Robert Ware, the immigrant ancestor of the Ware family of Dedham, Needham and Wrentham, Massachusetts is presumed to have been born in England.1 Some sources assert that he was born in Fressinfield, Suffolk, England in May of 1611, and that his parents were Robert Ware and Jane Wade; but we have not seen verification for that, and we do not know when he came to New England. We do know that Robert Ware was the 95th signer of the Dedham Covenant.2 On 25 Nov. 1642, the Dedham Massachusetts Town Records show that "Robert Weares is admitted to the purchase of Thomas Eames his house lott and three acres of land."3 Additional lands were granted to him in Dedham 6. 12. 1642 (Feb. 6, 1642-3). 4
The biographical sketch for Robert Ware on Geni.com says that he was a weaver.1 He was a member of the Artillery Company in 1644. 4 Robert "Wares" married first in Dedham "Margrett Huntings 24, 1. 1645" (March 24, 1644-5). She was the daughter of John Hunting and his wife Esther Seaborn Hunting. Margaret had been christened in Hoxne, Suffolk, England on 21 September 1628. 6, 7, 8 The Hunting family had arrived in Dedham, Massachusetts by 28 August 1638, where her father was chosen the first Ruling Elder of the Dedham church.8
Robert Ware joined the church at the time of the baptism of their eldest child, October 2 or 11, 1646.1 He was made freeman May 26, 1647.4
Children of Robert and Margaret Ware, all born of record at Dedham Massachusetts, are:
Lieut. John Ware, b. Oct 11, 1646, d. Apr. 7, 1718 at Wrentham, Mass.; m. 1) Dec. 10, 1668 at Dedham, Mary Metcalf, dau. of Michael Metcalf, Jr. and Mary Fairbanks, b. Aug. 15, 1646 at Dedham. She d. Mar. 22, 1676/7 at Dedham. He m. 2) Mar. 24, 1678/9 at Dedham, the wid. Joanna (Gay) Kingsley, who d. Oct. 26, 1708 at Wrentham. He m. 3) Dec. 21, 1709 at Sherborn, Mass., the widow Dorothy Wood, who d. Dec. 10, 1728 at Sherborn.
Nathaniel Ware, b. Oct. 7, 1648, d. July 10, 1724 at Wrentham, Mass.; m. Oct. 12, 1696 at Wrentham, Mary Wheelock, who subsequently had two additional husbands and d. Mar. 25, 1750 at Wrentham.
Margaret Ware, b. Feb. 14, 1650/1, d. in her youth at Dedham, July 22, 1664.
Robert Ware, Jr., b. Aug. 1, 1653, d. Sept. 16, 1724 at Wrenthan, Mass.; m. 1) June 4, 1677 at Dedham, Sarah Metcalf, dau. of Michael Metcalf, Jr. and Mary Fairbanks, b. Dec. 7, 1648 at Dedham. She was the mother of all of Robert's children, and d. Apr. 13, 1717 at Wrentham, Mass. He m. 2) Feb. 26, 1719/20 at Wrentham, Elizabeth Holbrook, who d. July 28, 1723 at Wrentham.
Esther Ware (Julia's ancestor), b. Sept. 28, 1655, d. Sept. 3, 1734 at Wrentham, Mass.; m. May 13, 1673 at Dedham, Rev. Samuel Man, first minister of the Wrentham, Mass. church, s. of William Mann and Mary Jarred, b. July 6, 1647 at Cambridge, Mass. He d. May 22, 1719 at Wrentham, Mass.
Samuel Ware, b. Sept. 30, 1657, d. betw. Mar. 6 and Mar. 22, 1730/1 at Dedham; m. 1) July 21, 1690 at Dedham, Elizabeth Rice, who d. Nov. 18, 1719 at Dedham. He m. 2) July 27, 1721 at Dedham, Sarah (Fuller)(Day) Carpenter, dau. of Lieut. Thomas Fuller and Hannah Flower, b. May 7, 1659 at Dedham where she d. Mar. 31, 1736. She was the successive widow of Ralph Day, Jr. of Dedham and Capt. John Carpenter of Rehoboth, Mass., Woodstock, Conn. and lastly Dedham, Mass.
Ephraim Ware, b. Nov. 5, 1659, d. Mar. 26, 1753 at Needham, Mass.; m. July 13, 1685 at Needham, Mass., Hannah Herring, who d. July 10, 1738 at Needham.
Elizabeth Ware, b. Nov. 19, 1661.
Joseph Ware, b. Sept. 13, 1663, d. in infancy Sept. 22, 1663.
