Some things to talk about Ward Family

Which Ward Family lived on Old Woman's Creek.

I have not been to the courthouse to research land transfers and surveys, but this is what I think and some things of which I know.

John Ward Sr. and his son John Ward Jr. owned vast amounts of land in Campbell and Pittsylvania County.  First let me get the names in order for the Pittsylvania County Wards in my direct line.

Generations:
1st generation
 John Ward Sr. and his wife Ann Chiles
2nd generation
 John and Ann Ward's son William married Mildred Adams
3rd generation
 William and Mildred's son John married Tabitha Walden
4th generation
 John and Tabitha's  son William married Elizabeth Mumford Adams and they had four children;  Cornelia, Henry, Robert and William Ellen.  The reason I am directing my interest toward them is the fact that some of their descendants still live on the property on Old Woman's Creek.
William Ellen died at the age of 12.  Robert was killed at Gettysburg.  They left no heirs. That left Cornelia and Henry.

 Okay, I know by the census of 1860 that Tabitha Ward, Elizabeth Ward and Cornelia Ward Walden were all still living and in different residences. Elizabeth Adams Ward lived in the North District, Pittsylvania County, No. 851. She was living with her two sons Henry and Robert.    Tabitha Ward lived in the North District, Pittsylvania County, No. 860.  Tabitha lived alone at the time.  Her land was valued at 25,000.  Tabitha's husband passed away many years before 1860. Cornelia Ward Walden Dove lived in the North District Pittsylvania County No. 867.  There is no land value on her census.  She was living with her two sons from her marriage with Littleton Tazewell Walden. Cornelia Walden was a widow in 1860.  She was not yet married to George Dove.  The Post Office for Tabitha and Elizabeth was Berger's Store, but Cornelia's Post Office was Leesville District Bedford County.

I also know that John Ward and Tabitha Walden lived on a Plantation called Edgehill on the Staunton River. See "The History of Pittsylvania County" by Maude Carter Clements page 139.  John Ward's father William also lived on the Staunton River.

I know that my grandfather lived in the house that once belonged to his father Albert Lee Dalton and his wife Rose Lee Dove.  This house is on Paisley Road and is situated on Old Woman's Creek.  Rose received the property from her mother Cornelia.  This is supposedly the house where Cornelia resided.   But I don't know if Cornelia was living here in 1860.  Since she was the widow of  Littleton Walden could she have been living on Walden property.  I don't know, but that is a liklihood.  There was no valuation of property for her. The Walden Mansion burned down in the early twentieth century and was located closer to Tabitha's home at Edge Hill near the Bright's Store area on Leesville Lake.  Actually both of those mansions could be under water now.  I know the Walden Mansion or whatever is left is under water.  And I have found no evidence of Edge Hill, but the Ward cemetery is close to Leesville lake.  The Walden Cemetery had to be moved due to Leesville Dam.  Also Cornelia was married at her mother's homeplace according to her marriage license of 1855 to Littleton Walden.  Her marriage license of 1872 to George Dove states that they were married at Cornelia's home.

Henry Ward supposedly lived in his family homeplace.  So I am assuming and this is just assumptions. that this house was 2629 Paisley Road which is just down the road from my grandfather's house.  This is the house where he lived in 1910 and died.  Just recently this house suffered a severe fire and is terribly damaged.  So this house could be Elizabeth Ward's homeplace.

Tabitha Ward died in 1866.  Elizabeth Ward died in 1880. Cornelia died in 1878.

None of the property near the Ward Cemetery at Brights belongs to the Ward descendants at this time.
Most of the property on Paisley Road close or near to where my grandfather lives still belongs to the family through Charles Dove, Rose Dove and Henry Ward.

The Old Slave Graveyard is located on Rose Dove's part of the property near the gravel pit turnoff on Paisley Road, but it is so overgrown that it would be difficult to find now.

It is my opinion that the old farmhouse on Paisley Road which originally belonged to John Ward, jr and was devised to William Ward should be on the National Historic Sites.

Without proper surveys and careful study of court records there is no way to know who was living in which house in the 1860s.  However, I do know that the Ira Dalton home is part of the Ward land and the Henry Ward house also.

Tomorrow Lynch Dillard