A brief overview of the lineage of Josiah William Ware –
owner of Springfield Farm in Berryville, Virginia.

Courtesy of Judy Ware, 2002
© Judy C. Ware

Josiah William Ware was born on August 19, 1802 in Clarke County, Virginia.    His father was James Ware III and his mother was Elizabeth Snickers Alexander (Ware).  (ref.84)  James III & Elizabeth had been married on Nov. 10, 1796, but Elizabeth died in 1806.  Josiah’s father then remarried two years later on March 16, 1808 to a Miss Harriet Taylor.  

Josiah only had one sister by the marriage of James & Elizabeth – Sarah (Sally) Elizabeth Taliaferro Ware.  There had been 2 sons born, but older brother James died at birth and his younger brother, Charles Alexander Ware, died in 1825 at the age of 21.   Josiah did have some step-siblings from the union of James III and Harriet, but only one lived long enough to marry; her name being Lucy Catherine Ware.  Lucy was the child who inherited Riverside from her father's side of the family, while Josiah inherited Springfield from his mother's side.   Lucy was born in 1814, however, so there were quite a few years between them - twelve!  Harriet had given birth to five other children (James in 1809, Bushrod in 1810, Marshall in 1812, Mary Harriet in 1816 and Elizabeth Alexander in 1818), but all died young.  Consequently, Josiah was extremely close to his sister Sarah.  They ended up living right across the road from each other, (ref. 2 & 3) and Josiah even named one of his children after Sarah’s husband (Sigismund Stribling).

On Feb. 22, 1827, at the age of 25, Josiah married a young lady named Frances Toy Glassell.  She was eighteen at the time and had come to Winchester to attend school and was staying at the Episcopal Rectory.  (ref. 26)  We own the trunk that she used during this time with the initials F.G. nailed in the top.  I have a picture I can forward later.  

Shortly before their marriage, Josiah began construction of Springfield Farm on land inherited from his father. (ref. 2, 61)  The land originally belonged to Edward Snickers (a large landowner in Virginia around 1760) and was called “Springfield” even at that time.  Edward left the property to his daughter Sarah (Mrs. Morgan Alexander).  She, in turn, willed it to their daughter Elizabeth (Mrs. James Ware III), and they subsequently gave the property to their son, Josiah Willam Ware. (ref. 160)   There is tons on information on Springfield that will follow later.

Josiah and Francis had six children together before her death on May 10, 1842.  Their first son (named James) was born Feb. 16, 1831.  The baby only lived 8 months after birth, however, so when Frances had another boy on Nov. 26, 1832, they decided to name him James as well.  His full name was James Alexander Ware - - he is the son from which my family line continues.  His middle name (Alexander) was Josiah’s mother’s maiden name.  James went on to serve as a colonel in the Civil War, married Jane Morton Smith, and later became a judge in Texas.

Child #3 was John Glassell Ware (the “Glassell” part obviously honoring Frances’s side of the family).   John was born on May 2, 1835, but unfortunately died of yellow fever at the age of 23 on Sept. 29, 1858.

Child #4 was Elizabeth Alexander Ware – born on Sept. 30, 1837.  Elizabeth had a fascinating history & I have tons of information on her; including a beautiful picture.    She married a Dr. Britton on March 10, 1864 at the age of 27.  They had one son named Josiah (after her beloved father), but tragedy struck in November of 1865.  Both Dr. Britton and the baby died of yellow fever in the same month!  Elizabeth later remarried in 1884 to Dr. James Mercer McGuire, but she never had any other children of her own.  There is a stained glass window in Grace Episcopal Church that is dedicated to her - - I will send pictures of that at a later date.

Child #5 was Lucy Balmain Ware.  Her middle name was bestowed on her out of a deep friendship the family had with a minister by that name.  She was born on Jan. 10, 1839 and later  (at age 20) joined the George Washington family tree by marrying one of Washington’s favorite nephews; Edward Parke Custis Lewis – son of Lorenzo & Esther Lewis and grandson of Nelly Custis {Lewis} – the adopted daughter of George Washington.  Lucy had a very sad life in that she lost so many children.    Her daughter Eleanor Angela died at 7 months, son Lawrence Fielding died as an infant, son John Glassell also died as an infant, and son Edward Parke Custis died at 19 months.  The only child she had that lived to adulthood was Lucy (named after her), but Lucy Balmain died shortly after her birth.  The baby was raised for a while by her sister Elizabeth; until E.P.C. Lewis remarried years later and served as an ambassador to Portugal.  There is an entire alcove and stained glass window dedicated to Lucy Balmain Ware in Grace Episcopal Church – I will be happy to send you those pictures as well.

