Prudence Ward was born on October 6, 1795 in Newton, Massachusetts to Joseph Ward and Prudence (Bird) Ward. She was seven siblings: Elizabeth, Joseph, Myra, Joseph, Caroline, Dennis, and George Washington. Prudence never married but was a much loved aunt to her nieces and nephews. After Joseph Ward's death, Prudence Bird Ward and her daughters, Caroline and Prudence, became close friends with the Thoreau family, especially Mrs. Cynthia Thoreau (Henry David Thoreau's mother), and Misses Elizabeth, Jane, and Maria Thoreau (Henry David Thoreau's aunts). In 1833, Mrs. Ward and Prudence moved to Concord and lived in a house owned by John Thoreau, Sr. (Henry David Thoreau's father). They lived there until Mrs. Ward's death in 1844. After her mother's death, Prudence left Concord but remained a close confidante of Maria and Sophia Thoreau. Prudence Ward died on June 2, 1874. Upon Prudence's death, her niece Anne J. Ward (d. 1913) took control of her papers.
From the description of Correspondence of Prudence Ward and Anne J. Ward, 1839-1906. (Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens). WorldCat record id: 123464277
