Biography
of Frances Toy Glassell Ware By:
Judith C. Ware
© 2009 by Judith C. Ware Updated
2013
In
researching the background for some of the women in our history, it is
often
hard to find as many facts and interesting tidbits about them as for
their male
counterparts. As
Cokie Roberts wrote in
her book entitled Founding Mothers, “It’s
not easy to track down these stories.
Though we thankfully seem to have every grocery list the
Founding
Fathers ever wrote, most of the women left no written traces.” This was often the case
for many years to
come. Women,
naturally, did not have as
many documents and records attached to them due to the fact that they
simply
did not serve in politics or war.
Deeds
and wills often provide some information about them, but the main
source of our
insights into these ladies comes from family letters – passed down from
generation to generation. Such
is the
case with Frances (Fannie) Toy Glassell Ware.
Her husband, Josiah, was quite a “mover & shaker”
during his time,
but she kept a much lower profile.
Her
untimely death at the young age of 33 also precluded her from leaving a
lot of
memorabilia behind. The
Civil War soon
captured the attention of the nation, and with family heirlooms,
letters, and
pictures becoming scattered among the relatives during the years, it is
not
surprising that much was lost. We
do
know however (from such personal letters that have
survived) that
Frances must have been a very special lady.
She was deeply cherished by her husband and all of her
children. Although
we don’t have a photograph or a wealth of information on Frances,
herself – we
are able to learn a lot about her family through the genealogy work of
Reverend
Horace Edwin Hayden, the author of a large text titled Virginia
Genealogies:
A Genealogy of the Glassell Family of Scotland and Virginia. The entire book was
dedicated to the daughter
of Frances and Josiah - Mrs. Elizabeth Alexander McGuire (nee
Ware-Britton) who was
descended in the 7th generation from both John
Glassell of Runkan,
Scotland and Gustavus Brown, M.D. of Charles Co., MD.
Most
of the information in the following paragraphs comes directly from this
book
which was written in 1885. “The
Glassell (or Glassele) family is of
French descent. The
first of the name
went from France to Scotland with Mary, Queen of Scots on her return to
her
native land in 1560. The
name supposedly
was originally spelled ‘Glassele.’
John
Glassell, a descendant who followed the fortunes of Mary Stuart, lived
on his
estate called ‘Runcan’ in Scotland.
He
married Mary Coalter.” (Ref. 6)
They
had three sons: Andrew
(the grandfather
of Frances,) Robert who was baptized on February 15, 1741, and John who
was
born November 26, 1736.
It
was the “daughter of John Glassell
(Joanna Glassell) who married the 7th Duke of
Argyll (John Campbell)
at Inveraray Castle, County Argyll,
Scotland.” (Ref.
6) Wife of the 7th
Duke of Argyll, Joanna Glassell Campbell) Article
in the
newspaper about the wedding of Joanna and Lord John Campbell Modern pictures of
Inveraray
Castle (Joanna and Frances
Glassell were cousins. When
Joanna married Lord John Campbell on April
17, 1820, Just a few generations later, Lucie
Ware Lewis (the
granddaughter of Frances and Josiah Ware) visited with the current Duke
of
Argyll and shared family stories.
In a
letter to her Aunt Elizabeth, Lucie wrote: “In
a very few moments, the door opened & in walked the Duke, with
all the
plainness and non-ostentation of the Glassells about him. We sat together in close
chat for one hour
& talked of our family. I
laughed
and told him his grandfather was the Tory and returned to Scotland on
the
breaking out of the Revolutionary War and mine was the rebel and stayed
in the
colony.” (Ref.
336) Andrew
Glassell, brother of John and grandfather of Frances, had managed to
acquire a
great deal of land in America at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. John had also grown
prosperous in the
colonies where he was “a merchant there [in
Virginia] of large fortune engaged in
extensive enterprises having branch establishments in Culpepper and
Fauquier
counties. There is
still standing at
Fredericksburg a wharf known as Glassell’s Wharf, which was his
property. John
could not bring himself to side with
the rebellious colonies in 1776, however, so he “deeded
all his property in America to his brother Andrew and then he
returned to live out his days in Scotland.” (ref.#6) Andrew
had, himself, immigrated to Madison County, Virginia earlier in 1756. “He
imported mechanics from Scotland and built a large brick residence on
his fine
estate on the upper Robinson River.” (Ref.
6) He named his beautiful home
“Torthorwald” - in
honor of his Scottish roots. Andrew,
who
had been born in Galloway, Scotland, on October 8, 1738, would have
been 18 at
the time he moved to America and in his mid 30s when he acquired all of
his
brother’s land. According
to Hayden, “Andrew was a man of great
force of character, firm convictions, large benefactions, and earnest
piety. At the early
age of 15 he had
united with the Presbyterian Church in Scotland.
