Zebediah Ward was born in December 1755 in Essex Co, New Jersey. His parents were Zebediah & Selvestor Ward. His first marriage was to Sarah Zeliff circa 1776, in Essex Co,NJ. She was born circa 1755 or 1759 on Staten Island, Richmond Co, NY. She was the daughter of Daniel Zeluff and Hannah Clark. Sarah died ca 1821-1827 in Dearborn/Clark/ Harrison Co., IN. He then married Harriet Jones on July 16, 1828, in Harrison Co., IN, who was born circa 1802 and died after 1869. Zebediah died on about August 13, 1837 in Clark Co, IN.

Zebediah Ward served in the Revolutionary War and received a pension. His file number is S.16285/BLWT10874-160-55. The file is 13 pages long and contains a two page document signed by Zebediah Ward and a document from Harriet Jones Ward Franconi, his widow by another marriage.

According to the document signed by Zebediah Ward, a seventy-six year citizen of Clark County, personally appeared on October 26, 1832 before the judge at Clark Circuit Court, Clark County, State of Indiana. Being duly sworn according the law, in order to obtain the benefit of an act of Congress passed June the 7th 1832, he declared that he enlisted in the service of the United States on December 14, 1775 and he described his military service until 1780. He was in the engagements at Second River, Connecticut Farms, Springfield and Elizabeth Town. He declared that he was born in the State of New Jersey in December 1755 but that he had no recorded evidence of his age, that when called into the service at the time mentioned he lived in the State of New Jersey, that in the year 1800 he moved to the State of New York and resided there about twelve years. From New York he removed to the State of Indiana where he had lived ever since until to the present time.

According to Harriet Franconi's statement, she was 67 years old in 1869. Her maiden name was Jones. She and Zebediah Ward were married by the Justice of the Peace on July 16, 1828 in Harrison County Indiana. After his death on about August 13, 1837, she married Lewis Franconi on April 18, 1838 in Clark County. he died in Kentucky in, she thought, the Fall of 1853. She did not remarry and has always been a loyal American and never aided and abetted the late rebellion.

Description of the times in Essex Co., NJ. The Dutch set up trading posts in northern New Jersey in the 1620s, and Swedish and Finnish settlements were established along the Delaware River in the 1630s. During the colonial era, New Jersey was ruled by England. Indian disputes, epidemics, climate, religious views, and the availability of land influenced people to move into or out of New Jersey. Church, court, and land records were kept from the time an area was settled. People who lived in the 1700s may appear in Revolutionary War records and some federal census records.

The name Zeluff has been spelled Zeluff, Zeloff, Zeliffe in various records but each spelling appears to be the same surname, which is probably Dutch in origin. She is from a Dutch family who lived on Staten Island. Her family can be traced back to the earliest Dutch families who settled in New Amsterdam.

i. Hannah Ward b. circa 1777, m. 29 Mar 1798, in Essex County, NJ, James Riker.

ii. David Ward, born ca 1780-82, Essex Co, NJ married abt 1801-1803, NY

iii. Zebediah Ward, born circa 1784-1787, Essex Co, NJ married aboutt 1810,NY.

iv. Peter Z. Ward born circa 1792, Essex Co, NJ. He married Rhoda Pate circa 1821, in Dearborn Co., IN. She was born in Virginia in about 1802 the daughter of Jeremiah and Mary Pate. She died in Clark Co. IN between 1860 and 1863. This is the line we are following. On April 18, 1863, in Clark Co., IN, Peter Z. Ward married Elizabeth Storey. On June 17, 1865, in Clark Co., IN, he married Elizabeth Sinex. Peter Z. Ward died April 1, 1873, Near Bennettsville, Clark Co., IN.

v. Phoebe Ward, born about 1787-1794, Essex Co, NJ.

Sylvester Ward, born November 19, 1829, Harrison, Clark Co., IN. He married Sarah Harmonson on September 3, 1853 in Clark Co., IN. and Sarah C. McDaniel on October 25, 1860, in Clark Co., IN,. Sylvester died January 8, 1916, Clark Co., IN.

Mary Jane Ward, born 1832, Clark Co., IN.

(This information comes from the 1850, 1860, 1870 censuses of Clark Co. IN. The 1812 war pension application. Marriage license records in Clark Co. IN, Books A-G, Marty Hill's research.)

Peter Z. Ward, Jr. Born in KY in about 1824-26. He married Sarah C.

Commodore Ward born in Clark Co. IN about 1829. He married Jane Peyton, born about 1834, on January 8, 1855.

Phebe Ward born about 1831 in Clark Co. IN, who married Milas A. Hardin in about 1825.

Rhoda C. born about 1832 in Clark Co. IN

Hannah Ward born about 1832 in Clark Co. IN, who married Joseph M. Damvon.

Diadema Ward who was born in about 1836 in Clark Co IN and died June 8, 1891 in Lexington, Lafayette Co., MO. She married Robert Wilson. This is the line we are following.

