Daily AncestorWard
A ward is a person, usually a child, placed under the care of a court-appointed guardian, often after the father's death.
A ward is the person for whom a court has appointed a guardian. Wards could be minor children or adults judged unable to manage their own affairs.
Minors often became wards because they inherited property from a dead father, which a guardian had to manage until they came of age. Guardian accounts filed over several years can show when the ward came of age or married.
As seen in a recordCounty probate court record, 1800s
Account of Jacob Ross, guardian of his ward Eliza Ross, from 1840 to 1846.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Ward." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/relationships/ward. Last checked 2026-10-01.