Marcum] to oversee her business, as she had about 65 Negroes and cultivated cotton extensively. He accordingly left Tazewell in May 1840 and moved to said county. He was much pleased with this beautiful country and the surroundings. We visited Nashville in July following and if you remember this was the year of the presidential election. There was greater excitement over this election than any I ever knew. It was the year that Wm. Henry Harrison was elected president.........We lived in Rutherford County only one year and then returned back to Tazewell on account of the ill health of Mother and sister, and Father's health had failed also.