Descendants of Christopher Ward and Maria Day

This story begins with the immigration to Canada of Christopher Ward and his wife Maria DAY. Christopher was born about 1801-2 and was 15 years older than Maria. In 1818 Maria was baptized in Badingham, Suffolk, the daughter of Philip Day and Maria Pearce. We don't know yet where Christopher came from or where they met and married. The points of departure and arrival are still a mystery. However, the records for the oldest daughter, Sarah, provide clues. The census return for 1861 gives Nova Scotia as her place of birth, but the more reliable marriage record indicates that she was born about 1836 in Miramichi, New Brunswick. Possibly Christopher and Maria lived there for a while, or perhaps she was born when the ship stopped in Miramichi. We may never know. We do know that the family lived on Yonge Street north of Toronto and some of the children were baptized at the Anglican Church in York Mills. They then moved to Trafalgar Township in Halton County, west of Toronto, where they appeared on the 1851 and 1861 census.

It's possible that other members of Christopher's family came to Canada, as there was a George Ward in Halton County (Nelson Twp) and an Edward Ward in Peel County (Caledon Twp), both of whom came from England. George Ward's tombstone says he was a native of Yorkshire. He was married twice, had daughters Maria, Emily, Ellen and Miriam and a son William. Edward Ward was born in 1804 and had 3 sons named Christopher, Edward and William.

After 1861, some of the Ward family moved to a farm in Sullivan Township, Grey County, Ontario. The 1863 Assessment Roll lists Christopher Ward on Concession 5 Lot 4 and George Ward on Concession 5 Lot 5. Smith's Gazetteer for 1865-6 lists Christopher Ward on Concession 4 Lot 17.

Christopher likely died in 1869, as his will was registered in December of that year. All his property was left to Maria, with the stipulation that she was to be taken care of by Charles as long as she lived there or until she remarried. At that time, a son James was living on the farm. In the 1881 census, we find Maria married to Caleb Barss and Mary Jane living with them. Maria died in 1886. James and his family moved to Oregon.

Maria Ward was the sister of Esther Day, wife of John Hancey. John and Esther had a son named John. The Hanceys may have come over with the Wards or earlier. After living for a short time at York Mills near the Wards, the Hanceys moved to Alliston in Simcoe County, northwest of Toronto. John Hancey Jr. and his wife and daughters settled in Dauphin around 1891 and then persuaded the Wards to come (the family of Charles and Janet). Mary Jane (Crecine) remained in the Owen Sound area. William Ward settled in Cleveland, Ohio. Edward Ward was a miner in Indiana for a while before moving to Montana. Emily married John Greer and lived in Michigan before moving to Butte, Montana with her second husband, William Medlyn. Esther and George have not yet been traced. Nothing is known of Sarah, either, after her marriage to Patrick McConville.