Our Astounding Past - March 9, 2010

Tithables list continued:
I read through the Library of Virginia website on tithables. There is a link to the website that lists all the counties that have some tithables available. Campbell County was not listed. Bedford County was listed, but I do not have any available information at this time for Bedford.

John Ward’s Will:
Will of Major John Ward recorded at Campbell County Circuit Court in Will Book 3 page 462
In the name of God, Amen. I, John Ward, of the County of Campbell, State of Virginia, being of perfect mind and memory, but considering the uncertainty of this life, do make this my last will and testament, in manner & form following:
First, I give my soul to God and my body to the earth, to be decently buried by my executors hereafter named, who I doubt not will manage it with all requisite prudence. As to my worldly estate I will and positively order that all my just debts be paid.
Item. I give and bequeath to my beloved son William Ward all my lands above the mouth of Old Woman’s Creek adjoining Staunton River which he has a patent for. Also his proportional part of all personal estate during his natural life and after his death to descend to his three children Robert, John Ward and Milly Ward, to be equally divided between them.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my beloved son john Ward the two tracts of land I purchased of Col. Thomas Dillard containing by estimation 800 acres. Also my tract of land in Amherst on the north side of James River near Lynch’s Ferry, containing by estimation 1000 acres. Also my stone house and lot in Lynchburg. Also the Spring Tract of land he purchased of his brother William. Also a tract of land known by the name of the Talbot Place, containing 597 acres. Also a tract known by the name of the John Stone Place which I purchased of Edward Terrell. Also a tract I purchased of Frank Smith on sycamore Creek in Pittsylvania, containing 645 acres. Also a small tract of 76 acres adjoining it. Also my tract purchased of Davis known as Indian Camps. Also his proportional part of negroes and all personal estate, all to him and his heirs forever.
Item. I give and bequeath to my beloved son Henry Ward all my land adjoining the Ferry on the south Side of Staunton River, also my lands adjoining my ferry and the place I now live on the North side of Staunton River, on Otter river, on Cheese Creek and the branches except the tract given to my son John. Also the tract of land at the mouth of Old Woman’s Creek which he has possession of, together with the mill and the mill tract. Also a tract of land on the South Side of Staunton River purchased of Henry Chiles, known by the name of Jack’s Place. Also his proportional part of negroes and personal property, all to him and his heirs forever.
Item. I lend to my beloved daughter, Agatha Calloway her proportional part of negroes and all personal property during her natural life, and after her death to descend to her three children, David Calloway, Henry Calloway & Margaret Calloway, to be divided as follows, one half to Margaret and one half to David and Henry G. Calloway.
Item. I give and bequeath to my beloved daughter Anne Dillard five pounds, she having received her part already.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my three grandchildren vix. Lynch Dillard, Lucinda Dillard, and John Dillard my tract of land on Sycamore Creek above Early’s mill containing by estimation 840 acres to be equally divided between them, but they are to give their mother Ann Dillard the privilege of cultivating as much thereof as she may choose to cultivate, also one fifth part of my negroes & personal estate to be equally divided between the above name Lynch, Lucinda & John Dillard, but my desire is that Lynch, Lucinda & John Dillard do give their bonds to their mother, Anne Dillard, before they receive their portions for twenty five pounds a year during her natural life, to be laid out on her at the discretion of my executor.
My further desire is that John Calloway and Henry Ward to have all my back lands on Smith River in Franklin, Patrick and Montgomery Counties, except the lands on Buck’s Ford.
I do constitute, ordain and appoint John Ward and Henry Ward Executors of this my last will & testament revoking all other wills by me heretofore made. Whereof I have herunto set my hand and fixed my seal this 23rd day of January one thousand eight hundred and nine.
John Ward (seal)
Witnesses
Hartwell Allen, Wm. Harris, James X Williams, James Luster
At a court held for Campbell County November 11, 1816, the within last will and testament of John Ward, deceased, was proven by the oaths of Jas. Williams and James Luster and by the solemn affirmation of Wm. Harris here of the witnesses thereto subscribed, and ordered to be recorded. And Henry Ward, one of the executors in said will named, having in open court refused to take upon himself the burden of the execution thereof. On the motion of the said Henry Ward and Robert A. Ward who make oath together with John Ward minor, Lynch Dillard, Charles l. Terrell, John Lynch, Jr., Samuel Pannill, and James C. Moorman, their securities entered into and acknowledged their bond in penalty of Sixty thousand dollars.
Teste – R. O.Alexandee C.C.C.

John Ward’s will was written in the 1809. By his will, we know that at that time he owned 3,958 acres in Bedford, Campbell , Pittsylvania and Amherst counties. He owned a stone house and lot in the City of Lycnhburg, more acreage in Pittsylvania and Campbell County which there is no acreage listed. He also owned land in Franklin, Patrick and Montgomery counties on the Smith River.
He named the following children in this will:
• William Ward
• John Ward
• Henry Ward
• Agatha Ward Calloway
• Anne Ward Dillard
Please note that in my March 8 Ward list of children I did not have John Ward listed.
Grandchildren were also listed in John Ward’s will
Agatha Ward Calloway’s Children
• Henry Calloway
• Margaret Calloway
• David Calloway
William Ward’s Children
• Robert A. Ward
• John Ward
• Milly Ward
Anne Dillard’s Children
• Lynch Dillard
• Lucinda Dillard
• John Dillard

In John Ward’s will, a bond was posted in the amount of 60,000.00. A bond is an extra administrative expense of your estate whose cost increases in the size of the estate. A bond is a form of insurance to replace assets that may be mismanaged or stolen by the executor. So a bond’s dollar amount is determined by the size of his estate. So I put 60,000 into a measuring worth calculator which you can find in the link below and these are the results:


• $1,079,884.23 using the consumer price index
• $970,380.74 using the GDP deflater
• $9,893,076.92 using the unskilled wage
• $28,677,771.14 using the nominal GDP per capita
• $1,258,078,320.70 using the relative share of GDP
http://www.measuringworth.com/calculators/uscompare/result.php
This would make John Ward a millionaire by today’s standards.
In the past two days, we have discovered that John Ward held thousands of acres in the piedmont of the Commonwealth of Virginia, he was a father of five children and had nine Grandchildren and that he was a slaveholder. In the future I will address this unfortunate part of our history, but at this time I will be sharing other parts of his history. We also discovered that his primary residence was on the north side of Staunton River, on Otter River and Cheese Creek.
Tomorrow we will continue with John Ward and we will be addressing stories about his home called “The Mansion”.