Vol 14; No 05 Lady Emily Ward

[Les1949]

HAMPTON, AROUND AND ABOUT

Things you may not know, or didn’t know you knew!

No 5 LADY EMILY WARD
Wife to a servant of the State
Lady Emily Ward (1798 – 1882), was a resident of Hampton Court following the death of her husband, Sir Henry George Ward (1797-1860). Henry Ward was a diplomat, politician and colonial administrator. Henry was appointed a joint commissioner to Mexico in 1823, he married Emily, who was the daughter of Sir John Edward Swinburne 6th Bt, of Capheaton, Northumberland, in 1824. Emily came from a well-connected family, her nephew, Algernon Swinburne, was a poet. A year later, they both returned to Mexico (he, as a charges d’affaires).
Whilst in Mexico, Henry wrote several books on the subject of Mexico, assisted by Emily, who had a talent for illustration. Emily also published travel books under her own name.

The Wards returned to England in 1827 and resided in Much Haden – a property owned by her father. Whilst still at sea, Emily had their third child, born 10 days out of Portsmouth. Henry continued his political career whilst Emily produced more children. After a number of years, the Wards were on their travels again.
From 1849 to 1855 the Wards were in the Ionian Islands, before being sent to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) where Henry was appointed Governor (Emily was now a Governor’s wife, part of the ‘British Raj’). The Wards then moved to Madras in 1860, where Henry was appointed as Governor – this during the ongoing problems of the ‘Indian Mutiny’.
However, just a few weeks into their new appointment, Henry contracted Cholera. Cholera was fatal in most cases and Henry succumbed to the disease and was buried in St Mary’s Church, Madras.
The now widowed Emily Ward returned to England, for the last time. Lady Ward was granted an apartment in Hampton Court Palace because of her late husband’s service to the country. The apartments were very substantial. In the 1881 census, living with Emily were two daughters, Georgina and Jane, a lady’s maid, a nurse, two housemaids and a cook.
Emily died in 1882, at the age of 84, and was buried in St James’s Burial Ground, Hampton Hill.

The Old Historian