Edward
Rowell Ware. M. D.

Edward Rowell Ware was born in 1807 in Augusta, Georgia to the parents Joseph N. Ware and Mary Elizabeth Dawson.  Edward’s father was a sheriff in Augusta.  While I have not been able to find a cause of death, Edward’s father Joseph, died in 1808 leaving six children.  Guardianship was granted to Joseph’s brother, Senator Nicholas Ware of Augusta.

Edward graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1825 at 18 years of age with a medical degree.  On 13 Apr 1830 he married Margaret Ann Elizabeth Bacon, the daughter of William Bacon and Lucy Garrett Ware. Together they had six children, five that lived into adulthood.

The 1850 Census for Clarke County, GA listed Edward R. as the head of the household, a white male, occupation physician, with the value of his real estate $4,000.00.  Margaret, 38, was listed along with the five children.  Around the time of the census Edward built a house on the north end of Jackson Street, overlooking downtown Athens.
The property extended to the Oconee River on the north and down the river to the Thomas Bridge.  This is the only house remaining of the once prominent “Lickskillet” neighborhood of Athens. The house was noted for it’s elegance and Dr. Ware and his wife were also noted for their popularity.  Historic Athens and Clarke County described
Margaret Ware “ as the wife of Edward R. Ware, a prominent physician who came to Athens in 1829, as full of life, loving the company of old and young, rich
and poor, hospitable to lavishness, never too sick to go to a party and never too tired to give one, she was universally popular and retained that youthful vivacity and unfeigned cordiality which, added with to the attractions of her elegant home (today the Ware-Lyndon House, the city owned art center), made it one of the centers of society in Athens.”

Edward R. Ware was elected mayor of Athens serving two terms.  He served as the director for the Southern Mutual Insurance Company, the Athens Branch of the State Bank, and the Georgia Railroad.

The family remained intact according to the 1860 Census for Clarke County, GA recording Edward R. as a 55 year old male, occupation M.D., with real estate valued at $10,000.00 and his personal estate valued at $83,875.00.  On this census record, living next door to Edward was Henry Hull. Edward and Henry married sisters and remained business partners and friends throughout their life.

The Athens’ Thunderbolts were formed as a home guard unit to protect the city of Athens.  Edward R. joined this group and was an officer.  In 1864, a group of 431 to 600 Yankees had been captured by W. C. P. Brenkenridge and were guarded on the Universityof GA campus by the Thunderbolts. The book These Men She Gave recounts Edward’s participation.  “The prisoners were quartered for a time on the campus, under guard by the Thunderbolts. When Dr. Edward R.  Ware sat watch, the prisoners stretched out in the shade, for hours, forbidden to utter
a sound.”

Edward applied for a Confederate Presidential Pardon 14 Aug.  1865. 

“Petition his Excell. the President for a special amnesty and full pardon.

The character of Edward R. Ware was described in the Annals of Athens as follows:

”  Dr. Edward R. Ware came to Athens in 1829.  He was a physician, enjoying a  successful practice in partenership with Dr. Henry Hull, they married sisters.  After

accumulating a sufficient property he retired from the practice of medicine and lived a life of quiet ease, taking care of his own and eschewing all interference with other

folk.  Like his former partner, his daily routine was to go “down town,”  sit an hour or two in  the Insurance Office, make rounds of the stores and go home to dinner.  Quiet

almost to timidity, Dr. Ware rarely conversed.  He listened.  But he was esteemed for his sound  judgement, his sincerity, and his integrity of character.”

Edward Ware died 6 Jun 1873 in Athens, Georgia.  The Atlanta Constitution ran the following obituary:

DEATH OF E. R. WARE

Athens, June 6, 1873

Edward R. Ware, one of our best and most worthy citizens, died this afternoon, after and illness of nine and a jalf weeks.  He was one of the original stockholders, and for many years a director of the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company.  He was 69 years old.

Edward R. Ware was buried along with his wife in Oconee Cemetery, Athens.

Edward and Margaret had the following children:
1.  Mary Elizabeth Ware b. 1832 d. 1900 married Leon Charbonnier.
Charbonnier was a professor at UGA and was born in France. Dr. Charbonnier
founded the physics and astronomy department and remained chairman of the
department for 35 years.  He also
designed many of the buildings in Athens (Old Athens Jail, Honors Building on
UGA campus).

