The Ward Family Record that was owned by Daniel Ward, grandson of Richard and Frances Ward, indicates that FRANCES WARD was born September 14th, 1700. Her surname was not cited in the record. In about 1716 Frances married Richard Ward, son of Captain Seth Ward and Anne Hatcher Ward of Henrico County, Virginia. It was recorded that she gave birth to a son, BENJAMIN WARD, on September 18th, 1717 at age seventeen. On March 29th, 1729, Frances at age twenty-eight had a daughter named TAHPENES WARD. FRANCES was deceased by 1759 when her widower husband, RICHARD WARD married secondly Mary Johns in Lunenburg County, Virginia. Their son, Benjamin, married firstly c1738 to a woman only known to us as Missy, by whom he had one son named Daniel Ward of Franklin County, Virginia. Circa 1745 Benjamin married secondly Mary Duke, daughter of James Duke and Mary Byrd of Westover, Charles City County, Virginia, by whom he had six known children; their place of residence has not yet been fully established. Her daughter, Tahpenes Ward married Philip Webber; they lived out their lives in Cumberland County, Virginia. Frances was survived by fourteen known grandchildren who removed to different parts of the country. No references to date have been found that Frances relinquished her dower rights in any of the numerous land transactions of her husband, Richard Ward; this again indicates that she died before Richard Ward.
Traditionally, Frances Ward is identified as having been a Worsham. A Bible passed down among the descendants of Tahpenes (Ward) Webber is said to identify Frances as a Worsham without identifying her parents by name. Frances was perhaps a daughter of Charles Worsham and his wife, Mary Bevill. As Tahpenes (Ward) Webber named a daughter, Ann Bevill Webber, this certainly seems to support this theory regarding the identity of her parents. Ideally, Ward researchers would like to have concrete proof to confirm Frances Ward's placement in the Worsham family. This is made difficult by the destruction of so many Henrico Co., VA records. The only thing we know with any degree of confidence is the given name of Frances and her birth date. Her maiden surname and her proposed parentage are based on a proponderance of the surviving evidence, which is meager at best.
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=bhreed&id=I22873