He remained a zealous, consistent Christian
throughout the remainder of his life – a period of 75 years. He knew his own
grandmother, Mary Coalter Glassell,
who had lived in the times of Charles II and James II during the
persecutions
of the Covenanters, and often related how she had frequently attended
services
in the hollow & eaves of the mountains where the snow was two
feet deep;
her servant carrying a piece of carpet for her to stand upon while thus
worshipping – sentinels kept guard for fear of Claverhouse and his
dragoons.”
(Ref. 6)
In a letter from Sigismund
Stribling Ware (son of Josiah Ware) in 1930, he related that “one of his family told me that, when an old
man, he [Andrew] used to ride
thirty
miles to the Presbyterian Church at Fredericksburg on Sacrament Sunday.”
(Ref. 26) An
illustration of Andrew’s generosity and sense of justice is of
permanent
record. “In the summer of 1816, there was a terrible drought
in Virginia and the
corn crop was materially injured thereby.
Andrew Glassell of Torthorwald and Mr. Fry of Madison were
among the few
whose corn crop was not a failure. The
price of corn soon reached the exorbitant amount of $2 per bushel. These two gentlemen refused
to take that
inflated price, but sold their corn to the poor only at 50 cents per
bushel. Mr. Glassell
could have given no
more practical proof of that honest piety which marked his entire life.”
(Ref. 6)
Andrew
married Elizabeth Taylor in 1776.
She
was the daughter of Erasmus Taylor, of Orange County, Virginia. “Erasmus
was the son of James and Martha Taylor of Culpepper County, VA., whose
son
Zachery was the grandfather of General Zachery Taylor, president of the
United
States, and thus the great grandfather of Sarah Taylor who married
Jefferson
Davis, the president of the Confederate States of America.” (Ref. 6)
Andrew and Elizabeth had nine children: (1)
Millie (1778) who married Rueben Smith; (2) John (1780) who married
Louisa
Brown; (3) Mary Kelton (1783) who married Michael Wallace; (4) Helen
Buchan
(1785) who married Daniel Grinnan; (5) Jane Moore (1787) who married
Benjamin
Cave; (6) James McMillan (1790) who married Eudora Swaitrout; (7)
Andrew (1793)
who married Susan Thornton; (8) Robert Alexander (1795) who died of
fever
during the War of 1812; and (9) William Erasmus (1797) who married
Margaret
Somerville. They
were all born at
Torthorwald. Andrew
died July 4, 1827,
at the age of 89. (Ref.
6) It was the
eldest son, John, who was the father of Frances Toy Glassell. John
Glassell was the first of his line to be born in America and live and
die
here. He was born
on October 29, 1780 -
a time when we were still embroiled in the war that would ultimately
bring us
our freedom from England. It
would not
be until John’s
second birthday (with the
surrender of the British army at Yorktown in 1783), when that dream of
independence would
become a reality though. When
John was
nine years old, “his father took him to
Scotland and placed him under the care of his friend, Reverend James
McMillan,
at Dumfries, where for nine years he attended the academy there.”
(Ref. 6) According to a letter written to
Elizabeth Alexander
Ware in 1889, in regards to her grandfather, it was stated that, “Mr. James McMillan was a Presbyterian
minister, a particular friend of my grandfathers.
He had a large school in Dumfries which your
grandfather attended the nine years he was in Scotland.
He must have been a great favorite with your
grandfather and mine as each perpetuated his name in the family.”
(Ref. 353)
When John returned to Virginia at the age of
18, his father gave him a farm near Haymarket.
“He eventually sold this first
farm and bought another one next to the family estate of Torthorwald. He lived there until his
marriage in 1806 to
his first wife.” (Ref. 6) John
began courting Louisa Richard Brown in the early 1800s. “She was
the daughter of Alexander and
Humphrey Ann Frances (Toy) Whiting of Prince William County in Virginia.”
(Ref. 6) Louisa
was born June 22, 1785, into a home mostly filled with daughters. “Her
sisters were Helen, Maria, Cecilia, and Seignora.
She also had one brother named Gustavus - a
family name that dated back to before 1689.” (Ref. 6)
Louisa was 21 years old when she married
John. There is a
long letter that was
written from her to John before their marriage that was printed in the
Alexandria Gazette many years ago.
It
provides an insight into the social activities of the day. Louisa wrote:
“Respected Glassell . . . Our
neighborhood has been thronged with visitors, and in the course of two
weeks we
partook of two barbeques in Haymarket, where we had an assemblage . . .
of all
the bells and beaux from the adjacent counties of Loudon, Fairfax, and
Fauquier.” (Ref.
