Humble Ward, 1st Baron Ward, of

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

(c. 1614 – 14 October 1670) was the son and heir of William Ward, a

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

goldsmith A goldsmith is a Metalworking, metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Nowadays they mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, goldsmiths have also made cutlery, silverware, platter (dishware), pl ...

. He married Frances Sutton otherwise Dudley, 6th Baroness Dudley, granddaughter and sole heir of

Edward Sutton, 5th Baron Dudley Edward Sutton, 5th Baron Dudley (baptised 17 September 1567 – 23 June 1643) was a major landowner, mainly in Staffordshire and Worcestershire, and briefly a Member of the House of Commons of England. Through his intemperate behaviour he won wi ...

, whose estates including

Dudley Castle Dudley Castle is a ruined fortification in the town of Dudley, West Midlands, England. Originally a wooden motte and bailey castle built soon after the Norman Conquest, it was rebuilt as a stone fortification during the twelfth century but subs ...

and

Himley Hall Himley Hall is an early 17th-century country house situated in Staffordshire, England. It is situated in the south of the county in the small village of Himley, near to the town of Dudley and the city of Wolverhampton. Himley Hall is a Grade ...

were settled on them on 17 February 1628, at their marriage. William Ward used his wealth to buy out Lord Dudley's debts, thereby rescuing what was left of the

Dudley Dudley is a large market town and administrative centre in the county of West Midlands, England, southeast of Wolverhampton and northwest of Birmingham. Historically an exclave of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the ...

estate from Dudley's creditors. Following her grandfather's death in 1643, Frances succeeded as Baroness Dudley (in her own right). Her husband was created Lord Ward in 1644. He was

High Sheriff of Staffordshire This is a list of the sheriffs and high sheriffs of Staffordshire. The sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. The sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities ass ...

in 1658. Frances survived her husband, dying on 11 August 1697. Their eldest son

Edward Ward, 7th Baron Dudley Edward Ward, 7th Baron Dudley and 2nd Baron Ward (1631-1701) succeeded his father, Humble Ward as the 2nd Baron Ward in 1670 and his mother, Frances Ward as 7th Baron Dudley in 1697. He married Frances Brereton, the daughter of the Parliamentary ...

succeeded as 2nd

Baron Ward Earl of Dudley, of Dudley Castle in the County of Stafford (now the West Midlands), is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, both times for members of the Ward family. History Dudley was first used for a p ...

in 1670 and as 7th

Baron Dudley Baron Dudley is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created circa 1440 for John Sutton, a soldier who served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. The title descended in the Sutton family until the 17th century when Frances Sutton, the heir appa ...

in 1697. His male line died out, so that the present Baron Dudley is descended through the female line, whereas the Earls of Dudley are descended from Hon. William Ward, their second son.

References

*''Burkes' Peerage'' (1939) 1614 births 1670 deaths Barons in the Peerage of England High Sheriffs of Staffordshire Humble People from Birmingham, West Midlands {{England-baron-stub