Edward Wolstenholme Ward

Australian politician

Major-General Sir Edward Wolstenholme Ward KCMG (17 August 1823 – 5 February 1890)[1] was an Indian-born British soldier and Australian politician as well as cricket player.

## Background

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Born in Calcutta, he was the oldest son of John Petty Ward and his wife Eleanor Erskine, daughter of John Erskine.[2] He was educated at Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and joined then the Royal Engineers as cadet in 1841.[1]

## Career

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Shortly after his admission, he got a promotion to second lieutenant[3] and then in 1844 to first lieutenant.[4] After additional studies at the Royal School of Mines, he began working for the Royal Mint and became second captain in 1852.[1] Two years later, Ward was sent as deputy-master of its oversea branch to Sydney[1] and was promoted to captain in 1855.[5] In January 1855 he was appointed Chief Commissioner of New South Wales Railways,[6] a new position, and was replaced by Captain Mann in July. In May of that year he was nominated a non-elective member of the New South Wales Legislative Council, sitting in it for nine months.[7] He was appointed to the council for life in 1861, however resigned his seat in 1865.[7] Ward was promoted to major in January 1864[8] and to lieutenant-colonel only few months later.[9] When he returned to England in 1866, he was set on halfpay.[1] He was replaced as deputy-master of the Mint by Charles Elouis, who held the position from 1868 to 1877.[10]

In 1869, he became colonel[11] and resumed his old post as deputy-master in a new branch in Melbourne.[1] He was awarded a Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1874[12] and retired with a pension three years later, having been promoted to major-general.[13] In 1879, he was further honoured as a Knight Commander.[14]

Ward played for the New South Wales cricket team in four of its early matches against Victoria between 1857 and 1862.[15] He was one of the pioneers of roundarm bowling in Australia and was most effective, taking 27 wickets in his four matches at an average of 7.66.[16] In the match against Victoria in 1858-59 he took 10 wickets for 57 runs.[17] In 1857 the Australian Cricketer's Guide said of him: "Is an excellent and puzzling left-hand round-arm bowler, with medium pace, keeping the ball usually 'on the spot'."[18]

He was a trustee of the Australian Museum and member of the Australian Philosophical Society.[1] He was elected a member of the Photographic Society in March 1853 remaining a member until at least 1859.[19]

## Family

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On 21 November 1857, he married Anne Sophia Campbell, daughter of Robert Campbell, and had by her three sons and four daughters. Ward died in Cannes, aged 66.[15]

## See also

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* List of New South Wales representative cricketers

## References

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1. ^ a b c d e f g Greville, P. J. (1976). "Ward, Sir Edward Wolstenholme (1823 - 1890)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
2. ^ Lodge, Edmund (1859). The Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire (28th ed.). London: Hurst and Blackett. p. 41.
3. ^ "No. 19997". The London Gazette. 9 July 1841. p. 1782.
4. ^ "No. 20427". The London Gazette. 27 December 1844. p. 5316.
5. ^ "No. 21688". The London Gazette. 3 April 1855. p. 1335.
6. ^ "Government Gazette Appointments and Employment". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 2\. New South Wales, Australia. 5 January 1855. p. 15. Retrieved 22 March 2024 - via National Library of Australia.
7. ^ a b "Edward Wolstenholme Ward". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
8. ^ "No. 22820". The London Gazette. 16 February 1864. p. 725.
9. ^ "No. 22829". The London Gazette. 8 March 1864. p. 1429.
10. ^ "The Royal Mint". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 21, 476. New South Wales, Australia. 17 November 1906. p. 17. Retrieved 22 March 2024 - via National Library of Australia.
11. ^ "No. 23473". The London Gazette. 26 February 1869. p. 1385.
12. ^ "No. 24116". The London Gazette. 24 July 1874. p. 3669.
13. ^ "No. 24491". The London Gazette. 10 August 1877. p. 4628.
14. ^ "No. 24726". The London Gazette. 24 May 1879. p. 3597.
15. ^ a b "ESPN, Cricinfo - Edward Wolstenholme Ward". Retrieved 23 August 2009.
16. ^ A. G. Moyes, Australian Cricket: A History, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1959, p. 118.
17. ^ "New South Wales v Victoria 1858-59". CricketArchive. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
18. ^ "New South Wales Eleven". The Sydney Morning Herald: 5. 7 October 1857.
19. ^ http://rpsmembers.dmu.ac.uk/rps_results.php?mid=343 Accessed 2 March 2015. See also: Elaine Herbert, 'Who was the first RPS member in Australia?' in The Royal Photographic Society Australian Chapter Newsletter, 30 (2), February 2015, pp. 10-11.

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