6) The letter was
dated August 20, 1806, and Louisa and John were married less than a
month later
on September 11, 1806. It
is interesting
to note that Louisa must have used “Glassell” as a term of endearment. Although she addressed her
letters formally
to Mr. John Glassell, she used either “Beloved
Husband” or “My Valued
Glassell” as her salutations even after they were married. Louisa and John had six children before her untimely death on August 20, 1818 at the age of thirty-three. Their first child was a son named Andrew McMillan who was born October 29, 1807. He later married Frances Ann Downing. Frances Toy was the first daughter, and she was born July 25, 1809. She was followed by her sister, Marian, who was born April 16, 1811, and later married William Henry Conway. In
1821, John Glassell remarried - three years after the death of Louisa. His second wife was
Margaret Christian
(Scott) Lee, the widow of Robert E. Lee’s uncle, and she died in 1843
at the
age of sixty. John
did marry one last
time, in 1845, to Sarah Scott Ashton, but it was Margaret who ended up
raising
all the children. They
actually had two
more children before her death - Mildred Smith Glassell (born June 12,
1823)
and John Glassell (born August 16, 1828.)
Before
buying his final farm called “The Glebe” in 1844, John and Margaret
lived at
“Waverly” farm; home of Margaret.
This
was where Frances (or Fanny, as she like to be called) and all her
siblings
were raised. As
with many children of
that time, Fanny and her older brother, Andrew, were sent away to
boarding
school in Winchester for their educations.
Hayden wrote that Andrew was “educated
at Winchester under Reverend Alexander Balmain, his grand uncle.”
(Ref. 6) Fanny
also eventually ended up staying with the Balmains at the rectory, but
in 1822,
(at the age of 13) she found herself in the process of having to change
boarding arrangements. In
a letter (dated December 12, 1822) to her father, Fanny explained that “I have quit school and Mrs. Scott &
boarders have gone to board with Mrs.(?); she has rented a room in the
Market
House for her school which will be the means of her losing a great
number of
her scholars; it being universally considered a very improper place
because a
number of girls are very frequently ‘court held’ there.” (Ref. 690) In the
meantime, however, she reassured her father that
“I intend to pursue my studies in the same manner I would at
school. I have
(been) recommended
Bollin’s History and I read a great deal every day.” (Ref. 690)
As
her
letter reflects her personality so beautifully, I have copied other
excerpts of
it below.
Winchester Dear Father, I have no doubt but you have given
me
the appellation of indolent for not writing before; knowing I would
have no
excuse about my school affairs, but I postponed writing to you thinking
I would
have an opportunity to send my letter.
Aunt says if you cannot come up
conveniently this winter, she will advance money for Brother and myself
whenever it is requisite. She
also
wishes you not to remit Brother any pocket money as he generally spends
it in
confectionary and Mr. Bruce thinks it takes him from his studies.
I have purchased a very handsome
plaid
cloak, but I have not made any use of the bonnet.
I will endeavor to make my old one last as
long as I can. Aunt
has been very uneasy
about you – hearing of the unexpected failure of those gentlemen in
Fredericksburg, she was afraid you had sold yours to one of them. Poor cousin Milley
Taliaferro has sustained a
great loss; having sold all her produce to Mr. Macky & he
refused to give
it back to her. Aunt thinks I have not guarded you enough about coming up this winter and the weather is so extremely changeable, she is afraid you might have another spell of sickness. Aunt, brother, cousins, and myself
join
in love to Mother, yourself, and family. I
remain your ever affectionate
daughter, Frances
Toy
Glassell From
the letter, it is easy to see the maternal side of young Fanny as she
looks
out, not only for her father’s safety, but for her older brother,
Andrew. It is
likely that Andrew did not really
appreciate her passing on the request “not
to remit Brother any pocket money as he generally spends it in
confectionary
and Mr. Bruce thinks it takes him from his studies.” Ah, the
joys of little
sisters! We
know, from a different letter written by Sigismund S. Ware in 1930,
that “Fannie Glassell was sent to school in
Winchester & stayed at the Episcopal Rectory with Reverend
Alexander
Balmain, who had married her aunt; Miss Lucy Taylor.” (Ref. 340)
In
making the move away from home, she used a
small leather trunk (with her
While
Fanny was in Winchester, she was courted by a young man named Josiah
William
Ware. It is not
surprising since we know
from family letters that she was “a very
beautiful woman” (Ref. 2)
Josiah was
from an affluent family in the Berryville region - the son of James
Ware III
and Elizabeth Alexander Ware. He
grew up
in the family home called Riverside, but he often spent time in
Winchester
which was not far away. The
bigger city
offered more opportunities from both a public and personal perspective. Sigismund Ware, his son,
later wrote that “when my father was a young
man in the town,
his father [James Ware III] let him
take the place of the departing Deputy to County Clerk in Winchester.”
(Ref. 340) He
was getting experience in civic
responsibility.
is official commissioning papers
were signed by the 22nd
Governor of Virginia, James Pleasants,
Jr.
