Ward Family in Witchford - 19th Century

[tracerstlm]

I am in the USA and am trying to research the Ward family in Witchford in the 19th century.  I have found many records but cannot connect my great-great grandmother, Elizabeth Ann Ward (b. 1852) into the family due to lack of online records.  I know she was born in Witchford in 1852 and was living with her aunt and uncle, Edith and Joseph Taylor, in Littleport by the 1861 census.  She remained there, married John Thomas Washington, and emigrated to Dunkirk, NY, USA in 1903.  Any suggestions on where to go to find parish records or anything at all that might help?? Many thanks!!

[anneb]

There was an Elizabeth Ward daughter of William and Jane baptised in Witchford on 7th July 1853.William's occupation is labourer.

[tracerstlm]

You're kidding!  I am confident her grandfather is Thomas, and he does have a son named William born in 1831!  What do you think the chances are that it is him?  I can't find any additional information on him or Jane on Ancestry.com.  Was it common to wait 1yr for a baptism?  She was born June 16, 1852.  Does your source have any information on William Ward (b. 1831) and (beyond all hope, I'll ask) Jane?

Thank you so much, I have been researching for months and the family has for years!  You are wonderful.

[bedfordshire boy]

You could

- think laterally, using www.freebmd.org.uk Joseph Taylor married Edith Ward in the March quarter 1851 in Ely registration district. This marriage cert will give Edith's father, Elizabeth Ann's grandfather
- using http://www.cfhs.org.uk/Search.html you can find Edith's baptism in 1819 in Witchford, parents Thomas and Ann. But just putting in Ward and Witchford throws up no William son of Thomas and Ann. Perhaps Ann wasn't the father mother (I very much doubt that she was his father!) of William - a second marriage perhaps.
- buy Elizabeth's marriage certificate from the GRO which would give her father's name. The marriage was in the Dec quarter 1872 in Ely registration district. Freebmd hasn't transcribed Elizabeth Ward but the marriage shows on Camdex at http://www2.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/db/ridmars.nsf/search?OpenForm
- Freebmd shows a marriage of William Ward in Ely reg district in Dec 1851  where the other party is either Jane Dean or Jane Golden. Camdex shows her to be Jane Golden. The marriage cert will show if William's father was Thomas, but even then there's no guarantee that this is your William, but it's getting closer
- how do you know William was born in 1831? How do you know Elizabeth Ann's father was William?

I can find no Elizabeth Ward whose birth was registered in 1852. This was still early days in the era of civil registration and with no penalty for failure to register the birth, many people didn't bother. It does mean though that if she wasn't baptised either, and wasn't living with her parents in any census, it's difficult to prove conclusively who her parents were.

David

[welsh lady]

Had a look around this is what ive found going off the baptism of Elizabeth above
H0107 Piece 84 Book 7

1841 Witchford
Thomas Ward,40
Mary Ward,40
Thomas Ward,15
William Ward,10
Daniel Ward 6

All born Cambs ages for adults rounded down

1851 H0107 Piece 1764 Folio 295 Page 30

Witchford,Cambs
Thomas Ward,Head,53,Farmer of 3 acres,Fenstanton,Hunts
Mary Ward,wife,52,Bluntesham,Hunts
William Ward,son,20,Littleport,Cambs
Daniel Ward,son,16,Witchford
Rose Anne Ward,dau,9,Ely,Cambs
Thomas Isberton ? stepson,29,Shoemaker,Ely.Cambs (ADDED-surname is Saberton)

1861
RG9 Piece 1142 Folio 95 Page 12
Mildenhall,Worlington,Suffolk

William Ward,27,Littleport,Cambs
Jane Ward,Wife,31,Fen Drayton,Hunts.
Thomas Ward ,son,11 weeks or months?,Mildenhall Suffolk
Mary Ann Wilkens?,visitor,26,Fen Drayton,Hunts
John Wilkens,1 m,Cambs

The above  fits with the parents on Elizabeths baptism

Baptism Littleport Cambs
1830 William Ward son of Thomas ,Mary Ward

baptism Witchford
1819 Edith Ward dau of Thomas and Ann Ward
1835 Daniel Ward son of Thomas and Ann Ward

First of all i thought Thomas had been married twice first to Ann then Mary however the baptism of Daniel above  i now  dont know if the mothers name was Mary Ann and she went by both names ?

Hope this helps

Welsh Lady

[tracerstlm]

WOW, I just saw the replies while trying to go over these thoughts with my mother!  Our family has never had further information on Elizabeth other than a birthdate (16 Jun 1852) and that she was "from the next town over, in Withcford".  My mother is a Washington and a descendant of Elizabeth WARD and John Thomas WASHINGTON who came to America in 1903 with 12 of their 13 children (the 13th having died in Littleport).  I joined Ancestry.com in the hopes of finding any new information regarding her.

I found the census record showing Elizabeth in Littleport as "visitor" in 1861 and "niece" in 1871 living with Edith and Joseph Taylor.  I am *guessing* that Edith is her blood relative aunt as in some census records her birthplace is also listed as Witchford.  I assumed her last name *could* be Ward or could also be the maiden name of Elizabeth's mother - who I don't know at this point. 

The 1881 census showed Charlotte E. Ward as "cousin" living with Elizabeth and her family (the Washingtons) in Littleport.  I decided then to reserach Charlotte, finding her father Daniel, and then his parents and brothers - Thomas & Mary, Thomas, William, and Daniel.  I thought perhaps Thomas or William or even a missing brother could be Elizabeth's parent. 

The above post is the closest I've come to a baptism date within a year of Elizabeth's birth that might be her.  I have found 2 or 3 other Elizabeth Ann Wards but they differ in age by several years.  The information on William WARD and Jane being her parents (and in Littleport), while not concrete, seems highly coincidental since that's where Elizabeth is living until her emigration...... interesting.

You all have MADE my WEEK!  I am still trying to learn my away around this kind of research, help is immensely appreciated and I am quite grateful for this information.  THANK YOU!

[anneb]

William Ward (20) son of Thomas-farmer married Jane Golden (22) d of John lab in Witchford on 27th October 1851

[welsh lady]

In 1851 the stepson surname is Saberton checked on another site on the census  and heres his baptism Thomas Saberton 1821 son of Thomas and Mary Saberton in Ely.So looks like Mary and Thomas were both married before.However they are the parents of your William so are your direct line.
And Anne has been great she found Elizabeths baptism and now has found Williams marriage above which confirms Thomas as his Father

Welsh Lady

[tracerstlm]

MANY thanks to you all for the additional information!!  I am still trying to learn this site, I just stumbled across it last week and after your generous help, I have to say it might be my new favorite site!