General Notes

THE WARDS IN ENGLAND.
Seven hundred and ten distinguished persons, each bearing but one name, accompanied William the Conqueror from Normandy in 1066, a record of all of whose names is yet preserved. Among the number was "Ward, one of the noble Captains." This is the earliest mention of the name in England, and its first appearance with an additional name was William de la Ward, residing in Chester, in 1175. From 1349, a succession of eleven generations of one family is found there, in each of which the head of the family was, respectively, Ralph, Richard, John, John, Richard, William, Thomas, Thomas, John, Richard and Thomas, who had sons, John and William, which were the prevailing names in the early families descended from William, of Sudbury, and one yet retained in the descending families to the present time.