Ebenezer Ware, b. Oct. 28, 1667, d. in Jan. 1765 at Needham, Mass.; m. Mar. 18, 1689/90 at Dedham, Martha Herring, who d. Jan. 30, 1709/10. 1*
Worthington's History of Dedham describes the Dedham of that time. It says that in 1664 ninety-five small houses, placed near each other, were situated within a short distance of where the court-house now stands, the greater part of them east of that place and around Dwight's Brook. A row of houses stood on the north side of High Street, as that road was then called which extends from the bridge over Dwight's Brook westerly by the court-house. The total value of these houses was £691, Four only of them were valued at £20 each. The greater number were valued at from £3 to £10." 4
Margaret, the mother of all Robert’s children, died in Dedham, August 26, 1670. 3 Her youngest son, Ebenezer, would have been three years old at the time of her death.
Margaret was survived by her parents. Her mother, Esther Hunting, made a will five years later (dated January 4, 1675), in which she left a one-fourth share of fifteen pounds to the children of her "daughter Ware deceased."
Ware Family genealogist, Emma F. Ware, states that Robert Ware made Dedham his permanent home and lived and died there. However, there is evidence that he was one of the founders of Wrentham, and lived there for several years. Jordan D. Fiore’s history of Wrentham says that Robert Ware is listed as one of the nine people who, by March 23, 1663 had made improvements in the Wollomonopaog area and were given first choice of the lots when Wrentham was established. That would have been this Robert Ware, because his son, Robert, was only 10 years old in that year.
Fiore also says, "In this period (1669-1673) other action pertaining to the settlement of the town [of Wrentham] took place. In April of 1671 [the month after Margaret’s death], the proprietors met again and raised the question of settlement. Six heads of families – John Thurston, Thomas Thurston, Robert Ware*, Joseph Cheeney, and JohnAldis – agreed to move to Wollomonpoag and establish their homes before summer came, and the town records were begun at this time." (*Fiore notes: "Probably Robert Ware Sr. His son Robert would only have been 18 at this time." [Also, Robert Jr. was not married until 1677 and could not have been the head of a family]. Fiore says Robert Ware was settled in Wrentham by the summer of 1671. His daughter, Esther Ware married Samuel Mann on 13 May 1673. Samuel Mann had been the schoolteacher in Dedham, but in Feb. 1673 had accepted the terms offered him to become the minister in Wrentham.
In 1676, the residents of Wrentham moved back to Dedham for protection during King Phillip’s War. Fiore reports, "There is a strong local tradition that the men of Wrentham fought a battle in King Phillip’s not recorded in the standard histories. In 1806, Dr. James Mann of Wrentham, a descendant of the Rev. Samuel Man, prepared an account of this for the Massachusetts Historical Society. He said, "A man by the name of [Benjamin?] Rocket who, searching for a stray horse in the woods about three miles northeast of the Center of town, discovered a band of forty-two Indians late one afternoon, probably in March 1676, just before the inhabitants moved to Dedham. Rocket followed the Indians until just after sunset when they halted by a rock, now known as Indian Rock in the town limits of Franklin. He returned to the settlement, sought out the men of the town, and a consultation was held. The women, children and old and infirm were secured in fortified houses, and thirteen men under the direction of a Capt. Ware [probably Robert Ware, the father-in-law of the Rev. Samuel Man] and guided by Rocket marched toward the Indian encampment before daylight. … The battle was short and the victory complete." Robert Ware Sr. is credited with military service during King Phillip’s War. 6
After the return to Dedham, and six years after Margaret's death, Robert, then about 51 years of age, married Hannah Jones, 3 May 1676 in Dedham.3 She was the daughter of Thomas Jones, born 28 March 1636 in Dorchester.4 There were no children of this marriage. Although four of Robert’s children, Esther, John, Nathaniel and Robert, returned to Wrentham permanently, after the war, Robert seems to have remained in Dedham, possibly because of his new wife.
His name stands second in point of wealth on the tax rolls in his later years.4 Various other grants had been made to him of land in different parts of the town; on Dedham Island, and (in what was afterwards Needham), on Rosemary meadow brook, on the Great Plain, and near Magus Hill, etc. One lot of "three roods and twenty rod, more or lesse," was the second lot east from the N. E. corner of Webster Street and Great Plain Avenue in what is now Needham.1
"Robert Ware's Will, published in Emma Forbes Ware's Genealogy, gives us some idea of the scope of his life. He owned a house large enough to leave the "East end" for the use of his wife Hannah, along with portions of his barn, orchard, pastureland, planting field, a fenced lot, and a broad meadow. He also left for her use "one horse beast" and as much of the household stuff as she should stand in need of, and "Twenty pounds of money." He further stated that his son Samuel, who with his own family would be living in the west end of the house, would provide all the firewood Hannah would need and that, in return, Samuel should be paid "what is just" from his estate for this duty. The remainder of the barn and other buildings, and portions of the orchard and pastureland and lots were also left to Samuel. Other lands were left to his sons Ephraim and Ebenezer, both of whom died in Needham, and smaller amounts of land to ‘my children at Wrentham.’"1
"Robert Ware the Aged" died in Dedham, April 19, 1699, His will, made February 25, 1698, was proved May 11, 1699. (See Appendix A for a full copy of his will.) The inventory, taken May 3, was £250 2 10.3, 6
His widow, Hannah Jones Ware, lived another 22 years. She died in Dorchester on 20 April 1721.
