Summary of James Life
James Randolph Ware was born 26 June 1821 at Valley Head, Randolph County, Virginia. He was the twelfth child born to Richard and Mary Ware. He was also the seventh son and lived at home with his parents. His mother died when he was seven and his father died when he was fourteen. James was listed in his father’s will and received 100 acres of land and some perishables, which he shared with his two younger brother’s, Jacob See and John Newton Ware. He remained at home for five more years before striking out on his own at the age of nineteen. He finds and marries Dorothy Mace on 20 June 1840. She is 20 years old and he is 19. They were married by Thomas Collett in Randolph County, Virginia. They moved to Barbour County where they started a family and a farm next door to his father-in-law, Nicholas Mace. Their first child, Elizabeth Ann was born 27 April 1841 and was named after his mother-in-law. During the 1850 census he was 29 years old and living with his wife Dorothy and five of his children, Elizabeth age 9, Lydia 7, Abraham 5, Delila 3 and Elihu 11 months old. He was working as a farmer and did not give a value for his real estate. Elizabeth, Lydia and Abraham were attending school while Delia and Elihu were at home. The family was still living next door to the Mace’s. During the 1860 census his family was living near Philippi, Virginia and he now has ten children, Elizabeth age 19, Lydia 18, Abraham 16, Delila 14, Elihu now 11, Lucy 9, Eunice 7, Peter 5, Laura 3 and Virginia Catharine 1 month. He has listed his real estate value of $400 and personal property at $113. During the 1870 census, he is living with his wife Dorothy and seven of his children. Elizabeth, Lydia, Abraham, Delia and Elihu have all married and left home. The children that are still home are Lucy age 18, Eunice 16, Peter 14, Laura 12, Virginia 10, Martha 8 and Emmaetta 6. James has listed his real estate value at $500 and his personal value at $200. His son Elihu has married Lucretia Booth and is raising a family next door to his father. He is also living close to the Booth and Day families. James has three children that cannot write, Peter, Laura and Virginia. During the 1880 census he is living with his wife Dorothy and three of his children, Peter age 24, Martha 17 and Emmaetta 14. All of his other children have gone except for his son Elihu who is still living next door. During January 1884, James will loose three of his grandchildren. They were all son’s of Elihu Ware, Henry age 8, Alpehus 6 and D H Ware 2. They all died of Diphtheria. On 12 September 1893 his wife Dorothy died at the old age of 73. She was his devoted wife and mother of their children for 53 years. Four years later James R Ware passed away at the age of 75. He died from measles. James and his wife Dorothy are both buried at Trinity Cemetery near the town of Junior, West Virginia in Barbour County. “James R Ware was one of the strong and rugged citizens and characters of his time. He was a farmer, a man of great energy and endurance, and was described as “straight as an Indian” when he died at the age of seventy-five. He lived in Randolph and Barbour Counties and is buried near Bellington. He married Dorothy Mace, and they reared a family of twelve children”
Credit: Callahan, James Morton, History of West Virginia, Old and New, American Historical Society, Chicago,1923, Volume III, Pg. # 336 – 337.
Source: Family Search Memories