By 1842, Josiah and Frances were deeply in love and knew they wanted to get married. On January 21, 1827, Josiah received a letter from George W. Williams; husband of one of his cousins and a good friend. From the contents of the letter, there is no doubt of the deep affection the young couple felt for each other. Excerpts of the very candid and flowery letter are attached below. (ref. 141)
January
21, 1827
Paris, Kentucky Dear
Joe, We
all look for you and your lady
to visit Kentucky in the spring. I
hope
we are not to be disappointed. Sincerely yours,
In 1830, “we commenced threshing with machine and commenced planting out peach trees in the little orchard. Built and shingled the studs stable early this year and shingled the stable at the southern corner of the yard. Built and shingled the corn house back in 1828. Built the shed back of the corn house last spring and framed the shed for front of the barn. We bought straw cutter in spring of 1829, and planted young orchard in 1828. Burnt brick kiln last spring for building new dwelling house and bargained for timbers.” (Ref. 360) One of the
most significant entries was on March 15, 1831 - -“Henry
making cradle.” (Ref. 360)
Yes, Frances had
just delivered their first baby. He
was born on February 16, 1831, and they
named him James. Josiah
had one of his
slaves named Henry make a beautiful cradle for his new son. With tall spindles and a
rocking frame,
the workmanship was (and still is) truly gorgeous.
The cradle has
continued to be passed down to the first son of every generation, and
it is now
currently owned by Kevin Ware, the great great great grandson of Josiah
and
Frances.
The
beautiful cradle was lovingly used again
and was put into service many more times throughout Fanny’s marriage to
Josiah. In a 1935
letter written by her
namesake, Frances Glassell Ware Elliott, it was stated that: “I
am
glad Somie has the cradle and that it is in use again.
It was given to my grandmother (Fanny
Glassell) when my father James Alexander
Ware was born and all her five children used it.
When the second Mrs. Ware [Edmonia] had her children, she was not allowed to use
the cradle as it was held as “Jeem’s cradle” and, as such, it was
showed to my
mother [Jane Morton Smith Ware]
when
she was a bride and went to the Ware home “Springfield” near
Berryville.” (Ref.
20) Three
years after the birth of James, another son arrived on May 2, 1835, and
they
named this one John Glassell Ware - obviously using Fanny’s maiden name
as his
middle name. John
would grow to
adulthood, but he never had the chance to marry before his death. He graduated from the
University of Virginia
in 1854 with a medical degree, and he (soon after) joined the army. John was serving in Galveston, Texas when he died of yellow fever on September 29, 1858, at the age of 23. Unfortunately, there are no known pictures of him. The inscription on the tombstone they placed for him in Grace Episcopal Church Cemetery is very hard to discern, and the greenery around it makes it difficult to gain access for a closer look. It reads as follows: JOHN
GLASSELL WARE
Obituary
Two
years after the birth of John
Glassell Ware, Fanny gave birth to a daughter on September 30, 1837. She was named Elizabeth
Alexander Ware - in
honor of her grandmother. Frances
was 28
years old at the time of her birth.
Elizabeth was a beautiful girl and often went by numerous nicknames over the years. Her family called her “Kee” or “Key” -although we do not know why. She was also known as Bessie, Aunt Bessie, and some friends called her simply, Bess. One of her nieces once wrote, “I remember seeing her take down her hair and it touched the floor when she was standing.” (Ref. 2)
Another
daughter was born on January
10, 1839. She was given
the name of Lucy
Balmain Ware - in honor of the Reverend and Mrs. Balmain who Fanny had
stayed
with while away at school. In
Sigismund’s letter of 1930, he mentioned that “your
grandfather’s sister was named after the Balmain family.” (Ref. 26)
Lucy later wed into the
family of President Washington when she married a favorite nephew of
George’s
named Edward Parke Custis Lewis. It
was
written of her that “Aunt Lucy was lovely
in person and in character.” (Ref. 2) She and her older sister,
Elizabeth, were extremely
close, and it was a devastating blow to Elizabeth when Lucy died so
young in
1866 after the birth of her only surviving child.
Elizabeth actually took care of the baby girl
until Edward remarried a few years later.
Frances had already passed away by the time of Lucy’s
death, so she did
not have to face the despair of losing another child. On April 26, 1841, Frances had her last child – a son named Charles Alexander Ware. He had
“a fair complexion, light hair, and blue
eyes.” (Ref. 106)
As
the baby of the family, Charles was doted on by his
brothers and sisters. He
grew up to be a
doctor and a confirmed bachelor, but he always stayed especially close
to his
sister, Elizabeth. This
probably was, in
large part, due to the fact that he never really got to know his mother
very
well. Charles was
only one year old when
Frances died, and he was subsequently raised by his father’s second
wife -
Edmonia Jacquelin Smith Ware. During
the years (1827-1842) when Frances
and Josiah were getting their family established, life stayed very busy
for
both of them. Fanny,
obviously, was
raising the children and getting their home in order.
Springfield was fast becoming one of the most
beautiful and elegant homes in the Shenandoah Valley.
With the construction of the house,
smokehouse, barn, and all other outlying buildings finally coming to a
close,
Fanny could concentrate on the interior.
A lot of the furniture was made by hand - using the slave
labor which
was common at the time. One
of the
pieces of furniture that graced the halls of Springfield was a
beautifully
carved arm chair made out of horse hair.
