“Husband of Louisa (Cheesman) Ware and son of Naomi (Ackley) and George Ware Sr.. John was born about 1806 on his father’s farm in old Waretown, near Mongan’s Corner, now Sicklerville area in Winslow Township, Camden County.

Louisa and John was married by Justice of the Peace, Samuel B. Hune on 23 Jun 1829 in Gloucester Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey. Louisa and John had nine children as follows; Sarah, John, Amy, Patience, John, Andrew, Elizabeth, Benjamin and Joseph. The first five children are listed below and the last four are listed under Louisa’s Memorial Bio since we don’t know where some of them died or where they were interred.

On 16 Aug 1870 Patience, John Ackley’s daughter, got into an argument with her mother and then it escolated into a heated one with her brother John. At this time George Williamson came to his wife Patience’s defense and got into a fist fight with his brother in law John. John took a beating from George and then John ran and grabbed a shotgun that was standing by the door and swore he would kill both Patience and George. John chased them out of the house and fired the gun at them in the yard as they ran down the road. They ran into Patience’s father John who had heard the shot. John said that he would take care of his son John. John approached his son and demanded that he give him the gun. John, the son, in turn told his father that he wanted all of his money that he had in his pockets. John took one step toward his son and his son told him if he took another step that he would kill him dead. His father took that extra step and the son shot him dead and took all the money that he had in his pockets and fled into the woods. He was apprehended the next day in Camden City trying to catch a train out of the area. He was lodged in the county jail by the Sheriff.

John’s murder was a big deal in 1870, the laws for murder was just changed in the United States to 1st, 2nd and 3rd degrees. John, the son was the first person tried under the new law in the tri state area. He had two trials that lasted 1 1/2 years and the son was hung in Camden City Court yard with a hundred plus on lookers. There was a book written about “The trial and execution of John Ware” and copies are in the Library of Congress and other local Colleges, including the New Jersey State Library in Trenton.

John Ackley was interred in the Old Methodist Cemetery on Main Street in Williamstown, Gloucester County, New Jersey. He has no headstone and cemetery records no longer exist for the old cemetery.”

Burial:
Williamstown Old Methodist Cemetery
Williamstown
Gloucester County
New Jersey, USA
Plot: No Grave Stone