WARES OF VIRGINIA AND THE SOUTH

1.     Esau de la Ware,
             Elizabeth City Va.
This name is given in the official list of the living and Dead in Virginia Feb. 16, 1623.
Hatten’s "Emigrants" places him at "Basses Choice"

2.     Rev. Jacob Ware was Rector for 20 years of Henrico Parish between 1625 and 1693. This church was founded in 1611; but all the records seem to have been destroyed up to 1693, at which time a Rev. Mr. Robertson became Rector and remained there until 1740.

3.     Francis Ware, during April 1716, made deposition that he was the oldest son of Jacob Ware; also that his father was formerly a minister of Henrico Parish and had been for more than 20 years. Robert Symons gave to this Francis Ware by will recorded Dec. 2, 1700 his entire estate. The final inventory of the Jacob Ware estate was filed July 1, 1709.

        A peculiar incident is given by Bishop Mead’s "Old Churches and Families of Va." as follows:

         "Elizabeth Ware, (who was related to Baldwin and Ware Rockett, seafaring men) married John Ellis (oldest son of John E. Ellis, who was one of the grantees to the second charter of the old Virginia Company.) A peculiar feature appears from the fact that these seafaring men, Baldwin and Ware Rockett were prosperous and owned a block of property in the city of Richmond, which has for years been called "Rocketts" and the further fact that back in 1701, a son of the daughter of Robert Ware of Melfield, Mass., married a Judith Rockett. The question arises; Are they descendants of these people of Wares, and how came Elizabeth Ware, if she belonged to the Mass. family of Wares, down here in Virginia? There are several other facts that at least show kinship or peculiarity of crossing each other’s paths as the years and centuries go by. See Appendix to Mead’s "Old Churches and Families of Virginia", pages 461, 662 and "genealogy of the Ware Family"; sec. 4 by E. F. Ware. Milton Mass., Williams & Co.

4.     Caleb Ware married Bethanial Douglas Mar. 1st 1708 at Henrico.

5.     Peter Ware of Hampton Parish, York Co., Va. sets forth in a deed May 26, 1675 to Nathaniel Bacon for lands devised him by his father Peter Ware "long since deceased". There is also a deed form Valentine May 23, 1690 confirming this deed by Peter of 1675. His residence at this time was in King and Queen’s County, so it would seem that this Peter Ware was father of Valentine and Edward Ware of King and Queen’s Co.

6.     Edward and Valentine Ware were Vestrymen of Straton Major Parish, King and Queen’s County from 1729-1731 and John Ware from 1736-1737.

7.     Henry Ware of Middleses Parish married Margaret Daniel, Aug. 15, 1711.

8.     Isaac m. Colera Stringer Mar. 16, 1771

9.     James m. Jane McMahan July 22, 1773

10.   Robert m. Catherine McMahan July 22, 1773

11.   William m. Mary Bolden Feb. 15, 1777

12.    Catherine m. John Groom May 30, 1779

From Meade and Hadon, we learn

13.    Mr. Alexander Brown, Esq., says Edward Ware was in the French and Indian War of 1755 from Old Albemarle, and

14.    James Richard Mecht and Widow Ware came to old Albemarle prior to 1761 and John Ware was Deputy Clerk there in 1753, and

15.   Edward, Robert, William and George came to old Amherst between 1761 and 1776. James and Mark were in the Revolutionary war from old Amherst.

        Edward Ware must have also been in the Revolutionary war from Amherst Co., Va. for

16.   Elizabeth Ware Long, daughter of Capt. Edward Ware was born in Amherst, Va. Mar. 22, 1789.

                Mothers of Distinguished Georgians

        Lieut. Edward Ware born in Amherst, Va. Oct. 10, 1740 or 1742 and enlisted as a private in the Rev. War from this country.

                Certificate of Pension Office Jan. 12, 1910.

        This Edward Ware was Great-Grandfather to E. A. Tabor, and Great-Great-Grandfather to J. T. Pittard.

John, b. Dec. 12, 1736
James, b. Mar. 13, 1741
Clara, b. Dec. 11, 1747
Edward, b. Apr. 25, 1753

19.    Elizabeth Alexander Ware was born Sept. 30, 1837 and married, 1st, Edwars W. Britton; 2nd. Jas. M. McGuire, M.D. Berryville, Va. The ceremony for this marriage was performed by Rev. Dr. Haden, author of Haden’s Genealogies. She was daughter of Francis T. Ware.

20.    Lucy Balman Ware, b. 1830; d. Audley, Va. Sept. 1866. Was married to Capt. Edwars Park Curtis Lewis, a direct descendant of both Gen. and Mrs. George Washington; he married second time the widow of former Congressman Garnett of Baltomore, Md. He then settled in Hoboken, N. J. and was appointed by Pres. Cleveland Minister to Portugal.