The exquisite design on the wood used symbols chosen to
represent
hospitality and prosperity. Current
appraisers have stated that the workmanship on the chair was clearly
done by a
master craftsman.
Another
favorite piece of furniture
belonging to Fanny was her ‘slipper rocker’.
These
special rockers were made lower than normal.
When ladies would sit, their wide hoop skirts could spread
over the
sides, and they could then reach their feet to put their slippers or
shoes on. There were many beautiful pieces of furniture at Springfield. This small triangle table with a little drawer fits perfectly in corners and is currently owned by descendants, James and Judy Ware. Josiah
also had a custom ordered secretary
desk made for their home. It
had the
detailed ‘dove tailing’ on the drawers that added to its’ beauty, and the
intricate thirteen panes of glass in the front panels were
representative of
the 13 original colonies. Owned
by James and Judy Ware Much
of the furniture from Springfield was destroyed during the Civil War,
but these
specific pieces (and others) were passed onto family members during the
years. The
dishes that were used at Springfield
may have been especially ordered by Josiah, or they may actually have
come from
Lucy’s home at Audley after she died.
“The Canton blue and white
patterned dinner
and tea sets were favored by George Washington as well as the merchant
classes.” The
family dishes for the Wares came from
China, and they were known as Chinese Canton; a pattern that later
evolved into
Blue Willow. “Between 1800 to approximately 1860, the U.S. was
the principal market
for all Chinese export porcelain.
By
1890, the government required all imports to be marked with their
country of
origin, hence "CHINA"
or "MADE IN CHINA" is displayed on them; simplifying
the dating process.”
The
dishes from Springfield obviously
predate that time as they have no such markings.
“Utilitarian
in appearance with outer rims having unsymmetrical ridges and
indentations,
Canton has several characteristics that distinguish it from other
Chinese
export porcelains. These
dishes are hand
painted with a composition of a coastal village scene consisting of tea
house,
arched bridges, willow trees, meandering streams and distant mountains
and an
absence of figures. The border of Canton patterns has a blue lattice
network
and inner border of wavy or scalloped lines called “clouds.” Canton plate
Silver
candle snuffer There
were several other items from
Springfield that belonged to Frances and Josiah that have survived
through the
years; each cherished by family members from all over.
These items were all probably
in the home when Josiah remarried, because his daughter (Elizabeth
Alexander
Ware ) wrote in later years that “nearly
everything about the house was not simply the result of my mother’s
thrift that
she had in everything, but those items I claimed (for myself) were
bought by
her.” (Ref.
65) These
are just some of the items that are
still in existence today. Inkwell
with silver lid
Fanny
was so young when she died, that one
can be sure her children cherished any remembrance of her. It is interesting to note
that in one of the
later pictures of her daughter, Elizabeth Alexander, the wax stamp
(used on hot
wax to seal a letter) that spelled out “Ware” was actually made into a
necklace
and worn as jewelry by
her. While
Fanny was carrying on her duties as
the “lady of the house,” Josiah was equally busy in establishing the
foundation
for his famous agricultural advancements.
Captain
Stevenson, who was a guest at their home, said “Springfield
was a fine old plantation near the Shenandoah.
He (Josiah) had some
of the best blooded stock in Virginia and had spent a great
deal of money in importing horse and sheep; some of his sheep costing
$500.00 a
head, and his horses fabulous prices.” (Ref. 181)
According
to his
granddaughter, Cornelia Ware Anker, Josiah was
“the founder of the ‘Maryland and Virginia
Agricultural Association’ which was the beginning of the U.S.
Agriculture
Department into which it was merged.” (Ref.
2) Josiah “was a
prominent racing enthusiast and horse
breeder. He owned
lands most of the way
from “Audley” to the river, and he was instrumental in the forming of
Clarke
County. Through
Merritt & Co. of
Hick’s Ford, Virginia, Ware imported five champion stallions which
stood at
Springfield in the 1830s.” (Ref. 30) Josiah
managed to revolutionize some of the standard breeding practices for
horses,
sheep, and other livestock. He,
and
others like him, helped make the Shenandoah Valley one of the most
productive
regions in Virginia. “In many subtle ways these men altered the
tenor of economic and social life in Old Frederick as a whole. Onto a society
unaccustomed to splendor, they
grafted a wealthy, conspicuous elite.
They became models for a group of prosperous, self-made
men with origins
not in the Tidewater but in the Valley.” (Ref. 48) In
addition to his agricultural interests, Josiah also became very active
in local
and national politics. o man labored harder and was more
instrumental than
Col. Ware in getting the legislature to authorize the formation of the
present
county of Clarke, which was done, we believe, in the year 1835.” (Ref. 22)
As
a result, Fanny and Josiah
saw Frederick
County become Clarke County; as it remains today.