Child #6 was Charles Alexander Ware who was born on April 26, 1841.  Charles went to Medical School at the University of Virginia.  He later served with J.E.B. Stuart during the Civil War and became the head surgeon for Imboden’s Corps until the war ended. (ref. #34) Charles never married and later took up residence in St. Louis where he practiced medicine for many years.  He died at age 74 in 1915.  We have many letters from him that truly reflect his great wit and humor.

As mentioned before, Frances died in 1842 – leaving Josiah with 5 children left to raise; the oldest (James) was only 11 and young Charles was just one year of age.

On January 30, 1845, Josiah remarried.   His new wife was Edmonia Jaquelin Smith – the daughter of Edward Jaquelin Smith and Elizabeth Macky.   She was 28 years old at the time of the marriage, and the wedding took place at her family home of Smithfield. (ref.84)   Josiah and Edmonia were actually distant cousins.  See if you can follow this - - Josiah was the son of Elizabeth Alexander Ware who was the daughter of Sarah Snickers Alexander who was the daughter of Edward Snickers and Elizabeth Taliaferro.   Edmonia was the daughter of Elizabeth Mackey Smith who was the daughter of Katharine Snickers Mackey who was the daughter of Edward Snickers and Elizabeth Taliaferro!!  

Anyway – Josiah and Edmonia moved into Springfield after their marriage, and they ALSO had six children together.  I have many, many letters and remembrances of Edmonia, but I won’t go into all that now.

Child #1 Jaquelin Smith Ware was their first child together, and he was born on Feb. 7, 1846.  He served in the Confederate army as a courier for J.E.B. Stuart, and he later married Helen Grinnan.  They had no children, but “Uncle Jaque” was well loved by all.  There is a beautifully engraved brass marker on the pulpit in Grace Episcopal Church in Berryville that serves as a memorial to him.  I’ll send that picture to you later.

Child #2  Josiah William Ware was born on July 8, 1847, but sadly he only lived to be 4 months old.  He passed away on Nov. 13, 1847.

Child #3  Sigismund Stribling Ware was born on June 27, 1849, but again - - this poor baby didn’t live long either.  He died at 7 months on Jan. 1, 1850.

Child #4 Sigismund Stribling Ware was born on Feb. 3, 1851.  As was a common practice back in those times -  if a child died very young, it was not unusual to use the same name again.  This son was named after Josiah’s sister’s husband; whom everyone thought so highly of.  Sigismund became an Episcopal Clergyman after attending the Theological Seminary near Alexandria, Virginia - (thus becoming Reverend S.S. Ware).    He married Elizabeth Walker and they had three children, but only one lived to adulthood.  Edmonia Jaquelin and Edward Jaquelin both died in infancy, but Margaret Cornelia grew up and later married John Anker.  We have a phenomenal letter from her describing all kinds of family history!

Child # 5 Josiah William Ware II was born on Nov. 23, 1853.  He also became ordained to the Episcopal ministry, and he had a parish on the Eastern Shore of Virginia in Accomac County.  That is where he met his future wife, Anne Nottingham.  They had 5 children that lived to maturity.  Their children were John Nottingham Ware, Jaquelin Ware, Josiah William Ware III, Kennard Ware, and Dorothy Ware.

Child # 6  Robert Mackey Ware was born on May 5, 1857 (when Josiah was 55 years old and Edmonia was 40).  He moved to Chicago when grown and married Caroline Waughop.  He continued in business there until 1905 when he built a house in New Mexico and moved his family on a ranch there.  He and Caroline had four children: Ellen Edmonia Ware, Josiah William Ware, Henry W. Ware, and Alice Wilson Ware.  (ref. 2, 3, & 195) 

So. . . . there you have it in a nutshell.  There are many, many details to be filled in, but hopefully this gives you a good overview of the people we will be talking about.  Josiah died on August 13, 1883 and Edmonia died in 1900.   

Herein begins the journey.