My husband’s great great grandfather was Francis Frederick Ward, born in Sevier County, Arkansas, 19 Aug 1852. This much we have established. Through talking with other genealogists, process of elimination, and all the dates fitting, I believe his father was William Ward and mother was Mary Wheat Ward. William Ward was enumerated with Mary in the 1850 census in Sevier County and he is listed as being born in Ohio whereas Mary was born in Arkansas. Their marriage records show them marrying in Sevier County in 1841. I can’t find him on the 1840 census in the area. There are several reason this might be; 1) He was still in Ohio, 2) The 1840 census only listed names of head of household and it is possible William was living at home in 1840. I haven’t been able to find any other records on William to help narrow down where in Ohio he might have been from and who his parents were. I suppose I am going to have to make a trip to Sevier County, although other genealogists have done so with little luck. The biggest problem is that William Ward is a fairly common name.
Does anybody out there have a William Ward, born about 1818 in Ohio, occupation Carpenter and died 1859 in Sevier County, Arkansas?