Under
the old magistrate’s court system,
Josiah also filled one of the positions on the bench for a number of
years. He was one
of the Justices of
Clarke County, and “during the
magisterial system, was for many years a member of the court of his
county. It was
stated that, although
hundreds of cases came before him, he was never reversed.” (Ref. 6)
He
was always known as a fair and just man. The
Wares did quite a bit of entertaining
during these years and opened their home to many notable people. In 1836, when Josiah was
34 and Fanny was
just 27 years old, they extended an invitation to Springfield to
Senator Henry
Clay on June 25, 1836, and then one to John C. Calhoun on June 30, 1836. (Ref. 275,
348) Fanny
was pregnant in 1837 and probably found entertaining a bit daunting,
but
Senator J. J. Crittenden was issued an invitation in July 8, 1838, and Josiah had several
communications with Senators
Benjamin W. Leigh, William R. King and W. C. Rives. (Ref. 260, 326, 338, 345)
Then in 1839, less
than a year after the birth of Lucy, Senator
William C. Preston was invited to come and visit on September 27, 1839.
He graciously declined, but extended an invitation for
Josiah to come to
Washington. (Ref.
344) Josiah also communicated with
Daniel Webster and
President John Tyler during this time. (Ref.
354, 701)
As
the years went by, Josiah
socialized more and more with some of history’s most famous people;
ranging
from generals to presidents. Much
later,
when Rutherford B. Hayes became President, Josiah often spent time at
the White
House visiting both the President and his wife, Lucy Ware Webb Hayes. They were cousins. The Hays also came to
Springfield. The
snippets of letters below are a
sampling of the circle of friends the family knew. Those early years of marriage between Josiah and Fanny were filled with many blessings and the joys of close family. Fanny’s sister-in-law (Josiah’s older sister named Sarah Stribling) lived directly across the lane from the young couple with her family. There is a remarkable photograph that was taken from the front porch of the Stribling home, known as Morgan Springs, in which Springfield is faintly visible directly on the horizon. (See below)
There was much interaction between the two families, and even though Sarah and Dr. Stribling only had one daughter, one can surely surmise that the cousins played together. Josiah’s diary mentions several times when he helped his sister and her family with their land. In April 1833, he wrote that his workers were “finished sowing and harvesting oats at Morgan Springs, and in September, “all hands finished at Morgan Springs and finished making cider.” (Ref. 360)
There was also a closeness between
Josiah and Fanny’s siblings - especially her brother Andrew. In 1840, a year before the
birth of her
fourth child, they received news that Andrew was finally getting
married. Fanny was
delighted and could not help
teasing him about it. She
wrote: “You
know it has been my anxious wish to see you a married man, knowing from
experience (where hearts are congenial) it to be a happy life. If you are so fortunate to
get anyone to
marry you, I think I can love that one very much.” (Ref.
86) The
letter went on in great jest,
showing the deep affection the siblings had for one another. Josiah also attached a note inside and
wrote, “Seriously, though, my dear
Andrew, I sincerely congratulate you upon your prospects of happiness.”(Ref.
86) He
promised
Andrew that they would try to
attend the ceremony, but Fanny was (apparently) not overly fond of
traveling. “She is generally a most bold visitor until the time
for setting off
approaches. Then
she abandons the trip
entirely upon some frivolous pretense or other and this may be a
similar case.”
(Ref.
86) Whether
they made it to the wedding or
not, we do not know. We
do know
that, one year later, Fanny had another baby.
Charles Alexander was born on April 26, 1841, and he was
to be her last
child. Unfortunately, Fanny’s health was
obviously not good in April of the very next year, for in a letter
dated April
1, 1842, from Senator King, he mentioned, “I
hope Mrs. Ware has recovered her health.”
(Ref.
657) It
is not
known
what
ailed her, but on May 10, 1842, she passed away quietly at 8 a.m. in
the
morning. (Ref.1) Frances
Toy Glassell Ware died at the
young age of 33 - - leaving a grieving husband and five small children
feeling
lost. James was
only ten years old, John
was 7, Elizabeth was 5, Lucy was 3, and little Charles was just one. In a letter to his sister
that was written
from Winchester, Josiah confided that “Bess
asked me today if I was almost done going to see Reverend Balmain.” He also wrote poignantly
that “John often asks me what his Ma will say
when she ‘comes home’ if she sees him reading.” It must have been a very
difficult time for
all of them. The
following obituary appeared
in the Alexandria newspaper but got some of the details wrong.
Grave
of Frances
Glassell Ware – photos by James & Judy Ware The
tombstone that now stands in the
Ware section of Grace Episcopal Church Cemetery
in
Berryville, Virginia
actually
has
the name and information for Frances on the front and all her children
engraved
on the sides. Thus,
it probably was
erected at a later date. Josiah remarried three years later. His new wife, Edmonia
Jaquelin Smith was a
cousin, and they were wed at her family home called Smithfield. He was 43 at the time and
she was 28 years
old. Edmonia
immediately stepped into
the role of ‘Mother’ and provided a loving home for all her
stepchildren. She
and Josiah blessed them with several more
brothers and sisters in the years to come. References: 1.
