A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Ward, William
WARD. (Rear-Admiral of the White, 1846. f-p., 17; h-p., 37.)
William Ward was born 21 Nov. 1782 at Southampton.
This officer entered the Navy, 4 March, 1793, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Sceptre 74, Capts. Jas. Rich. Dacres and Wm. Essington. On 1 June, 1794, he was present, as Midshipman, in company with the Belliqueux 64, at the capture, after a smart action of some hours, of Fort Brissoton, near Port-au-Prince, which place, with several others adjacent, surrendered in the course of the same month. Having rejoined Capt. Dacres on board the Barfleur 98, he took part in her in the actions off the Ile de Groix and Cape St. Vincent 23 June, 1795, and 14 Feb. 1797. He assisted also at the cutting-out of three French men-of-war from Tunis Bay, and at the blockade and bombardments of Cadiz. Towards the close of 1797 he removed to the Arethusa 38, Capt. Thos. Wolley; under whom, we find, he was often, during a long and close blockade of Havre, engaged with the enemy’s flotilla and batteries. On 10 Jan. 1800 he was made Lieutenant into the Discovery bomb, Capts. John Dick and John Conn; and he was next, 7 Aug. in the same year and 14 Jan. 1801 and 29 March, 1803, appointed to the Marlborough 74, Capt. Thos. Sothehy, Oiseau 36, Capts. Sam. Hood Linzee, Wm. Parker, Lord Augustus FitzRoy, and John Phillips, and Pique 36, Capts. Wm. Cumberland and Chas. Bayne Hodgson Ross, on the Home and West India stations. He was wrecked in the Marlborough on a sunken rock near Belleisle 4 Nov. 1800. As First of La Pique he witnessed the taking, in 1803, of Aux Cayes and Cape François, St. Domingo. Besides aiding at the capture, in the course of 1804-5, of Le Terreur French cutter of 10 guns and 75 men, and of the Spanish ships-of-war Diligentia and Orquijo, he boarded in the gig and yawl and took, in March, 1806, after a sharp struggle, a schooner, the Santa Clara, carrying 1 9-pounder and 28 men and completely equipped for the purposes of war. He was further, 26 March, 1806, present at the capture of the French corvettes Phaëton and Voltigeur of 16 guns and 115 men each. The former, after 20 minutes of destructive firing, was by him boarded at the head of about 30 men. Her decks were, inch by inch, defended with desperate obstinacy, and the slaughter on both sides was dreadful, amounting on the part of the British (one-half of their opponents were either killed or wounded) to 9 killed and 14 wounded. Included among the dangerously wounded was Mr. Ward, whose good conduct, we learn from his Captain’s official letter, had at all times merited his highest approbation and now induced him to recommend him to the notice of the Commander-in- Chief.[1] As a reward for his gallantry, he was offered by the latter the command of either of the two prizes. Choosing the one he had boarded, and whose name on her being added to the British Navy was changed to Pelican, he was accordingly appointed to her 8 April ensuing; and on 23 July he was confirmed. He was presented, we may add, with the sum of 100l. by the Patriotic Society. He afterwards, in 1807, accompanied the expedition to Copenhagen; and in March, 1808, having returned to the West Indies, he served at the reduction of Deseada. On 23 April following he was nominated, on the station last named, Acting-Captain of the Daedalus 32; and he was there posted by the Admiralty, 10 June in the same year, into the Bacchante 38, which frigate, in the spring of 1809, he brought home and paid off. He was then appointed to the Resolution 74; and in the ensuing summer he sailed with the expedition to the Walcheren. Puring the operations in the Scheldt he served with the flotilla in an attack on Ter Ver, and commanded a division of armed transports employed to complete the investment of Flushing.[2]f He lost a Lieutenant and 2 men in passing the enemy’s batteries. He went on half-pay in Jan. 1810, and has not been since able to obtain an appointment. He attained flag-rank 9 Nov. 1846.
Rear-Admiral Ward married 9 Dec. 1811, Sophia Mary, youngest daughter of E. J. Mallough, Esq., of Mitcham. One of his sons, John Ross, is a Commander R.N.; and another, Henderson, a First-Lieutenant, R.M. (1847).