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Chapter 3
James and Agnes ~ the Early Years
There is not much known of the childhood of James Ware I except that he grew up
in Gloucester County.
(Ref. 34)
Monumental historical changes occurred during his lifetime, however, and he
would find himself an integral part of that history as it unfolded. The two maps below portray how
dramatically the face of Virginia changed from the years just prior to James’
birth to the period about 45 years later.
Maps
courtesy of the late Sherrianne Coleman Nicol
In 1714, two events occurred that did not seem related at the time:
King
George I became the King of England and tea was introduced to the American
colonies. How ironic it was that
the name ‘King George’ (albeit his descendant) and tea would prove to become
such irritating thorns in the side of the colonists prior to the Revolutionary
War.
By the time James turned six years old, the three largest cities in America were
Boston, Philadelphia, and New York City.
At this point in his life, that probably was of little concern to him
since his world tended to revolve around Gloucester, Virginia. It would not be long, however,
before counties like Caroline, Goochland, King and Queen, and Spotsylvania would
factor into his thinking in a big way.
According to documents at the Rutherford B. Hayes Library, James Ware and Agnes
Todd “were married in 1735.”
They were both 21 years old at the time, and it was during the next 18 years
(1736-1753)
they established their family. All
of their children were born in the colony of Virginia. They lived in typical colonial
fashion, and the love of fine horse flesh, good farmland, and family honor were
as much a part of their DNA as hair color.
Agnes had her first child, a son, in 1736, and they named him John. There were three more sons to
follow: Nicholas (1739),
The
above list was compiled by Mrs. Lewis B. Burton, wife of the Bishop of Kentucky,
using data from old records and bibles.
This was a time when the Wares were surrounded by many great men who would make
their mark in the history books.
George Washington was born two years prior to their marriage, and Benjamin
Franklin was busy publishing Poor Richard’s Almanack from 1732 to 1758. Since it was
somewhat of a “best seller” in the American colonies, it likely found its way to
the Ware reading table while James and Agnes a All of the Ware offspring were raised as subjects of the King of England. The years when they were toddlers were relatively free from great political strife, but that would prove to be the ‘lull before the storm,’ so to speak. James and Agnes, along with their family, were heading into a whirlwind of change. The life of each child would be forever altered by the events that loomed on the horizon, and their decisions would largely dictate the future for generations yet to come.
CHILDREN OF AGNES TODD AND JAMES WARE I
(1) Capt. John
Ware B. Dec. 12, 1736 D. June 17,
1816
Married Ann Harrison
(2)
Nicholas Ware
B. Aug. 12, 1739
D.
Mar. 26, 1787
Married Martha Peggie Hodges
(3) Dr.
James Ware II B.
Mar. 13, 1741/2 D. May 7,
1820
(Ref. 870, 959, 978,1074, 2023)
Married Virginia Catherine Todd
(4)
Richard Ware
B. May 18, 1745
D. Sept. 1765
(5) Clara
Ware
B. Dec. 11, 1747
D.
Married Mr. Sale
(6) William
Ware
B. Mar. 29, 1750
D. Sept. 10, 1829
Married Sarah Samuel
(7) Edmund
Ware
B. Apr. 25, 1753
D. 1814
(Ref. 1, 2, 4, 6, 621, 651, 692, 871, 978)
Supporting Documentation for Chapter 3
Bible
record of Sarah Ware of Belton, Texas
Ware Bible owned by James Thompson Ware – published in 1854 by the American Bible Society; kindly provided through the dedicated research of Debbie McArdle
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waited the births of their seven
children.
