| The Right Honourable William Dudley Ward PC |
|
|---|---|
| William Dudley Ward as depicted by "Spy" (Leslie Ward) in Vanity Fair, 29 March 1900. | |
| Treasurer of the Household | |
| In office 20 December 1909 – 21 February 1912 |
|
| Monarch | George V |
| Prime Minister | H. H. Asquith |
| Preceded by | Sir Edward Strachey, Bt |
| Succeeded by | Frederick Guest |
| Vice-Chamberlain of the Household | |
| In office 9 December 1917 – 19 October 1922 |
|
| Monarch | George V |
| Prime Minister | David Lloyd George |
| Preceded by | Cecil Beck |
| Succeeded by | Douglas Hacking |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 October 1877 London, England |
| Died | 11 November 1946 Calgary, Canada |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse(s) | Winifred May "Freda" Birkin |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Sailing | ||
| Bronze | 1908 London | 8 metre class |
William Dudley Ward PC (14 October 1877 – 11 November 1946), was a British sportsman and Liberal politician.
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Dudley Ward was born in London, the son of William Humble Dudley Ward and the great-grandson of William Humble Ward, 10th Baron Ward (see Earl of Dudley for further information on the Ward family.) His mother was the Honourable Eugenie Violet Adele Brett, daughter of William Brett, 1st Viscount Esher. He was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge.[1]
Dudley Ward rowed for Cambridge in the Boat Race in 1897, when Oxford won. As President of Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC), he rowed in the winning Cambridge crews in the 1899 and 1900 Boat Races. At Henley Royal Regatta he was runner up in Silver Goblets in 1900 partnering Raymond Etherington-Smith. His crew won the Stewards' Challenge Cup in 1901. In 1902 he won the Grand Challenge Cup, the Stewards' Challenge Cup again, and the Silver Goblets partnering Claude Taylor. In 1903 his crew won the Stewards' and Grand again.[2] Dudley Ward was also an accomplished sailor. He competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics and was a crew member of the British boat Sorais, which won the bronze medal in the 8 metre class.[3]
Dudley Ward was returned to Parliament for Southampton in 1906, a seat he held until 1922,[4] and served under H. H. Asquith as Treasurer of the Household from 1909[5] to 1912.[6] During the First World War he was a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, though this may have been a cover for his counter-espionage work for Admiral Sir William Reginald Hall, Director of Naval Intelligence. He served under David Lloyd George as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household from 1917[7] to 1922.[8] In 1922 he was admitted to the Privy Council.[9]
Dudley Ward reportedly "had a liking for the fleshpots and was known, on occasions, to turn up for training still dressed in white tie and tails."[10] He married Winifred May "Freda" Birkin (better known under her married name of Freda Dudley Ward), daughter of Colonel Charles Wilfred Birkin, in 1913. She was a socialite and mistress of Edward, Prince of Wales. The marriage produced two daughters, of whom the eldest, Penelope Dudley Ward, was a leading actress in the 1930s and 1940s. The couple were divorced in 1931. After retiring from politics he divided his time between England and Canada. He died in Calgary in November 1949, aged 69m after an operation. Freda remarried in 1937 and died in March 1983, aged 88.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir John Simeon, Bt Tankerville Chamberlayne |
Member of Parliament for Southampton 1906–1922 With: Sir Ivor Philipps |
Succeeded by Edwin King Perkins Lord Apsley |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Sir Edward Strachey, Bt |
Treasurer of the Household 1909–1912 |
Succeeded by Frederick Guest |
| Preceded by Cecil Beck |
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household 1917–1922 |
Succeeded by Douglas Hacking |