Dad insisted…
that his ancestors were Irish. Mom always argued that the Wards were English. Well dad’s in for a big surprise when he comes back to discover mom was right… as usual! In fact, in the 1921 census, his father gives his origin as ‘English’ To see the proof of the matter see the link ‘His Side’ on the top menu. Follow the Ward family from the 1900s in Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, back to the Windsor, Hants County, Nova Scotia area and beyond…across the sea and through the centuries, to Marske by Richmond, a little hamlet nestled in the Yorkshire Dales in 17th and 18th century England No doubt where my dad got the idea he was Irish was from relatives on his mother’s side… the Lowthers. In fact in that same 1921 census, his mother gives her origin as ‘Irish’. That side of his family were Irish through and through. Lowthers were from Londonderry, Ireland and his mother’s mother was a Berry, also Irish. There was a wee bit of the Irish on his Dad’s side… his father’s mother was a Caldwell, also from Londonderry. Dad always told us kids that we were part ‘MicMac’ (Mi’kmaq First Nation)and when he wrote his memoirs he stated “My first memories were of my Micmac paternal great grandmother…” Research has revealed that this statement cannot be accurate since his ‘paternal great grandmother’ was definitely not Mi’kmaq. A feasable scenario is that the Mi’kmaq ancestor was actually his mother’s mother, Mary Berry.. his maternal grandmother.
Mom’s Side – The Dalrymple Clan
My mother’s side, were all Scottish…her father, Dalrymple, her mother, Steedman, and as far back as I can trace so far, all from the Kingdom of Fife! For the most part both the Dalrymples and the Steedmans were coal miners in and around the ancient city of Dunfermline on the Firth of Forth. My mother’s father, James Dalrymple, had greater ambitions, though, and established himself in Dunfermline at the young age of 16, as a painter. After marrying, he and his young wife and two infants, journeyed accross the big pond and settled in Toronto, Ontario, Canada where he continued and expanded his trade to ‘painter and decorator’. He was known for painting fine wall murals, one of which graced the summer home of the well known Timothy Eaton (of Eaton’s Department Stores fame) You can visit my mother’s ancestry by clicking the ‘Her Side’ link.
Ultimate Goal
My ultimate goal is to confirm the ancestral connection of my earliest confirmed Ward – Simon Ward born 1757, died 1833, Newport, Hants County, Nova Scotia, Canada – to the Marske Wards of Swaledale in Yorkshire, England. I have been researching these Wards for over 24 years.
Extensive research has been carried out in parish records throughout England, where, because of family information passed down, we know Simon was from. Then, eliminating all Simon Wards born in the right period who were otherwise later accounted for elsewhere, there left only one, Simon Ward baptized 25 Sep 1757 in Marske by Richmond, son of Simon and Sarah.
The same family information passed down also included a description of his uniform which indicates that he was a British Loyalist who fought in the American Revolutionary War (1775-1883).