The Ware Family Bible – This is kept in my home and has dates and names
recorded in it that date all the way back to the 1700’s. 2. Original
long letter of Cornelia Ware Anker (1945)- This letter is a goldmine of
first-hand intimate family facts & remembrances. Cornelia was the daughter
of Sigismund
Stribling Ware (son of Josiah William Ware). 6.
Virginia Genealogies: A Genealogy of the
Glassell Family of Scotland and Virginia by Rev. Horace
Edwin Hayden, M.
A. Printed in
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
in 1891 – copyrighted 1885. 20. Letter from Fannie Elliott
to her
sister-in-law, Lena Ware; dated Sept. 23, 1935
Explains the history of the antique cradle and antique
trunk that
belonged to Josiah’s wife, Frances Toy Glassell Ware.
22.
Microfilm copy of the obituary of Josiah William Ware. 25. Canton Dishes Lorena
O. Allen, M.Ed., President of L. Allen
Appraisal Studios, Inc., is a fine art appraiser/consultant in Winter
Park,
Florida and a certified member of Appraisers Association of America and
International Society of Appraisers. She includes among her clients,
museums,
attorneys, and insurance companies as well as collectors of fine art
and antiques.
26. Letter
written from Sigismund Stribling Ware to Sarah Ware on August 9, 1930.
30. Civil
War Footnotes : by
Richard C. Plater
of “The Play Garden” in
Millwood,
Virginia. Based on
excepts from the
Civil War books of John Esten Cooke (1830-1886), a member of J.E.B.
Stuart’s
staff & resident of Clarke County.
48. A SEPARATE PLACE
(THE FORMATION OF CLARKE
COUNTY, VIRGINIA) Written by Warren R. Hofstra published by the Clarke
County
Sesquicentennial Committee, White Post , Virginia
- 1986 61. Brief biography of Josiah
William Ware –
written by A. Mackay Smith, Clarke County Historical
Association Proceedings
Vol.
V 1945
pg. 40
65. A letter
from Elizabeth Alexander to her brother, Robert Ware, Feb. 27, 1884. 81. WARE
ANCESTORS by:
Frank Fremont Reed
Chicago 1987
Given to me by Martha Ware in 1998
Book 8, Chapter 1 84. Memoirs of Rev.
Josiah William Ware, Jr.
– Born Nov. 23, 1853.
86. Letter written from
Frances Toy Glassell Ware
(and also Josiah) to her brother, Andrew Glassell.
April 5, 1840 106. Parole certificate issued
to Charles
Alexander Ware on April 18, 1865.
It was
mandatory for all Confederate soldiers to have one of these after the
war. 141. Letter from George W.
Williams (a cousin) to
Josiah William Ware on January 21, 1827 – right before his marriage to
Frances. 160. Article entitled The
Nook from
Proceedings of the Clarke County Historical Association Volume XXIII
1983-1984
- copyright 1985 by the Clarke County Historical Association – printed
by
Commercial Press, Stephens City, Virginia 22655
181. Except from BOOTS
AND SADDLES written
by Capt. Stevenson 1st New York (Lincoln)
Cavalry regiment 1897 184. History
of the Lower Shenandoah Valley Counties of Frederick, Berkeley,
Jefferson and
Clarke
by: Published:
1890.
275. Background
Information on Senator Henry
Clay – researched and written © Judy C.
Ware February 2009 ALSO transcription of
letter from Henry Clay
to Josiah Ware on June 25, 1836 regarding an invitation to visit
Springfield. The
original letter is on
file in the RB Hayes Library. 326. Letter from Benjamin
Watkins Leigh to Josiah
Ware April 1, 1839 336. Letter
from Lucie Ware Lewis to her aunt, Elizabeth A. Ware McGuire dated late
1880’s. 338. Letter
from William R. King to Josiah – April 2, 1838
340. Letter from Sigismund
Stribling Ware to Sarah
(Jim’s aunt) Aug.
9, 1930 344. Letter from Senator William
C. Preston
to Josiah – Sept. 27, 1839 Original
letter on file in the Rutherford B. Hayes Library.
ALSO Background information on William C.
Preston – © Judy C. Ware March 2009 345. Letter from Senator J.J.
Crittenden to
Josiah – July 8, 1838 Concerning
an
invitation to visit Transcribed
by Judy
C. Ware March 2009 Original letter on file in
RB Hayes Library ALSO
background information on Crittenden © Judy
C. Ware March 2009
348. Letter from J.C. Calhoun
to Josiah (June 30,
1836) Original letter is on file in the RB Hayes Library. Also Background
Information on John C.
Calhoun by © Judy C.
Ware February 2009 353. Letter to Elizabeth A.
Ware – July 27,
1889 354. Letter
from Daniel Webster to Josiah (July 20, 1840)
360. Transcription of Josiah
Ware’s Diary 1830-1834
The diary was found on Springfield property – © Judy
Ware 2003 540. Small printout from the
Clarke County
Historical Association with information about Josiah in 1825 – serving
as
Deputy court clerk. 654.
