Working on this website has been a fascinating experience, not only have I learnt about Philip, but I have also discovered that he came from quite a remarkable family. At first I found it somewhat surprising that I had never heard about their achievements and their service to their communities. However, considering the tragedies this family endured and the eventual loss of contact, may be this lack of information can be understood. I am extremely grateful to Hannah Turner from Leigh Local Studies, Wigan Council for her research of the local archives on my behalf.
Philip Ward was the eldest son of James and Ellen (Nellie) Ward, who were married on June 17th 1896 at St Thomas’s Church, Bedford, Leigh. The ceremony was presided over by the Reverend Ernest Barnes Ward, James’ brother, who himself was due to get married three months later.
Nellie (b. 1864) was well known in the parish of St. Thomas’s for her church activities and her support for local schools. She was the second daughter of James and Ellen Hampson (d. 1874), who farmed at Cheetham Farm, Bedford, Leigh. According to his obituary, upon retirement James Chiswell Hampson (1839-1924) took to cycling, and toured throughout Lancashire and Cheshire, and on occasion travelled as far afield as Scotland and Wales.
James Ward, J.P. 1858-1933
Philip’s father, James Ward, born in Okell Street, Westleigh, was the eldest son of local draper Peter Ward (1833-1904) and his wife Harriet (1835-1901). When James was five years old the family moved from Westleigh to 51 Union Street, Bradshawgate in central Leigh.
As stated earlier in this website, after my father’s death a number of family documents came into my possession, including these wonderful photographs. Amongst the paperwork is a brief outline of James’ life, written in his own hand on scraps of paper torn from a 1925 diary:
Born 2 May 1858 at 3 Okell St, Leigh
Christened Whitsunday 1858
Removed to Bradshawgate, Leigh Nov 5 1863
Attended Leigh National School, Church St 1863
Leigh Grammar School midsummer 1868
Manchester Grammar School
Confirmed at Leigh Church
Attended Owen’s College
May 1910 sworn in as Magistrate
Other notes listed wedding anniversaries and birthdays of both his family members and those of his in-laws.
These notes are a real treasure, but they fail to illustrate what a exceptional, versatile and energetic man James Ward must have been. This son of a draper achieved a Bachelor of Arts (London) in Maths and the Classics at Owen’s College (now a part of the University of Manchester). After graduating, James returned to live with his parents in Union Street and assisted his father in his business for some time.
James was a keen intellectual with a thirst for literature, and in July 1878 he invited eight like-minded young men to a meeting in his father’s house. This meeting was to be a pivotal moment in James’ life, as from this meeting the Leigh Literary Society was born, an organisation which was to be the source of many civic good works, with James frequently in the midst of them. Two years after this meeting, James was made the Society’s secretary, a position which he was to hold for 25 years. There are some splendid photographs of the Society in action held in the Wigan Council Archive.
In 1884 James was appointed the town’s Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages, a post which he was to hold until 1924. The following year, at the age of just 27, he succeeded Mr. Ralph Passe as Headmaster of Leigh Grammar School (1885-1893).
Through the Leigh Literary Society, James was instrumental in setting up classes in Science and Art for workers and was heavily involved in the campaign and subsequent construction of a public library and vocational school in Leigh. The library was built on Railway Road, and opened in 1894. It shared a building with Leigh’s Technical School, which later became a part of Leigh College. Ahead of the Library’s opening, James took on the roll of building up a collection of books, making sure they were catalogued and stored correctly. Unsurprisingly James was appointed Leigh’s first Librarian, a post which he held until 1903. In 1971 a new library was opened in Market Street. The original Public Library and Technical School building lay derelict for some years, but is now being converted into flats by a London developer.
In 1903, James Ward was appointed Director of Education for the town of Leigh, a position in which he displayed “conspicuous ability”. He remained in office until his retirement in April 1927. James was clearly a talented individual, and this, coupled with a willingness to help others led him to be involved with all manner of institutions, committees and charities. Below is a summary of what can be found from contemporary newspaper clippings and my father’s notes.
