William Ward, 1st Earl of Dudley (27 March 1817 – 7 May 1885), known as The Lord Ward from 1835 to 1860, was an English landowner and benefactor.

Background and education

Ward was born on 27 March 1817 at Edwardstone, Boxford, Suffolk, England, the son of William Ward, 10th Baron Ward. His mother was Amelia, daughter of William Cooch Pillans. He was educated at Eton and at

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

and

Trinity College, Oxford Trinity College (full name: The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope (Knight)) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in E ...

. He played

first-class cricket First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is of three or more days scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officially adju ...

for

Oxford University Cricket Club Oxford University Cricket Club (OUCC), which represents the University of Oxford, had held first-class status since 1827 when it made its debut in the inaugural University Match between OUCC and Cambridge University Cricket Club (CUCC). Follo ...

between 1838 and 1842.

Career

On 6 December 1835, he inherited the title of Lord Ward, when he became the 11th Baron Ward. His inheritance included

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

and the ruins of

Dudley Castle Dudley Castle is a ruins, ruined castle, fortification in the town of Dudley, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Originally, a wooden motte and bailey castle built soon after the Norman Conquest, it was rebuilt as a stone fortifica ...

. In 1837 his trustees purchased the

Witley Court Witley Court, in Great Witley, Worcestershire, England, is a ruined Italianate architecture, Italianate mansion. Built for the Baron Foley, Foleys in the seventeenth century on the site of a former manor house, it was enormously expanded in the ...

estate in Worcestershire from Thomas Foley, 4th Baron Foley. Ward never held any political office, but served as Colonel Commander of the Worcestershire Yeomanry in 1854. Between 1859 and 1877 Ward paid for the entire refacing and restoration of

Worcester Cathedral Worcester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of Christ and Blessed Mary the Virgin, is a Church of England cathedral in Worcester, England, Worcester, England. The cathedral is the seat of the bishop of Worcester and is the Mother Church# ...

Folkes, J. Homery ''The Victorian Architect and

George Edmund Street George Edmund Street (20 June 1824 – 18 December 1881), also known as G. E. Street, was an English architect, born at Woodford in Essex. Stylistically, Street was a leading practitioner of the Victorian Gothic Revival. Though mainly an eccl ...

'' Transactions of the Worcestershire Archaeological Society. Third Series Vol 4 1974 p9 and there is a monument to him in the cathedral. In 1868 he defrayed one third of the cost of the tower and spire of St John the Baptist's Church at

Hagley Hagley is a village and civil parish in Worcestershire, England. It is on the boundary of the West Midlands (county), West Midlands and Worcestershire counties between the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley and Kidderminster. Its estimated populati ...

. He was also a trustee of the

National Gallery The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of more than 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current di ...

and the

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...

. In 1860, the earldom held by his kinsman was revived when he was created Viscount Ednam, of

Ednam Ednam is a small village near Kelso in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. Places nearby include Stichill, Sprouston, Nenthorn, Eccles, Gordon, Greenlaw as well as Floors Castle. The village was formerly in Roxburghshire. Its name i ...

in the County of Roxburgh, and Earl of Dudley, of

in the County of Stafford.

Personal life

Lord Dudley married, firstly, Selina Constance, daughter of Hubert de Burgh, on 24 April 1851. She died on 14 November of the same year, aged only 22. There were no children from this marriage. He married, secondly, Georgina Elisabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Moncreiffe, 7th Baronet, and Lady Louisa Hay-Drummond, on 21 November 1865. His sister-in-law Harriet Moncreiffe, who a few years later, as Lady Mordaunt, became embroiled in a sensational divorce case, referred to him as "frizzle wig". Together, William and Georgina were the parents of six sons and one daughter: * William Humble Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley (1867–1932), who succeeded his father and became a prominent

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

politician who married

Rachel Gurney Rachel Gurney (5 March 1920 – 24 November 2001) was an English actress. She began her career in the theatre towards the end of World War II and then expanded into television and film in the 1950s. She remained active, mostly in television a ...

