A Genealogical History of William N. Ward born 1945

 

This site examines the descendants of Fouques De La Vardes who is believed to be the name of the earliest Norman ancestor of our surname Ward in England. He was born in Normandy, France about 975 AD. His descendants settled in England from France. Sons and grandsons of Fouques supported Duke William during the Norman Invasion of 1066. Genetics has shown that another line of Wards arrived in England about 700 - 1300 AD from Ireland that is the paternal lineage I descend from. When England established the colony at Jamestown, Virginia, Wards, from whom I descend, were among the first to arrive. Our family name has been associated with the growth of England and the establishment and success of the early American experiment.​.​

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The latest update to A Genealogical History of William N. Ward - 4th edition, July 2025, includes significant changes to the ancestry of Seth Ward, born c1536 of Cambridgeshire and, his grand sons, John and Seth Ward. Results of my DNA tests have resulted in a significant update to this history. I have added unpublished articles about the early generations of Wards in Jamestown Colony, (2017) by Dr. Dana Ward, Ph.D, Professor Emeritus, Political Studies at Pitzer College. Also included are 2024 articles by Richard Warren Davis on the Wards of Cambridgeshire in the 15th and 16th centuries and the 17th century, Jamestown era. Many thanks to Dr. Dana Ward and Richard Davis, among others, for the their added clarity and contributions. You may view the files on the File Share page.