* The Geni.com list of Ware children also shows "Mary Ware, b. in Mar. 1651/52; no further record available." The Dedham Vital Records do not include this birth, and Emma Ware does not show it in her Ware genealogy.
https://www.geni.com/people/Robert-Ware-Jr/6000000006968558042
Wikipedia – List of signers of the Dedham Covenant
Early Records of the Town of Dedham, Vol. 3 p 91
Genealogy of Robert Ware of Dedham, Massachusetts by Emma F. Ware
Although great pains have been taken to secure the correctness of the data in the following paper, it is impossible that no mistakes should have been made. … Some facts have been obtained from a sketch printed in the Register, vol. vi., in connection with Joseph Ware's journal of an expedition to Canada.
In the year of our Lord one Thousand six hundred Ninety eight nine, the twenty fift day of February, I Robert Ware of Dedham, in the County of Suffolk in his Ma:’ties Collony in the Maesachusets bay in New England, being put in mind of my great change, by age, & the infirmities thereof, according to my duty, I do hereby, in the time of my life, & in the injoymt of my understanding make, ordeyne & declare this to be my last will and Testamt, for the disposeing and setleing of those things of my Estate, which the Lord he betrusted me with, wherein first, I comit my precious soul into the hands of almighty God, in and through the Lord Jeses christ, my most blessed Redemer, & my body to the earth to be therin interred in christian buryall at the discretion of my executor8 heerin heorafter named. Imp"1 I do heerby giue unto my Deare and well beloved wife Hannah ware the use & improuem' of the East end of my dwelling house & the north end of my barne & halfe my oarchard & one third part of my pasture land near my house & at y° north end of the Island planting feild, & one third part of my lot that I purchased of John Keelum y' is fenced in pertickular, & halfe my broad meadow that lye betwixt the lands of John Eaton & the widdow Kingsberry, & one horse beast, and as much household stuff as she stand in need of, for her use all the tearme of her naterall life, all those things aforresd and the Twenty pounds of money, she haue receiued, for her to dispose of as she se cause, & my son Samuel is to prouid her wood fit for the fier at all times what she shall need, & he to be paed out of my estate what is just, also I giue unto my loueing wife ye use & improuem'of two acres of land y' is broken up wher Samuel haue a part neer magus hill, Furthermore my mind & will is that each of my childeren shall haue equall portions in my estate exceepting my son John Ware who is to haue Twenty pound more then a single portion, & what I haue giuen to each of my children formerly as it is set doune in my book is to be acounted to each of them as a part of there portion, and for most of my lands I do deuide them amongst my three sons in Dedham, and what they, or any of them shall haue more than there equall portions they must make good paym' for the same to my executors within the space of four yeares after my & my wiues decease for them to pay them that want y° makeing up of ther portions as followeth :'97
Item. I giue unto my Son Samuel Ware & to his Heirs & Assignes foreuer the west end of my dwelling house and the South end of my bearn, and my new bearn, and my shop, and halfe my oarchard, & two parts of three of all my pasture land, neer my house, & Greens lot, & two thirds of all my land at the north end of y" Island planting feild, & two parts of three of ye land I purchased of John Keelum, & a quarter part of my broad meadow, & my foule meadow, & all my swamps near my house, and about Greens lot, & my swamp neer south playne, & my land at the clapbord trees, more, fiue acres of woodland near to meadfeild way, as it abut on Joseph Wights lot, more, I giue unto him halfe of that land 1 bought of Mr Dwight near to magus hill abuteth on ye Lands of widdow Metcalfe west & Jn° Eaton east, more, one third part of my land at ye stamping place, & one third part of my land at chesnut hill, & halfe my land at magus hill within fence, & halfe my land one the north side of my fenced land & after yc decease of my deare wife, Samuel my Son is to haue all my houssing & all my oarchards, & all the laD.d near my house, uplands & swamps, Greens lot, & all my swamps about it, & all my lands at y° northerly end of planting feild, meadow & upland as it abutteth on the east on Charles riuer & ye pond north, And all my meadow and upland y' is fenced in with Eleazer Kingsberys lands near Vine Rock & halfe my broad meadow, and four cow comon Rights.
