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Ward and Randolph Family Collection

Collection, MS B142

1880 – 2006
Fairfield Museum
Ida Miller and her husband William, a farmer, lived on Round Hill Road where they built an attractive two-story home. Both had come to the Fairfield area from Virginia after the Civil War. Ida’s sister Lettie/Lottie, and her husband Edwin Randolph, lived around the corner on Barlow Road. Edwin Randolph, who was also born in Virginia, was the last former slave to reside in Fairfield; he died in 1934. He had his own farmland on Barlow and employed workers there, for five cents a day.

Edward Randolph’s children were Nelson (1873-1908, who married Sarah Reeves); Cornelius (b. 1879, married Julia Small); Edward Jr. (1874-1945), Samuel (1880-1960), and Lottie (1891-1957, who married William Mitchell).  Edward lived on (161) Barlow Road by 1930; Cornelius, Edward, Lottie, and Samuel all show address on Barlow Road. Apparently worked for Judge Lockwood in Fairfield. 

The Millers did not have children, but raised Ida’s grand-niece Harriet Randolph (1895-1984), who was daughter of Nelson and Sarah.

Harriet Randolph married Frederick Ward (1895-1984), who was born in Belport, Long Island. They had five children: Charlotte (1920-2015), Gwendolyn (1924-), Edith (1925-1985), Frederick Jr. (1930-2016) and Nelson (1934-2006); they also adopted and raised Stanley Jones; his siblings were adopted by Sara Randolph. Nathaniel Ward died as a baby, before Gwendolyn was born, in 1924.

Frederick Ward courted each of the Randolph sisters (Emma, Lillian, Harriet) before marrying Harriet. He was from Long Island; Gwendolyn wasn’t sure why he came over to Fairfield/Bridgeport. He had one sister, Grace Ward, whose married name was Paris.

Ward family home (rented) was at 368 Round Hill Road.

Frederick Ward served in the military during World War I. He worked as stock clerk at Howland Dry Goods Co as of WWI draft card (matches 1920 census occupation); 1930 census listed as laborer on private estate; for U.S. Aluminum Co as of WWII draft card; in 1940 census was listed as a molder; highest schooling was 5th grade. He later worked for an auto garage/dealership in Fairfield. Harriet Ward worked at home as a dressmaker. She didn’t set a price, just asked people to pay what they could afford, attracted customers from all over.

The Ward family were members of First Church. Gwendolyn Ward worked for GE for 45 years, starting in 1942. Her sister Charlotte joined the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps in 1942. Frederick, Jr. served in the Korean War and again in Vietnam.
The collection consists largely of photographs of the Ward and Randolph family members and friends, along with some memorabilia like marriage certificates, tax receipts, funeral programs, as well as photograph and postcard albums. The collection includes a large number of unidentified studio photographs and some tintypes/cased photographs from studios in Bridgeport, New York, Detroit, and a few other cities, dating from the late 19th century to early 20th century.
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