Transcription of note signed by Justice of the Peace John Bell stating
that
Josiah had taken the oaths needed for commissioning as a Captain in the
Virginia Militia July
1824 Original
is owned by Jane & Scott
Dudgeon. Also
includes background
information on John Bell. ©
Judy C.
Ware October 2008 655. Transcription of
COMMISSIONING PAPER for
Josiah Ware as a Captain in the Virginia Militia
Dated 1824 and signed by Governor James
Pleasants, Jr. It
has a notarized seal
attached on original copy which is owned by Jane & Scott
Dudgeon. Transcription
and included research on
Virginia Militia done by © Judy C. Ware
October 2008 There
is also
included some background information on James Pleasants. 690. Letter
written from Frances Toy Glassell to her father in 1822 701. Transcription of letter
from President John
Tyler in 1842. Original
owned by Jane
& Scott Dudgeon Researched & transcribed by © Judy C.
Ware 2008 Founding
Mothers by: Cokie
Roberts, First
Perennial edition
published 2005 HarperCollins
Publishers
Inc. New York, New York SIBLINGS
& FAMILY OF FRANCES TOY GLASSELL Andrew was born
October 29, 1807 & died June 1888 1. John
Downing Glassell 2. Frances
Ware Glassell 3. Mary
Eugenia Glassell 4. Ada
Glassell 5. Andrew
McMillian Glassell 6. William
Glassell 7. Robert
Taylor Glassell 8. Louisa
Brown Glassell 9. Marion
Conway Glassell CHILDREN OF LOUISA BROWN GLASSELL
& HUSBAND JOSIAH
WILLIAM ENO 1. William
Glassell Eno b.
July 16, 1852 2. Jeanette
Eno b.
June 22, 1857 CHILDREN OF MILDRED SMITH
GLASSELL & HUSBAND EDWARD
MATTHEW COVELL Mildred was born
July
12, 1823 1. Margaret
Covell 2. Edward
Covell 3. William
Ross Covell b.
August 27, 1849 CHILDREN OF REV. JOHN GLASSELL
& WIFE MARY FOOTE THOM John was born
August
16, 1828 1. Ellen
Foote Glassell
2. Margaret
Scott Glassell 3. William
Erasmus Glassell 4. Virginia
Thom Glassell 5. Eudora
Swartwout Glassell 6. Anne
Frances Glassell 7. John
Glassell 8. Mary
Stuart Glassell 9. Rueben
Thom Glassell © JCW 2009 Envelope
for Fanny’s letter to her
father FURTHER
INFORMATION ON JOANNA GLASSELL – COUSIN OF FRANCES TOY GLASSELL WARE When
Joanna Glassell (the
only surviving daughter of John Glassell
and Helen Buchan), married John Douglas Edward Henry Campbell (on
April 17,
1820), he was the 7th Duke of Argyll. Their wedding took place
at Inveraray Castle,
and Joanna (born 1796) was John’s second wife.
The couple had four children:
(1)
John (1821) died in 1837; (2)
George (1823) lived to adulthood; (3) Emma (1825) died young; and (4)
another
daughter (unnamed) who died in
1827. Only George lived to marry.
George and his wife (Lady Elizabeth Georgiana Leveson-Gower) had a son named John George Edward Henry Douglas Sutherland Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll - better known by the courtesy title Marquess of Lorne. Joanna’s grandson would marry the 4th daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert – Princess Louise.
Joanna had died on January 22, 1828,
so
she did not get to see her grandson marry.
As was common for the times, Louise was being pressured
into some kind
of marriage for political purposes.
She “fell in love with John,
Marquess of Lorne,
the heir to the Duke of Argyll, however.
Victoria consented to the marriage.” (Ref. Wikipedia) Princess
LouiseThis was
the first time a child of the sovereign had married a subject of the
Crown
since 1515, so it was considered quite historic.
Princess Louise and John Campbell In
later years, Fanny
Glassell Ware’s granddaughter (Lucie Ware) would visit England and get
to spend
time with Queen Victoria and all her Argyll relatives. WAVERLY
–
home where Fanny
Glassell was raised Waverly
was located in Fauquier County
Obituary for one of Andrew Glassell’s daughters Miss Frances W.
Glassell. BOWLING GREEN, VA.,
Dec. 17.- - Miss Frances W. Glassell, 82, daughter of
the late Dr. Andrew W. Glassell, after an illness of several weeks,
died at her
home here on Tuesday morning. She
is
survived by a brother, Dr. Robert T. Glassell; three sisters, Misses
Eugenia,
Ada, and Louise H. Glassell, of this place; three nieces, Mrs. Richard
L.
Beale, of this place; Mrs. Claude Clarke, of Norfolk, and Mrs. Beattie,
of Old
Church. Funeral services were conducted from her residence this
afternoon by
Rev. L. M. Ritter, and interment was in Lakewood cemetery.
From the
"Richmond Times-Dispatch," Richmond, Va., Thursday, December 18, 1924
issue,
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