2.  Grace Arrington Ware b. 1834 d. 1892 married Col. Thomas Glasscock
Barrett.  Children of the couple are as follows:

1. Thomas Glasscock Barrett was the president of
   Clearwater, Langley, Akien Mills in SC and the Bon Air Vanderbilt Corp.  He was mayor of Augusta 1910-1912 when the
   University Hospital was built and the Barrett wing was named for him.  As mayor he spearheaded the drive for a bond
   issue to build the levee, as after many years of floods downtown citizen
   conveyance was by boats.  Their son
   cofounded the Augusta National Golf Club.
2. Margaret Edwina Barrett
3. Edward Ware Barrett was a successful
   newspaper editor in Birmingham, Al.  (Washington Post reports that Edward is now the Proprietor of the
   Birmingham Age-Herald.  He previously was
   a well-known Washington correspondent.)
4. Harry Gould Barrett

3.   William J Ware b. 1836 d. 1883 .  Wm J enlisted in Troup Artillery with his brother in March of 1862.  He was the father to the following children:

1.  Margaret Ware

2.  Richard Ware

3.  John Hull Ware

4.  Joseph Ware

5.  Robert Ware

6.  William Ware

7.   Henry Ware

  4.    Lucy Cobb Ware b. 1840

  5. Edward Hull Ware (Paddy) b. 1843-1879 Charlotte Thomas Marshall in her book, Oconee
                 Hill Cemetery p. 165 writes the following:

“ Edward Hull (Paddy) Ware, matriculate of
UGA Class of 1863; served in Troup Artillery; m. 1873 Mrs. Hattie P. ()
Nicholson; daughter Margaret.  Weekly Banner, 16 Aug 1881: Mr. E.H. Ware, about 36, died at Milledgeville; in
feeble health for several months and stricken with paralysis two weeks ago;
telegraph received by Prof. L. H. Charbonnier; Mr. Ware well known here and had
a great many friends; only moved away last fall to Augusta had many commendable
traits of character and was generally well liked; remains brought to this city,
arriving this afternoon at 3:30 and funeral took place from the Georgia
railroad depot.”

An obituary for Margaret Bacon Ware ran in the North East Georgian  21, Oct 1874.

DEATH OF MRS. DR. WARE

Mrs. Margaret Ware, relict of the late Dr. Edward Ware, died at her residence in this city, on

the night of the 15th, (Thursday.)  Mrs. Ware, we learn had been in bad health for some time past, and

though her death was sudden, yet, we presume it was not altogether expected.  So quietly and gently

was the dissolution of soul and body, that even those that who slept in the same room with her knew

nothing of her death until Friday morning.  She was loved and esteemed as a humble and

consistent christian, by all who knew her.  May He who “tempersthe wind to the shorn lamb,”

uphold and comfort the bereaved children and the many grief-stricken relatives and friends left behind.

Will of Edward Rowell Ware

-Clark County Georgia Will Book D p. 229-302

In the name of God Amen I Edward R. Ware of the county of Clarke, State of Georgia,
being of sound and disposing mind and memory and being desirous to settle my
worldly affairs while I have strength to do so, do make and publish this my
last will and testament.

1^st
I commit my soul to the God who gave it and my body I desire to buried in the
family burying grounds.  My worldly estate I dispose of as follows.

2^nd
I will and bequeath unto my wife Margaret E. Ware my house and lot in the town
of Athens, together with the furniture, carriage and horse, and one hundred
shares of the capital stock of the Georgia Railroad company, to have and to
hold during her natural life, and at her death to be equally divided among our
children share and share alike, as hereafter provided:  I empower my said wife at her discretion to
sell any part of the property bequeathed to her in this intern, and to reinvest
the proceeds, which reinvesting shall be subject to the same disposition as the
original property, and this disposition is in lieu of lower.

3^rd
The rest of my property, real and personal, I desire divided into six equal
parts, one of which equal parts I give and bequeath unto my wife Margaret E.
Ware to do with as she pleases.