Samuel C. Ward, born about 1839 in Clark Co. IN

Henry H. Ward born about 1843 in Clark Co. IN and died August 11, 1890 in Chicago, Cook Co. IL. He married Anna Alexander who died on December 31, 1866 in Mitchell, Lawrence Co. IN. Marty obtained his death certificate. According to it, he was a 48 year old male, white carpenter born in Indiana who died a the Cook County Hospital of a lung and liver disease complicated by pneumonia at 1 am on August 11, 1890. He had been ill for two weeks. He was buried in Mount Hope. He had resided in Illinois for 3 years.

Zachary T. Ward, c. 1847, Clark Co. IN and who married Rebecca Terry on November 10, 1875.

Donald L. Ward put the following information on the web about his ancestors Timothy Ward and Elizabeth Zeluff, who must have been siblings of, or very closely related, to Zebediah Ward and Sarah Zeluff:

1. Timothy WARD: b. 10 March, 1760, Newark Township Essex Co., N.J.; d. 3 June, 1845, in Pike Township of Dearborn Co., IN. This is now part of Ohio Co, IN. Bur. in Olive Branch Graveyard.

Notes for Timothy Ward: Parents unkown. Timothy was a soldier in the American Revolutionary War, having served at various times for three years. When he entered the service, he volunteered as a musician. He was in the engagements at Second River, Connecticut Farms, Springfield and Elizabeth Town. He served under Capts. Squire, Reeves, Camp, Lyon, Ogden and Condit. At one time he helped take 16 British prisoners.

He and his wife had their first six or seven children in New Jersey and then relocated to Allegheny Co., PA. A division of Allegheny Co. became Butler Co., PA and this is where they are in the 1800 and 1810 Census. Timothy Ward is listed among the first settlers in Butler Co. between 1794 and 1800, according to "Adams Township: History of Butler County, PA." It appears that Elizabeth died while they lived in PA, but the date of death and burial site are unknown.

The lands in Ohio and Indiana were opening up for settlement about this time, so Timothy's married children began moving on. Timothy moved on to Brown Co., OH and finally to Dearborn Co., IN after 1820. Timothy applied for a Revolutionary War pension while living in Dearborn Co. His claim was granted on Aug. 14, 1832.

+ Elizabeth Hannah Zeluff: b. about 1762, Newark, Essex Co., N.J.; m. 22 Jan., 1782, in Hanover Presbyterian Church, Morris Co., N.J. (Source: Records of Hanover Presbyterian Church, p112.

Notes for Elizabeth Hannah Zeluff: Elizabeth Zeluff and Hannah Zelop appear to be the same person.

Notes for Timothy Ward: Pike Township, Ohio County, Indiana, was formed from Caesar's Creek and Union Townships of Dearborn County. The Olive Branch Baptist Church was formed about 1838 and has a large burying ground. Many of those buried were early members of the church. Among those buried were Timothy Ward, who died in 1870 at age 77, and Rebecca Ward, who died in 1871 at age 73.

* Mary Ward, b. 12 Nov. 1782 in Essex Co., N.J.

Aaron Ward, b. 15 June 1784 in New Jersey; d. 25 Aug. 1840 in Canton, Fulton, Ill.; m. Martha Sue Lyon Cory about 1811 in Butler Co., PA; Was in Dearborn in 1820 Census.

* Zealah Ward, b. 10 April 1786 in Essex Co., N.J.; m. Samuel Graham about 1806 in Butler Co, PA. Moved to Ross Co., OH and then to Dearborn Co, IN.

* Sarah Ward, b. 12 Feb. 1788 in Essex Co., N.J.; d. 15 Sept. 1793 in Essex Co., N.J.

* Eber Ward, b. 20 April 1790 in Essex Co., N.J.; m. Nancy Orison (also spelled Arson) 3 Sept. 1818 in Ross Co., OH then moved to Dearborn Co., IN. In 1850, Eber was living in Carroll Co., KY with his son, William Henry Harrison WARD. (See Eber and Nancy below)

* Timothy Ward Jr., b. 10 March, 1793 in Essex Co., N.J.; d. 19 Nov., 1870 in Bear Branch, Dearborn Co., IN. m. Rebecca Wallace on 13 Jan. 1818. They lived in Dearborn/Ohio Co., IN and both lived into the 1870s and are buried in Bear Branch Cemetery. His tombstone can be found there today, listing him as 77 years old when he died. Rebecca is listed as age 73 at her death.

* Lydia Ward, b. 3 June 1795; m. Matthew Irwin about 1815. They both were alive at the time of her father's death but did not reside in Indiana. Possibly they were in PA.

* Sarah Ward, b. 5 Jan. 1798 in Butler Co., PA; d. 20 Jan. 1798.

* Elizabeth Ward, b. 7 Jan. 1800.

* John Ward, b. 8 Aug. 1805 in Butler Co., PA. m. Hannah Ward on 12 Nov. 1829 in Dearborn Co., IN. Moved to Fulton Co., IL.