CBE, the youngest daughter of Charles Henry Gurney. * Hon. Sir John Hubert Ward (1870–1938), who married Jean Templeton Reid, daughter of U.S. Ambassador

Whitelaw Reid Whitelaw Reid (October 27, 1837 – December 15, 1912) was an American politician, diplomat and newspaper editor, as well as the author of ''Ohio in the War'', a popular work of history. After assisting Horace Greeley as editor of the ''New-Yo ...

. * Hon. Robert Arthur Ward (1871–1942), who married Lady Mary Acheson, a daughter of Archibald Acheson, 4th Earl of Gosford and Lady Louisa Montagu (daughter of William Montagu, 7th Duke of Manchester). * Lady Edith Amelia Ward (1872–1956), who married Frederick Glyn, 4th Baron Wolverton. * Captain Hon. Reginald Ward, DSO (1874–1904), of the Royal Horse Guards. * Captain Hon. Cyril Augustus Ward (1876–1930), who married Baroness Irene de Brienen, a daughter of Baron de Brienen. He took part in the Parker expedition to Jerusalem, going to Jerusalem in 1909. He served with the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

during the First World War. He was declared bankrupt in 1923 and subsequently moved to Kenya where he died. * Hon. Gerald Ernest Francis Ward (1877–1914), a first-class cricketer for

Marylebone Cricket Club The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is a cricket club founded in 1787 and based since 1814 at Lord's, Lord's Cricket Ground, which it owns, in St John's Wood, London, England. The club was the governing body of cricket from 1788 to 1989 and retain ...

(MCC), who served in the 1st Life Guards during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and was killed in action at Zandvoorde, Belgium. He married Lady Evelyn Crichton, a daughter of John Crichton, 4th Earl Erne and Lady Florence Cole (daughter of

William Cole, 3rd Earl of Enniskillen William Willoughby Cole, 3rd Earl of Enniskillen, (25 January 180712 November 1886) styled by the courtesy title Viscount Cole until 1840, was an Irish palaeontologist and Conservative Member of Parliament. He also served as the first Imper ...

). He owned 25,000 acres, with most of his income coming from 5,000 acres in Staffordshire.The great landowners of Great Britain and Ireland
/ref> Ward died on 7 May 1885, aged 68, at Dudley House,

Park Lane Park Lane is a dual carriageway road in the City of Westminster in Central London. It is part of the London Inner Ring Road and runs from Hyde Park Corner in the south to Marble Arch in the north. It separates Hyde Park, London, Hyde Park to ...

Mayfair Mayfair is an area of Westminster, London, England, in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. It is between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane and one of the most expensive districts ...

, in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, and was originally buried in a marble

sarcophagus A sarcophagus (: sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a coffin, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek language, Greek wikt:σάρξ, σάρξ ...

in the crypt of Saint Michael and All Angels Church in Great Witley,

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands (county), West ...

. His remains were later moved to

, where a funerary monument to him was erected. The Countess of Dudley survived her husband by over forty years and died in February 1929 at her home at

Pembroke Lodge, Richmond Park Pembroke Lodge is a Georgian era, Georgian two-storey large house in Richmond Park in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It sits on high ground with views across the Thames valley to Windsor, Berkshire, Windsor, the Chiltern Hills, Chi ...

at the age of 82, having spent over half her life as a widow.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dudley, William Ward, 1st Earl of 1817 births 1885 deaths Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford 19th-century English landowners Burials at Worcester Cathedral Earls in the Peerage of the United Kingdom 1 English cricketers 19th-century English philanthropists Oxford University cricketers People associated with the National Gallery, London People educated at Eton College Presidents of the Marylebone Cricket Club Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery

William William is a masculine given name of Germanic languages, Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman Conquest, Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle ...

People from Boxford, Suffolk Peers of the United Kingdom created by Queen Victoria Worcestershire Yeomanry officers 19th-century British Army personnel Military personnel from Suffolk