Item. I giue unto my son Epherim & to his Heirs & assignes foreuer, that land I purchased of Mr Dwight y' abut on his house lot east, & halfe my land near magus hill within fence, and halfe my land one the north side of my land fenced in, & all my Small parcels of meadow near it, & one third part of my land at the stamping ground, & one third part of my land at chesnut hill & three cow comon Rights & one fourth part of broad meadow & after the decease of my wife, one third part, & all my children shall haue equall share in my lot at the great ceader swamp.
Item. 1 giue unto my son Ebenezer Ware & to his Heirs and assignes foreuer all my Land as it lyeth abutting upon Daniels swamp meadow east, Samuel Parker north, more, one parcell of land a little distant from his house lot towards the east, by Jn° Woodcocks land more one third part of my land at the stamping ground, more a third part of my land at chesnut hill, & after my wiues decease a third part of my broad meadow, & three cow comon Rights.
Item. I giue unto my children at Wrentham onwards there portions to be equally deuided betwixt them all my moueables, cattell & household stuf what my wife can spare, & my clothes & all debts due to me & eight acres of Land I purchased of Henery Brock & Lambert Ginery as it lyeth in the Island planting feild, more, three acres of land I purchased of Thomas Eames abutting on Jn° Woodcocks, after the decease of my wife the household stuff she haue to use, to be equally deuided amongst them. It is my mind and will is that my houses and lands near home may be low prised, & the lands in planting feild, being poor lands & require much fenceing, I do apoint & im'power my well beloued sons John Ware, Robert Ware & Samuel Ware to be the cxecutors of this my last will and Testam' & I request and impower my loueing friends Deacon Thomas Metcalfe, Deacon William Auery, & Deacon Joseph Wight to be yc ouerseers or superuisors to determin any differences that may arise from or betwixt any persons eoncearned in this my last will, & what they or two of them if any dye yc suruiueing determin shall be of full force at any & all times & care must be taken for to recompence ye executors & ouerseers. To confirme this my last will and testament I haue herunto set to my hand & seale ye date aforesd*.
Robert " Wares "
In presence of us
Thomas Battelle
hannah Alderidge
Thomas Fuller.
Hannah also wrote a will. Emma F. Ware says:
"In her will, dated Jan. 21, 1720-1, proved May 1, 1721, she leaves legacies to " Mrs. Esther Man, Widow of the Rev. Mr. Man, late pastor of the Church of Christ at Wrentham," £5; "to the Church of Dedham for to buy a Cup for the Communion Table £5;" to sons in law Robert & Nathaniel Ware; to Hannah Baker Dau. of Ebenezer Jones; to Mehitable Newel Dau. of my Brother Jones; to the Widow* Elizabeth Metcalf ; to my Cousin Esther Flatingham of Boston; to my Cousin Elizabeth Crocker £20 and £10 due from my Sister Green deceased; Kinsman Thomas Crocker; Rebecah Green daughter of James Green late of Boston; the Surviving Daughter of Richard Green. Executors to sell a meadow bought of Joseph Fairbanks, giving the first profcr of it to Son in law Samuel Ware; also land in Dorchester, "Giving Kinsmen Ebenezer Jones & Jonathan Jones the first Profer of them." After alt Debts & lega cies are paid the remainder of the Estate to be divided into five parts; one fifth each to John Green, Samuel Green, Elizabeth Crocker, Esther Flatingham ; one Tenth part to Jonathan Jones ; and one Tenth to Jonathan Chip in trust for Sarah, wife of Jonathan Jones. "But before the Division of my Estate into Fifth Parts my Will is if my Nephew Jonathan Jones shall faithfully deliver Me the money I Delivered Him to keep for Me, Or in Case of my Death shall render a True Account upon Oath thereof to my Executors Hereafter Named as being part of my Estate, and Shall not Demand any thing for mv Board, Main tenance or Other Charges at His House, ... I do give and Bequeath to Him . . . and His Heirs My Two Acres of Salt meadow on the East 'Side of little Neck in Dorchester, And unto Sarah his Present Wife . . . Fourty Shillings as particular legaces." Deacon Jonathan Clap and Sergeant Ebenezer Clap Executors. Witnesses: Elijah Danforth, Joshua george, Preserved Capen."4
("Ebenezer and Jonathan Jones were children of her brother Isaac; Richard, John and Samuel Green of her sister Rebecca, wife of James Green.")4