4^th
One of which equal parts I give and bequeath unto my son-in-law Thomas G
Barrett in trust for the sole use of my daughter Grace A Barrett, wife of said
Thomas G Barrett for and during her natural life, and after her death to such
child or children as she many leave at the time of her death, share and share
alike with power to the said Grace A Barrett.
I empower the said Thomas G Barrett by _____ under her hand and her seal
to sell any part or the whole of said trust, estate, and to reinvest the proceeds
in such other property subject to the above described trust, as he shall deem
most for the interest of the said trust estate and with power to the said Grace
A Barrett if she shall die leaving no child or children at the time of her
death to limit and appoint by her written will and testament property proven
and executed the use of such property as she may see fit.  In as much as I have already delivered unto
the hands of my son-in-law Thomas G Barrett forty shares of the Georgia Rail
Road Stock together with four thousand dollars of Rail Road bonds, my will and
desire is that in the distribution of my estate, the said Rail Road Stock and
bonds shall be considered as an advancement to his wife.

5^th
One of which equal parts I give and bequeath unto my son in law Leon H
Charbonnier in trust for the sole use of my daughter Mary E Charbonnier, wife
of the said Leon H Charbonnier for and during her natural life and after her
death to such child or children as she may leave at the time of her death share
and share alike with the power to the said Mary E Charbonnier to empower Leon H
Charbonnier by writing under her hand and seal to sell any or part on the whole
of said trust estate and reinvest the proceeds in such other property subject
to the above described trust as he shall deem most for the interest of said
trust estate and with power to the said Mary E Charbonnie if she shall die
leaving no child or children at the time of her death to limit and appoint by
her written will and testament properly proven and executed the use of said
property as she may see fit.  In as much
as I have already delivered into the hands of my son in law Leon H Charbonnier
a house and lot in the town of Athens lately purchased by me from Jos. S
Claghorn for the sum of thirty six hundred dollars together with five shares of
the Capital Stock of the Georgia Rail Road and four thousand dollars in Rail
Road Bond, My will and desire is that in the distribution of my estate the said
house and lot, stock and bonds shall be considered as an advancement to his
wife.

6^th
I will and bequeath to my son William J Ware on of such equal parts to do with
as he pleases, my will and desire is that the place on which he now lives in
Campbell County together with the stock thereon shall ___ for by the said
William J Ware the settlement of my estate of six thousand dollars which shall
be a portion of his share.

7^th
I will and bequeath unto my dau___   W.
Wray, one of such equal parts ___ with as she pleases.

8^th
I will and bequeath unto my son___ W. Wray one of such equal parts ____ with as
he pleases.  I appoint my wife Margare____ Ware my son in law Thomas G ___ and my son Edward H Ware
exec____executing this my last will and ____’

Inwitness where of I the _____ R Ware have to this my last ____ testament set my
hand and____ the 2^nd day of May 1867.

Signed
sealed and published and ____ presence of us who signed the same as witnesses
in the presence of Edward R Ware at his request and in presence of each other.

Edward R Ware

John Crawford Young
L G Harris

James T Sansorn J.I.C.

H Hull

 

Georgia
Clarke County

Personally
appeared before me Young L G Harris one of the subscribing witnesses to the
written and foregoing Will of Edward R Ware, late of said county deceased who
on  oath saith he saw said deceased sign
and seal said instrument and heard him acknowledge the same to be his last Will
and Testament that at the time of his doing he was of sound and disposing mind
and memory that he affiant, John Crawford and James T Sansorn and H Hull all
signed said instrument as witnesses in the presence of each other and of the
Testator, and at the Testator’s request.

Sworn
to Subscribed before me this 12^th day of June 1873

Young
LG Harris

Whereupon
it is order by the court that said will and probate be recorded in terms of the
law.

Regular Term 7^th

Recorded 9^th July 1878

J E Sitton

 

 

Resources:

Annals of
Athens, Georgia, 1801-1901.  Augustus Longstreet Hull , Henry Hull.  Banner Job
Office, 1906.

Historic Athens
and Clarke County.  Francis
Taliferro Thomas.  1992, 2009 University of
Georgia Press.

History of Athens and Clarke County.  Rowe. 1923.

Oconee Hill Cemetery Book. Charlotte Thomas Marshall

These Men She Gave Civil War Diary of Athens, Georgia
John F. Stegeman 1964, 2009 The University
of Georgia Press.

The Southern Banner Newspaper

The Atlanta Constitution

The Weekly Banner