Welcome to the De La Vardes Family Site

This site honors Fouques De La Vardes as the name of our earliest known ancestor of our surname Ward. He was born in Normandy, France about 975 AD.  Our ancestors settled in England from France. Sons and grandsons of Fouques accompanied Duke William during the Norman Invasion of 1066. When England established a colony at Jamestown, Virginia, Wards were among the first to arrive. Our family has been a key member in the establishment of the early American experiment.

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The surname Ward and its various spellings has actually been in use for as long as language has had a word for a guard or who serves as a guardian of property or lives. Our name derives from the Old English and Norman French words for guardians or protectors. Varde(s) is the French version of Warde. 'De La' as part of the last name has been an indicator of nobility.

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The Ward Coat of Arms shown here is among the earliest coats of arms borne by our ancestors.

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You may view the files on the File Share page. I periodically update the Ward History document and have added unpublished articles about the first and second generation of Wards in America (2017) by Dana Ward, Ph.D, Professor Emeritus, Political Studies at Pitzer College.