Born in Wilberforce – or maybe Windsor. Born in 1833 or 1834 or 1835 or 1836 or even 1839. Born to Michael and Sophia Ward … or to his “sister” … or to a military officer and “adopted” by the Ward family. How does the ordinary reader know which claim is true? The answer lies in my previous posts: ignore the claims and examine the evidence.
When we do so, we discover that the evidence clearly shows that Fred was born in 1835 (see When was Frederick Ward born?). It also shows that he was born either at Windsor, New South Wales, or around the time his parents moved from Wilberforce to Windsor leading him to believe that he was born in Windsor (see Where was Frederick Ward born?).
The evidence also shows that Fred was the youngest child of convict Michael Ward (aka Hanley Thompson Ward) and his wife Sophia (see Who were Frederick Ward's parents?).
Yet one family historian, Barry Sinclair, claims that Fred was not the son of Michael and Sophia Ward, but of their daughter Sarah Ann Ward (see Sinclair's Credentials). Sinclair’s only “evidence” – as he admits – is that Mary Ann Bugg listed Fred’s age as 28 on their daughter’s birth certificate in 1861, leading him to conclude that Fred could not have been Michael and Sophia Ward’s child because they gave birth to another child in 1833.
Significantly, however, Fred did not himself register his daughter’s birth because he was in gaol at that time. In fact in November 1861, two weeks after his daughter’s birth, he told the Darlinghurst Gaol authorities that he was aged “26”, not 28 – information from the horse’s own mouth, so to speak. This indicates that he was actually born around 1835, not 1833, as the other information provided by himself and his parents confirms. So, not only is there no evidence showing that Fred was Sarah Ann Ward’s son, there is irrefutable evidence showing that he wasn’t Sarah’s son (see Was Frederick Ward the son of his "sister"?).
Strangely, after the obvious conclusions are mentioned, some people say “so it is your belief that Fred was the son of Michael and Sophia Ward” or “so it is your opinion that Fred Ward was not the son of Sarah Ann Ward”. It is important to note that a person can “believe” in a religion or have an “opinion” about a political party and that they can change their belief or opinion at any time. However, to state the blindingly obvious, a person cannot be born at two different times to two different sets of parents. Nor does that person's birth or parentage change simply because one person wants to believe differently.
Beliefs and opinions are irrelevant. All that matters is the evidence. And the evidence clearly shows that Fred Ward was born in 1835 to Michael and Sophia Ward around the time that they moved from Wilberforce to Windsor.
But don’t just believe this blog post. This website is all about evidence and historical transparency. Check out the evidence by reading the hyperlinked myth-debunking articles which contain copies of relevant original records. Determine the truth for yourself.
When we do so, we discover that the evidence clearly shows that Fred was born in 1835 (see When was Frederick Ward born?). It also shows that he was born either at Windsor, New South Wales, or around the time his parents moved from Wilberforce to Windsor leading him to believe that he was born in Windsor (see Where was Frederick Ward born?).
The evidence also shows that Fred was the youngest child of convict Michael Ward (aka Hanley Thompson Ward) and his wife Sophia (see Who were Frederick Ward's parents?).
Yet one family historian, Barry Sinclair, claims that Fred was not the son of Michael and Sophia Ward, but of their daughter Sarah Ann Ward (see Sinclair's Credentials). Sinclair’s only “evidence” – as he admits – is that Mary Ann Bugg listed Fred’s age as 28 on their daughter’s birth certificate in 1861, leading him to conclude that Fred could not have been Michael and Sophia Ward’s child because they gave birth to another child in 1833.
Significantly, however, Fred did not himself register his daughter’s birth because he was in gaol at that time. In fact in November 1861, two weeks after his daughter’s birth, he told the Darlinghurst Gaol authorities that he was aged “26”, not 28 – information from the horse’s own mouth, so to speak. This indicates that he was actually born around 1835, not 1833, as the other information provided by himself and his parents confirms. So, not only is there no evidence showing that Fred was Sarah Ann Ward’s son, there is irrefutable evidence showing that he wasn’t Sarah’s son (see Was Frederick Ward the son of his "sister"?).
Strangely, after the obvious conclusions are mentioned, some people say “so it is your belief that Fred was the son of Michael and Sophia Ward” or “so it is your opinion that Fred Ward was not the son of Sarah Ann Ward”. It is important to note that a person can “believe” in a religion or have an “opinion” about a political party and that they can change their belief or opinion at any time. However, to state the blindingly obvious, a person cannot be born at two different times to two different sets of parents. Nor does that person's birth or parentage change simply because one person wants to believe differently.
Beliefs and opinions are irrelevant. All that matters is the evidence. And the evidence clearly shows that Fred Ward was born in 1835 to Michael and Sophia Ward around the time that they moved from Wilberforce to Windsor.
But don’t just believe this blog post. This website is all about evidence and historical transparency. Check out the evidence by reading the hyperlinked myth-debunking articles which contain copies of relevant original records. Determine the truth for yourself.
RSS Feed