John Ward, 1st Earl of Dudley

The Right Honourable
The Earl of Dudley
PC FRS
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
In office
30 April 1827  2 June 1828
Monarch George IV
Prime Minister George Canning
The Viscount Goderich
The Duke of Wellington
Preceded by George Canning
Succeeded by The Earl of Aberdeen
Personal details
Born 9 August 1781 (2016-12-09UTC03:03:25)
Died 6 March 1833 (1833-03-07) (aged 51)
Nationality British
Political party Tory
Spouse(s) Unmarried
Alma mater Oriel College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College, Oxford

John William Ward, 1st Earl of Dudley, PC, FRS (9 August 1781 – 6 March 1833), known as the Honourable John Ward from 1788 to 1823 and as the 4th Viscount Dudley and Ward from 1823 to 1827, was a British politician. He served as Foreign Secretary from 1827 to 1828.

Background and education

Dudley was the son of William Ward, 3rd Viscount Dudley and Ward, and his wife Julia Bosville, and was educated at Oxford University (starting at Oriel College in 1798 and transferring to Corpus Christi College, Oxford as a Gentleman Commoner in 1800).

Political career

Dudley entered the House of Commons in 1802 as one of two representatives for Downton. He held this seat until 1803 and later represented Worcestershire from 1803 to 1806, Petersfield from 1806 to 1807, Wareham from 1807 to 1812, Ilchester from 1812 to 1819 and Bossiney from 1819 to 1823. The latter year he succeeded his father in the peerage and took his seat in the House of Lords.

In 1827 Ward was appointed Foreign Secretary under George Canning, a post he held also under Lord Goderich and the Duke of Wellington, resigning office in May 1828. In 1827 he was admitted to the Privy Council and created Viscount Ednam, of Ednam in the County of Roxburgh, and Earl of Dudley, of Dudley Castle in the County of Stafford. As foreign minister Ward was only a cipher; but he was a man of considerable learning and had some reputation as a writer and a talker. Dudley took an interest in the foundation of the University of London, and his Letters to Edward Copleston, the Bishop of Llandaff, were published by the bishop in 1840.

Personal life

Dudley died unmarried on 6 March 1833, aged 51. His two viscountcies and his earldom became extinct on his death while he was succeeded in his junior title of Baron Ward by his second cousin Reverend William Humble Ward. The Earl of Dudley’s Railway is named after him.

References

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Hon. Edward Bouverie
Viscount Folkestone
Member of Parliament for Downton
18021803
With: Hon. Edward Bouverie 18021803
Sir John Blaquiere 1803
Succeeded by
Sir John Blaquiere
Viscount Marsham
Preceded by
Edward Foley
William Lygon
Member of Parliament for Worcestershire
18031806
With: William Lygon (I) 18031806
William Lygon (II)) 1806
Succeeded by
William Lygon
William Lyttelton
Preceded by
Hylton Jolliffe
William Best
Member of Parliament for Petersfield
18061807
With: Hylton Jolliffe
Succeeded by
Hylton Jolliffe
Booth Grey
Preceded by
Andrew Strahan
Jonathan Raine
Member of Parliament for Wareham
18071812
With: Sir Granby Thomas Calcraft 18071808
Sir Samuel Romilly 18081812
Succeeded by
Robert Gordon
Theodore Henry Broadhead
Preceded by
Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Michael Angelo Taylor
Member of Parliament for Ilchester
1812–1818
With: George Philips
Succeeded by
Sir Isaac Coffin
John Merest
Preceded by
James Stuart Wortley
Sir Compton Pocklington Domvile
Member of Parliament for Bossiney
18191823
With: Sir Compton Pocklington Domvile
Succeeded by
Sir Compton Domvile
John Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie
Political offices
Preceded by
George Canning
Foreign Secretary
18271828
Succeeded by
The Earl of Aberdeen
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation Earl of Dudley
18271833
Extinct
Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by
William Ward
Viscount Dudley and Ward
18231833
Succeeded by
Extinct
Peerage of England
Preceded by
William Ward
Baron Ward
18231833
Succeeded by
William Humble Ward
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