William Ward (cricketer, born 1787)
William Ward | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Highbury Place, Islington, England |
| Died | June 30, 1849 (aged 61) Wyndham Place, London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Financier, politician, cricketer |
| Years active | 1810–1845 (cricket) |
| Known for | Highest individual score in first-class cricket (1820); purchase of Lord's cricket ground; director of Bank of England; Tory MP for City of London |
William Ward (24 July 1787 – 30 June 1849) was a distinguished English financier and an influential figure in the sport of cricket.
Life
Ward was born at Highbury Place, Islington, as the second son of George Ward (who died in 1829), a prominent London merchant and considerable landowner in both the Isle of Wight and Hampshire. His mother, Mary, was the daughter of Henry Sampson Woodfall, and he was related to Robert Plumer Ward through his uncle. He received his education at Winchester College.
His early career involved commercial training, including a period at a banking institution in Antwerp, before joining his father's enterprise in 1810. By 1817, Ward had secured a position as director at the Bank of England, where he gained recognition for his proficiency in foreign exchange matters. In 1819, he provided testimony to parliamentary committees concerning the Bank of England's restrictions on cash payments.
On 9 June 1826, Ward was elected as a Tory Member of Parliament representing the City of London. At the behest of the Duke of Wellington in 1830, he led a committee reviewing the operations of the East India Company ahead of expanding trade with China. Growing disillusioned with reformist politics, he chose not to seek re-election in 1831, unsuccessfully stood for Parliament again in 1835, and subsequently withdrew from public affairs.
Ward passed away on 30 June 1849 at Wyndham Place in London.
Cricketing career
As a cricketer, Ward was renowned as a skilled right-handed batsman and occasionally bowled slow lob deliveries. His first-class cricket tenure commenced during the 1810 English cricket season, was interrupted by the Napoleonic War until resuming in 1816, and extended until 1845.
In an outstanding performance in 1820, Ward amassed 278 runs for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) against Norfolk at Lord's, establishing the highest individual score in first-class cricket that stood until W. G. Grace surpassed it with a triple-century in 1876. The ball used during this innings is conserved at the MCC Museum.
When Thomas Lord intended to sell Lord's cricket ground for development in 1825, Ward intervened by purchasing it for £5,000, thereby safeguarding it for cricket purposes. An anonymous poem celebrated his dual contributions as both a cricketer and city representative.
John Nyren dedicated The Young Cricketer's Tutor (1833) to Ward, commending him as "the most worthy man... to reflect credit upon my choice as a patron."
Ward is also mentioned in The Duckworth Lewis Method's track "Gentlemen and Players," which references his acquisition of Lord's in 1825 prior to his parliamentary career beginning in 1826.
Works
In 1847, Ward authored Remarks on the Monetary Legislation of Great Britain (London), where he critiqued the Coinage Act 1816 for its exclusive commitment to the gold standard and advocated instead for adopting a bi-metallic currency system.
Family
He married Emily, daughter of London alderman Harvey Christian Combe, on 26 April 1811. Emily died on 24 September 1848. Together they had four sons—William George Ward, Henry Ward, Matthew Ward, and Arthur Ward—as well as two daughters.