Asa Ward
- Jul 7
- 2 min read
Asa Ward was born in Worcester, MA on February 17, 1747/8 to Daniel Ward and Mary Stone. He was the eighth of their nine children. His father had been married previously, though only one of his two step siblings lived long enough to meet him. Daniel Ward came to Worcester around the time it was established as a town in 1722 and had a house and farm on the west side of Main Street close to the town common. He held many public offices including Town Selectman and keeper of the meeting house, and was Captain of the local militia. They owned pew no. 14 in the meeting house.
On October 12, 1771 Asa published his intentions to marry Hannah Chamberlain, the widow of Abel Heywood. They were married three weeks later on November 6 by the Reverend Thaddeus Maccarty. Asa and Hannah had three children, all of whom grew up to marry and have children of their own: Asa in 1772, Relief in 1774, and Artemas in 1776.
Politics in Massachusetts were very volatile in the early 1770s. At the June 1774 town meeting Asa's father was one of the men who signed an Oath of Loyalty to King George III. As one of the older and earliest residents it was what was expected. Asa chose a different path, though he also had enough land to qualify to be a voter.
When the Lexington Alarm was called on April 19, 1775 Asa was a Private in Captain Timothy Bigelow’s militia company and marched with them from Worcester. They remained camped outside of Boston for the next few weeks. After he was on the committee in charge of taking care of the families of the town soldiers who were away in the Continental Army. Three of his brothers also served from Worcester.
After the war he continued his service to the inhabitants of Worcester. Asa was a highway surveyor and collector of taxes, town warden, and a school committee member. He remained a member of the First (Congregational) Church for much of his life, though towards the end he went to the Second Church under the ministry of Rev. Aaron Bancroft. This second church is now First Unitarian.
Asa died in Worcester on June 27, 1818. He was originally buried in the Mechanic Street Burial Ground but was moved to Hope Cemetery in 1878. In his will Asa divided his estate between his two surviving children and his wife Mary. I'm not sure who Mary was, as I can't find a marriage record for her and Asa. He left one shilling each for the children of his deceased oldest son Asa, having already left part of his estate to their father.
From Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War vol. 16 pg. 524:
Ward, Asa, Worcester. Private, Capt. Timothy Bigelow's co. of Minute-men and
militia. Col. Artemas Ward's regt., which marched on the alarm of April 19,
1775; service, 8 days; reported returned home.
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