21.    John Ware was vestryman in St. Ann’s Parish, Albermarle Co. court from 1772 to 1785.

22.    James, William and James 2nd were vestrymen in Amherst Co. Court House Parish from 1779 to -----.

1. John Ware received 700 Acres May 14, 1653 on Rappahannock River.
2. Edward Ware 2015 Acres in Henrico Co. April 2, 1692.
3. Elizabeth Ware 240 Acres on Pamunkey Apr. 1, 1702.
4. Thomas Ware 620 Acres on Pamunkey Apr. 1, 1702.
5. Edward Ware 116 Acres on K. & Q. Co. Oct. 23, 1703
6. Valentine Ware 600 Acres in K. & Q. Co. May 2, 1705
7.      "             "     1671 Acres in Henrico Co. Dec. 10, 1724
8. Thomas Ware 150 Acres in King William Co. Feb. 9, 1724.

Rev. John Quin, 1652-1672

Rev. Jas Clark, 1679-1723
Rev. Thos. Hughes, 1724

Rev. Jno. Fox, (Wife died 1742)
Rev. Jas. Fountain
Rev. Carnes down to 1754.
Rev. Jno. Fox, again 1754-8
Rev. Jno. Cole

Rev. Mann, who was the Rector there at the time of the writing of Meade’s "Old Churches and Families of Va."

26.     Robt. D. Ware, M.D., Montgomery, Ala. who was frequently a member of the Ala. Legislature was quite rich; b. 1801; d. 1866.

27.     Nathaniel A. Ware was a native of Mass., b. 1789; went to S. C. in early manhood as a teacher; studied law and thence removed to Natchez, Miss., where he became the last Territorial Secretary and Maj.-General of Militia from June 7, 1815 to Oct. 1817; grew quite rich; married a daughter of Cap. Percy of the British Navy, who lived in La.; had two daughters who were distinguished writers. Catherine Ann married Robert E. Worfield of Lexington, Ky, Elinor Parcy married Wm. H. Lee, as the widow of a Mr. Ellis.
                       Miss. Biographical Society.
          Harper’s Encyclopedia of American History gives his nativity as Abbeville, S. C. Aug. 16, 1780.
          Elinor Ware Lee, of Miss., was mother of Mrs. Gen. S. W. Ferguson, of Greenville, Miss. She was quite a poetess; was sister of Catherine A. Ware, the author of nine books, "The Household of Bouviere" being her best known; was a native Mississippian; was wife of Wm. Henry Lee, Cousin to Gen. Robert Lee, Her mother was Elinor Percy Ware; her father was Nathaniel A. Ware; she previously married a Mr. Ellis, by whom she had only one child, viz. Mrs. Sarah Ellis Dorsey, who was also an authoress and who left an estate to Jeff Davis.

28.     Horace Ware, of Birmingham, Ala. was born in Lynn, Mass. Apr. 11, 1812; was son of Johnathan Ware, reared in Boston and N. Y. until 13 years of age, when his father moved to N. C. Five years afterwards he removed to Ala., locating first in Bibb County; he was an iron manufacturer, who led the development of the iron fields of Alabama; A strong Methodist and Temperance advocate; married June 24, 1840, Martha A. Woodruff, member of an old and influential family of S. C.

29.     James B. Ware, farmer, of Corinth, Heard Co., Ga. was born on the old home place 1830. His grandfather, Henry Ware, was born in Maryland in 1756, whose parents had been among the early English settlers of that state. He married Winnie Minns and moved to S. C.; died Nov. 21, 1807.

30.    Wm. Ware’s father was born in Edgefield, S. C. 1788; while young, migrated to Ga. Pile County 1827 and Troup Co. 1828; died in Coweta Co. Aug. 18, 1838. Wm. Ware was a farmer; married Sarah M. Simms Oct. 11, 1849. Children were: Albert V. Orr, Addie G. Snow; John F., Alonzo C., Alfred, Henry H., Robt., H. and Minnie. He was a Mason and ardent Baptist.

31.    Alexander P. Ware, school-teacher, Arabi, Ga. was born in Wilkes Co., Ga. Aug. 16, 1855; was son of Rev. Nicholas C. Ware, who was a well known Methodist minister and who died in 1889. He married Rosa, daughter of Judge W. H. Edwards of Warrenton in 1877. They have four children.

          Cline Looney, b. Nov. 10, 1878. He has founded several schools; was four years in charge of the Augusta Orphan Asylum and is now in charge of the Arabi Institute. The other three children are Eva. B. b. Aug. 23, 1882; Mable B. b. Feb. 16, 1886; Alexander Ford, b. July 29, 1889. The following tribute is paid him and his ancestors: "The Ware family to which Mr. Ware belongs is of noble origin and has bee prominent in the state for several generations. Ware County was named in honor, of Mr. Ware’s ancestor, U.S. Senator, Nicholas Ware. His immediate family are remarkable for their devotedness to work of a religious and educational character. Eight of his uncles as well as his father have been engaged in the ministry of the M. E. Church, while three of his brothers are also teachers. One, N. E. Ware, is in charge of the public schools at Hawkinsville, Ga. ---Ware is in charge of the Cordele High School.
                         ---Memoirs of Ga, Vol. I

Copyright © 2006 Brett W. Smith. All rights reserved.