I don't know if this is the first land purchase Simon WARD made or if this was a subsequent purchase. I have no documentation of land purchases prior to this, and don't know where he and Rhoda and family were living up to the date of this land purchase in 1797.

"This Indenture made the fourteenth day of February and in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety Seven and in the Thirty Seventh Year of His Majestys Reign, know all men by then ______ that I Samuel Hoyle, Miller and planter of the Township of Newport County of Hants and Province of Nova Scotia for and in Consideration of the Sum of One hundred pounds Currency of this province to me in hand will and truly paid before the Ensealing and delivery of the _____ by Simon Ward planter of the Township County and province aforesaid hath granted bargained Sold aliened Enter____ ____ and Confirmed and by these presents doth grant bargain ___ alien _____ _____ and Confirm unto the said Simon Ward his heirs Executors administration and Assigns for Ever Half that tract ___ or lot of land siturate lying in the aforesaid Township of Newport being lot No.15 bounded as followeth __ on the East by lands formerly belonging to Jonathan Card on the West by the Mill farm on the North by the River Hubbert Containing by Estimation two hundred acres ___ or __ together with all the buildings and improvements woods Watercourses, and the Reversion and ______ ______ and ________ with all and every the App________ this unto _______ belonging to the said Simon Ward his heirs executors administrators and _____ for Ever. In Witness wherof I bind myself and my heirs to shall and will warrant and for Ever defend against all persons whatsoever the full P______ with the benef___ and app______ belonging to the aforesaid _____ to the aforesaid Simon Ward his heirs executors adminstrators and assigns for Ever To Have and to Hold the aforesaid Granted Premises. In Witness Hereto I hereunto set my Hand and Seal _____
Witnesses present
Daniel ______
William Gill
Signed Sealed and delivered in the presence of us this __ Day of February 1797"

Here are some pictures I took of Simon's land as it looks in 2001 along with a poem I wrote for my brother, Ross when he was dying of cancer.

This evening I was out walking and thinking about you. I looked up at the sky as I was walking along and this is what came to me (if you can see the sky as you read this, that would be even better):
our grand dad's father's father's dad looked up at the trees swaying against the same big sky like you and i he watched the storm clouds moving across the same dark sky like you and i it's always there.. it's always been there it will go on and on. he rambled thru these same green hills like you and i and sat on a grassy bank as the river rolled on on and on.. on and on.. this river rolls on and on.
a man.. a son.. a man.. a son.. watched one last cloud move across the same dark sky like you and i watched one last branch sway against the same big sky before he said good night the river rolls on.. on and on.. this river rolls on and on on through the rolling hills.. under the same dark sky.

our grand dad's father's father's dad awakens from sleep looks up at the same big sky with you and i and still it's there.. it's always been there he watches shapes in clouds move across the timeless sky with you and i it's always there.. it's always been there! he rambles thru familiar hills and sits on the grassy bank as the river rolls on

on and on.. this river rolls on and on. a man.. a son.. a man.. a son.. together rambling the rolling hills under the timeless sky together on the grassy bank as the river rolls on on and on.. this river rolls on and on. you and i were robbed of our time together life tore us apart and cast us away and the river rolled on and on but our day will come under this same sky above together rambling the rolling hills under the timeless sky talkin' together on the grassy bank as the river rolls on on and on.. this river rolls on and on you and i with our grand dad's father's dad will roll on and on

Ross, last week I was down on the mainland, Nova Scotia and actually found our great, great, great grandfather, Simon Ward's land. The pictures above are taken on it. It's still all beautiful, unspoiled rolling hills and fields. I found the grave site of our great, great grandfather and grandmother, Robert and Amy Ward under a 200 year old oak tree!! It would have been there when they were buried. All of this still fresh in my mind, along with thinking of you is what inspired the above poem.. along with, of course, the scriptures that tell us that 'the meek shall inherit the Earth' and 'dwell on it forever'.. and that 'all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out'. (Psalm 37:11, 29 ; John 5: 28) Jesus said to her: "Your brother will rise." Martha said to him: "I know he will rise in the resurrection on the last day" Jesus said to her: "I am the resurrection and the life. He that exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life, and everyone that is living and exercises faith in me will never die at all" This is the hope that gives me the confidence that the poem above will be a reality. We really will be together again, rambling the rolling hills, along with our great, great, great grandfather and have the time of our lives that we never had a chance to have this time around! Love forever, Your li'l Sister, Ginny