George Ward ( ga, Seoirse Mac an Bháird; ) was an Irish

luthier A luthier ( ; AmE also ) is a craftsperson who builds or repairs string instruments that have a neck and a sound box. The word "luthier" is originally French and comes from the French word for lute. The term was originally used for makers o ...

and maker of

violins The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

and

cellos The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G2, D ...

from

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

. His instruments are considered original in style with some resemblances to the

Stradivarius A Stradivarius is one of the violins, violas, cellos and other string instruments built by members of the Italian family Stradivari, particularly Antonio Stradivari (Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), during the 17th and 18th centuries. They are co ...

model. One of his violins is preserved as part of a collection at the

National Museum of Ireland The National Museum of Ireland ( ga, Ard-Mhúsaem na hÉireann) is Ireland's leading museum institution, with a strong emphasis on national and some international archaeology, Irish history, Irish art, culture, and natural history. It has thre ...

, Dublin.

Early life

Very little is known about Ward's early life. It has been proposed that he was born in Dublin in 1715 to Samuel and Mary Ward, based on baptism records from the

Church of St Nicholas Without, Dublin St. Nicholas Without is a former Church of Ireland parish church in Dublin, Ireland. For several hundred years the north transept of St. Patrick's Cathedral formed the church, with a wall separating it from the cathedral.Wright The church It re ...

, 18 May 1715. He had a brother named John (1703–1778), whom there is also evidence of being baptized to the same parents and at the same church on 1 October 1704. John was also a

violin maker A luthier ( ; AmE also ) is a craftsperson who builds or repairs string instruments that have a neck and a sound box. The word "luthier" is originally French and comes from the French word for lute. The term was originally used for makers of ...

based in Dublin. John's daughter, Isabelle, married Dublin

guitar maker A luthier ( ; AmE also ) is a craftsperson who builds or repairs string instruments that have a neck and a sound box. The word "luthier" is originally French and comes from the French word for lute. The term was originally used for makers of ...

, William Gibson. Ward may have spent his childhood in Christchurch Yard in Dublin, where he is first recorded to have worked. ''Faulkner's Dublin Journal'' records the death of a Mr. Lewis Ward, Toyman, of Christchurch-yard on 5 October 1765, possibly a relation to George.

Career

The dates that Ward was active as a luthier are debated amongst historians. William Henley believed him to be active as early as 1710, probably based on the earliest date attributed to one of his instruments, supposedly labeled 1719. However, it has been suggested that Henley may have misread the label. Others date the start of his career as late as 1750, from which period there are more extant instruments. However, Ward is thought to have been working as a violin maker at Christchurch Yard by around 1740. It is uncertain who Ward apprenticed with, but it is possible that he was a pupil of Dublin luthier Thomas Molineux (d. 1757), who also resided at Christchurch Yard. Furthermore, Ward branded his instruments 'WARD/DUBLIN' at the back below the button, a trait which he may have adopted from Molineux. Some time between 1740 and 1750, Ward moved to Lee's Lane,

Aston Quay The Dublin quays () refers to the two roadways and quays that run along the north and south banks of the River Liffey in Dublin, Ireland. The stretches of the two continuous streets have several different names. However, all but three of the ...

. It has been proposed that Ward may have taken on a young Thomas Perry as an apprentice because of the similarities between the style of their instruments. Perry also began his career as a luthier at Christchurch Yard and used to brand his instruments 'PERRY/DUBLIN' at the back below the button, a trait that he likely inherited from Ward. In 1764, Ward moved to Anglesea Street, where he remained and worked until his death in 1769. It has been suggested that Perry may have succeeded Ward at the same address in Anglesea Street, since he appears to have moved there about the same time as Ward's death, adding to the possibility that Perry was a former pupil of his.

Style and technique

It is considered that Ward developed his own original style of violin making. It is uncertain whether he inherited some of these unique traits directly from his teacher or developed them over time. The link between Ward's style and Perry's earlier instruments also suggests that Ward had his own unique style, which Perry supposedly adopted as his student. Ward's instruments have also been said to have close similarities to the

model It is not known if he ever had the chance to study directly from an original

or if he also adopted such traits from his teacher. In terms of his workmanship, Ward has been described by Rev. Morris and Henley as an "artist" and "maker of undoubted ability". Ward's surviving instruments have been described by Henley as having "very handsome wood and beautiful varnish" and as being "quite superior" to those of Perry. As well as branding his instruments in the usual manner with his name and place, Ward also branded them with a crowned harp on the button.

Extant instruments

It is not known how many instruments Ward produced in his lifetime. Some of them still survive today and occasionally come up for sale or auction, others are housed as part of collections and exhibits. One of Ward's finest violins was acquired by the

in 1891 and is preserved as part of a collection of musical instruments by Irish makers. The collection also includes instruments by

Perry Perry, also known as pear cider, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in England, particularly in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. It is also made ...

, Molineux, Delany and

Mackintosh The Mackintosh or raincoat (abbreviated as mac) is a form of waterproof raincoat, first sold in 1824, made of rubberised fabric. The Mackintosh is named after its Scottish inventor Charles Macintosh, although many writers added a letter ''k' ...

. Some of Ward's extant instruments:

Violins

* 1719: labelled 'Made by George Ward in Anglesey Street 17 Dublin 19' (may have been misread) * 1740: labelled 'Made by George Ward in Lee's Lane on Aston's Quay, Dublin, 1740',

collection * : branded 'WARD/DUBLIN', private collection * 1753: formerly Graham collection * 1758: labelled 'Made by George Ward in Lee's Lane on Aston's Quay, Dublin, 1758' * 1764: labelled 'Made by George Ward in Anglesea Street in 1764' * 1766: labelled 'Made by George Ward in Anglesea Street 17 Dublin 66'

Cellos

* (?): similar to the 1753 violin

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * *

External links

George Ward
on Dublin Music Trade
George Ward
on

Brian Boydell Brian Patrick Boydell (17 March 1917 – 8 November 2000) was an Irish composer whose works include orchestral pieces, chamber music, and songs. He was Professor of Music at Trinity College Dublin for 20 years, founder of the Dowland Consort, con ...

Card Index
George Ward
on Tarisio
George Ward
on Brompton's {{DEFAULTSORT:Ward, George 1715 births 1769 deaths 18th-century Irish businesspeople Bowed string instrument makers Businesspeople from County Dublin Irish luthiers Irish musical instrument makers