John WARD - Wellington NSW

[Jack2023a]

John Ward (m) Judith Reece Parramatta in November 1845.
They had 4 children
1. John ----Penrith NSW
2. Alfred William-----Wellington NSW
3. Frances Sarah----Wellinton NSW
4. James Davidson (Joseph)---Wellington NSW

Sometime after the birth of the last children 1852 and January 1856. . . Their father John Ward went missing, died but there is no death record for him.  His wife remarried in January 1856.

I have searched death records for John Ward but no record can be found.

It beleived that John Ward (Snr) was licencee of a hotel in Wellington area 1844.

Just wondering if anyone can help with any other anvenue to look for John Ward. . .

There are still Wards in Wellington area - but none of us can find out where or what happened to the JOHN WARD husband of Judith Reece.

A Mystery. . . . .

Jack
Australia

[tropicalj]

There are a number of deaths in Victoria  in  that time frame for John Ward.

Do  you  have  where and when he was born, and his parents names?

Jenn

[Jack2023a]

Hi

That is also a mystery. . . the name of his parents.  No one in the family knows if he was born in Australia or England.

However - another link to the family suggests that he was born in England 1821 - parents William & Ann

But this has not been proven yet. . .

The birth certificates of his children - he was an inn-keeper,
On the marriage certificates of his sons, his occupation was recorded as a teamster . . . .

Their youngest son was taken as a child by a relative, taken from Wellington area to Hunter Valley, while his brothers grew up in the Wellington area.

Its all a mystery. . . . . .

Jack


 

[JHenry3]

I believe the John Ward you are looking for is the brother of William Ward, the son of William Ward and Ann Douglas who lived in Long Lawford. William arrived in Sydney on the "China" on the 7th September 1841, The next I can find of William is marrying Ann Stevens at Montefiores (Wellington) on 30 August 1852.  John Ward (Born 1921) arrived here sometime in that period. John and Williams sister, Charlotte, arrived here on the Simonds on the 14th April 1855.She married a James Rogerson from Dubbo in the same year. John Ward was an Inn Keeper at Montefiores (Wellington NSW). The Inn was known as Wards Inn. William Ward gathered up quite a bit of property. My sticking point is that I cannot find John Ward, arriving in Australia, but I believe it must have been around the same time as his brother, William. As a bit of interest the Inn still stands and is now a private home. (http://acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/_Zoomify/2011/D13950/a2824837.html) The Inn is the building at the end of the street in the center.
Jim

[judb]

Welcome to Rootschat, Jim. Great photo!

It doesn't add anything to your knowledge and you probably have this marriage notice, January 1856 for Judith WARD, widow and William McKENNA, by Special License, both of Montefiores.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/62052358

I cannot see the birth index entry for the first child you mention:
John ----Penrith NSW

From NSW BMD
Frances F WARD 2311/1848 V18482311 34A
Parents: John , Judith
And FamilySearch has this information forFrances:
Frances Sarah WARD, b 8 Dec, 1848 (FamilySearch), baptised Bathurst 21/1/1849

NSW BMD Index:
William A WARD 2446/1850 V18502446 37A
Parents John, Judith

NSW BMD Index
4. James Davidson (Joseph)---Wellington NSW
James D WARD, 2274/1852 V18522274 38A
Parents: John, Judith

Again - you probably have all of this.

As John is listed as a 'teamster' he may well have died far from Wellington without anyone knowing his name, or he may have changed his name.  However the minister must have been convinced that John was dead to have signed off that Judith was a widow, especially as it was not a large community, and you would think that the circumstances would be known in the district.

Judith

[rosball]

A possible sighting of John WARD in 1854  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article62047813

Five Pounds Reward,
LOST from Fredericks Valley in April 1853, a iron grey horse, branded JM on near shoul-
der ; any person delivering the same to Mr. Carr, Inkeeper, Frederick's Valley shall receive
a reward of £3, or £5 if delivered to John Ward, Montefiores, Wellington.

Ros

[JHenry3]

Thank you for the above information. I don't have a lot of information on John Ward as I am a maternal descendant of his brother William. I have all the background information on the Wards back to John and Elizabeth Ward in Warwickshire in 1735. Most of the information I have is from the Parish records, but from the mid 1800's, certificates mainly in Australia. My interest in John was revived by a query from a descendant of John Ward and Sarah Kearns. I will keep searching for his arrival here to substantiate the information I have.
Jim

[Neil Todd]

The area is plagued by floods and as a teamster he could have been carried away. No death listed but possibly a Coronial Inquiry? You would need to check Trove Newspapers for notices.

Neil

[majm]

Hi Jim,

Welcome !

Yes, the floods, the flooding rains, the droughts .... the contrasts.... Neil's right .... a teamster basing his family in Wellington could have be lost in the 1850s just about anywhere even into Queensland, or down across the Murray in Victoria or over in South Australia .... or he may have been killed in a mining accident on the gold fields, or succumbed to measles. 

May I ask if anyone has checked the actual parish registers for a marriage of John WARD to see if there's any 'clues' recorded by the reverend about John.    Sometimes a 'ship of arrival' may be mentioned there.    Also, if John Ward's wife was a regular churchgoer in Wellington, perhaps the clergyman kept a 'family sheet', or prepared a new one for Judith Ward's next marriage ..... These came in very handy for those clergy on 'circuit' in the sparseness of western and far western NSW. 

By way of explanation .... C of E clergy were often keepers of 'family sheets' of information on their 'flock'.   And, at RChat's NSW Resources Board there's live links to the ones for up around Newcastle NSW .... now obviously Wellington's C of E 'family sheets' would not be held by the Newcastle Diocese, but perhaps the Bathurst diocese office may know of their location? 

Here's the link to the NSW Resources Board
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=369703.0

and here's one of the links to the Christ Church Cathedral's digitised registers:
Baptisms, Marriages, Burials, Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/uon/sets/72157606066769147/ 1820 – 1899 Family Register

JM