William was a nailor in Bromsgrove. His burial record gives his residence as The Linthurst.
Events
Date of Baptism: unknown.
Place of Baptism: unknown.
See the Commentary section for the possibilities.
Date of Burial: 15 June 1763.
Place of Burial: Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England.
The parish register records the burial.
Relationships
Father: unknown.
See the Commentary section.
Mother: unknown.
Spouse: Mary Smith. Married 11 August 1716 in Atherstone-on-Stour, Warwickshire.
The marriage is recorded in the parish register. Mary was the widow of John Standley.
Children:
Samuel Ward (baptized 21 July 1717 - buried 19 February 1769) married (1) Hannah; married (2) Sarah.
Evidence
from the Bromsgrove (St John the Baptist) registers:
[1689 March] 7 bapt Elizabeth daughter of Willm Ward
[1691 December] 23 bapt Willm sonn of Willm Ward
[1693 March] 17 ba Hugh S of William Ward
[1703]
19. Mar. Thomas Barret & Francis Ward of Cofton Hacket by Lycence.
July 1717
21 Bap: Samuel son of William Ward and Mary
Burials June [1763]
15 Bur William Ward linthous Nailor
from the Tardebigge register:
Ano Dom 1664 Burialls
midlemore Ward buri: decem: 23
[BTs:
Burialls Ano Dmi 1664
Midlemore Warde was buried december. 23]
Christenings Anno Dm 1681
May 5 Mary Daughter of Sam: Ward
[Christenings, 1683, bishop’s transcripts. Not in the parish register.]
January 12 Elizabeth daught.r of Samuell Ward
Christenings Anno Dm 1684
Septembr 24 Frances daughter of Samuell Ward
[BTs: Frances daughter of Sam: Ward Labour]
[Christenings, 1686, bishop’s transcripts. Not in the parish register.]
May 25. Samuell Son of Samuell Ward.
Burialls Anno Domini 1687.
May. 5. Frances daughter of Samuell Ward.
Christenings anno dom 1692
March 27. William son of Samuell Ward
Christenings Anno Domini 1698
December 11. Moses son of Samuel & Frances Ward
Burials Anno Domini 1698
December 21. Moses Son of Samuel Ward
William's marriage from the parish register (Atherstone on Stour); image on FamilySearch:
Gulielmus Ward de Bromesgrove et Maria Standly connubio Jungebantur August. 11.o die 1716. Banns editis
from the Register of Duties Paid for Apprentices’ Indentures (1718):
Date: Dec 17
Master: Wm. Ward of Bromsgrove Worcest:, Naylor
Apprentice: Wm. son of John Stanley deced
Date: 17 Apr 1718
Poor Law Adm. (Bromsgrove): 20 November 1740:
STANLEY, Elizabeth, Wife of William Stanley, Naylor. To be removed from Adderston, Warks with John, her 3-year old son, to Bromsgrove, by virtue of an Indenture dated 5 Sep. 1718 whereby William Stanley was apprenticed to William Ward of Bromsgrove, Naylor.
Commentary
Parentage
Assuming that William was baptized in the Bromsgrove area, two baptisms appear in the relevant time period:
Bromsgrove, 23 December 1691, father William Ward
Tardebigge, 27 March 1692, father Samuel Ward
Bromsgrove is where the later Wards were baptized and buried. But William’s son Samuel is said to be “of Tardebigge” in his 1739 Bromsgrove marriage record. The Ward family disappears from the Tardebigge parish register after 1698. The Wards were likely living near Ape’s Dale, which is about equidistant from Bromsgrove and Tardebigge, and either a Bromsgrove or Tardebigge baptism for William is fairly plausible. The name Samuel, which was the name of William’s eldest (probably only) son, speaks in favour of the Tardebigge baptism.
Perhaps the Tardebigge baptism is more likely, but the evidence is not conclusive.
References
Atherstone on Stour parish registers, Warwickshire County Record Office; Warwick, England; Warwickshire Anglican Registers; Roll: Engl/2/1139; Document Reference DR 240 (digital image on Ancestry.com accessed 17 February 2015)
Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, St John the Baptist parish registers, FHL films 321123-4, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Board of Stamps: Apprenticeship Books, Series IR 1; The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey, England; digital image Ancestry.com (accessed 13 April 2014).
Tardebigge parish registers. Digital images on Ancestry.com. [accessed 16 January 2025]