254 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



returned and buried the dead at Ward's house. On the succeeding day 

 we retreated as far as North Castle, and about a week after were ordered 

 to White Plains where we remained until discharged. 06 The dead who 

 fell on this occasion were interred in a beautiful locust grove west of 

 the house and directly in the rear of the barn on the opposite side of the 

 post-road leading to White Plains. John Williams of the County House, 

 aged 93, Oct. 17th, 1844, says: "I remember when Colonel Simcoe was 

 up with a party and burnt Ward's house. They took off all the siding 

 of the building, together with the doors, windows and shutters, &x., and 

 transported the same to King's bridge to build barracks for the troops, 

 after which they set fire to the house and burnt it down." 6 



The Hon. Stephen Ward, who occupied this property prior to the 

 Revolution, (his dwelling house standing directly on the site of the pres- 

 ent Marble Hall, and closely resembling it in all its proportions), was 

 the son of Edmund Ward, of Eastchester, for many years a member of 

 the Colonial Assembly, and grandson of Edmund Ward, of Fairfield, 

 Connecticut, who removed to Eastchester about the latter period of the 

 17th century. In 1700 the inhabitants of this town granted to Edmund 

 Ward fifty acres of land, in consideration that he pay the Indians for 

 the same. These lands were situated on the Long Reach, for the name 

 of Edward Ward occurs in the Long Reach patent granted to William 

 Peartree and others, A. D., 1708. 



The Wards of Eastchester descend from the ancient family of that 

 name formerly seated at Goileston and Homesfield, in the County of 

 Suffolk, England, in 1593, who claimed to represent William de la 

 Ward who flourished temp. Henry II, n 54-1 189. Of this family was 

 Andrew Ward, a native of Suffolk County, who emigrated to New 

 England in 1630. He was a freeman of Watertown, Mass., and accom- 

 panied the first settlers to Connecticut, and was elected magistrate in 

 1636. He subsequently removed with the Rev. Richard Denton to 

 Hempstead, Long Island, in 1643, and became a resident of Fairfield 

 in 1649. His son was the grandfather of the former proprietor of the 

 Somerville estate. 



The Honorable Stephen Ward, above mentioned, was for many years 

 a judge of the county, and a firm patriot throughout the Revolution. 

 At an early period he appears to have been proscribed by the loyalist 

 party, and a bounty set upon his head. 



a McDonald MSS. in possession of George n. Moore, of N. Y. Hist. Soc. 



6 Ditto. Prince Gedney or White Plains, 02 years of age in Oct. is44, says, that Elijah 

 Haines, a private in the Queen's Rangers, was tailed in the attack upon Wani's house. His 

 sous were Bartholomew, 'flics., Jas. &, Elijah Haines. 