Committee member of Cambridge University Lectures (from 1874 onwards)
Co-founder of the Leigh Literary Society (Secretary from 1878, President in 1926)
Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages (1884-1924)
Headmaster of Leigh Grammar School (1885-1893)
Joint secretary of Building Executive Committee of Leigh Technical School and Free Library
Librarian and secretary to Leigh Technical School and Free Library (1894-1903)
Council of the Union of Lancashire and Cheshire Institutes (elected Member in 1899, chairman in 1907, and Chairman of the Council of the Union in 1916)
Clerk to Leigh Grammar School Governors (1901-1927)
Director of Education (1903-1927)
Co-founder of the Leigh District Nursing Association, and later Honorary Secretary
Churchwarden at St Mary the Virgin (Leigh Parish Church) for ten years
Trustee of Leigh Savings Bank
Trustee of Francis’s Charity
Trustee of Travis’s Charity
Secretary, and later Chairman, Lancashire Antiquarian Society
Co-founder of Leigh Photographic Society
Co-founder of Leigh Pupil Teachers Centre
Committee member of Leigh Health Society
Committee member of Leigh Blind Aid Society
Leigh Infirmary Board of Governors
Member of Leigh Cricket Club (over 40 years)
Director of Ceremonies and Past Master of the Marquis of Lorn Lodge of Freemasons, Bradshawgate, Leigh
Sadly, James and Ellen outlived all three of their sons. Philip, as we know, was killed in action in Belgium at the age of 19, Stephen died from septicaemia at the age of 31, and their third son, also named James, died just 14 days after being born. Mr. James Ward, B.A., J.P. died on Wednesday evening, April 19th 1933, two years after Stephen’s death. His death was quite sudden, suffering a heart attack after having taken to his bed earlier that day. His wife, Ellen (Nellie) Ward died in 1944 at the age of 80.
All the above newspaper clippings are courtesy of Leigh Local Studies Centre, Wigan Council.
Reverend Ernest Barnes Ward (1866-1925)
Philip’s uncle, Ernest Ward, younger brother of James, also went to Leigh Grammar School and Manchester Grammar School before going to St John’s College Cambridge, and then to College of the Resurrection, Mirfield, Yorkshire.
Ernest was ordained at Wakefield, Yorkshire in 1890, and served at St. Mary’s Church in nearby Barnsley 1889-1892. He then moved to St John’s College Mission in Walworth, London 1892-1893, before returning to Yorkshire to serve in Mirfield Parish Church 1893-1896. On September 26th 1896 Ernest married Emily Sarah Strickland from Richmond, Yorkshire. The wedding took place in Carlisle.
From 1896-1900 Ernest was attached to St. James’ Church, Birch, Manchester. Whilst in his last year at St. James’, Ernest also worked from the office of the new church of St. Chad’s at Ladybarn, Manchester. This church was where the Reverend Ward would remain for the rest of his life. Sarah became the church organist and as Rector’s wife was heavily involved in church life. She was called upon to ‘cut the first sod’ when a new and more permanent church was built in 1906. She repeated the ceremony when the new Rectory was built just before the outbreak of war in 1914.
I was delighted that my 7 year old daughter was given a chance to play the church organ on our visit in 2015.
According to the excellent history page of St. Chad’s website, after Sarah Ward died (23rd April 1918), a rood beam was erected across the church chancel in memory of her. According to my father’s family notes, a Ward memorial window was donated to the church. I am indebted to John Davies of St. Chad’s, who informed me that the window was donated by James and Ernest in memory of their parents, Peter and Harriet. It was unveiled by Philip in 1910, when he was 12 years old, and depicts St. Chad with Lichfield Cathedral.
It would appear that Philip was close to his uncle, and possibly to his congregation. This could explain why Philip’s name appears on the church’s Roll of Honour, something which I earlier found surprising, but none the less touching.
After losing his wife, Ernest’s health deteriorated and he died on October 4th 1925 at the age of 59. The church’s website has published this obituary to the Reverend Ernest Barnes Ward:
St Chad’s first priest was generous in this praise of others, an unsparing critic of himself and one who inspired great affection. ‘His generous laugh and expressive personality always dominated the surroundings’. He would be a hard act to follow.
I was pleased to learn from Robert Nicholls of St. Chad’s, that the church’s east window was dedicated to the memory of Ernest in 1928. Apparently the window represents the Incarnation and has the Virgin and Child as the centre light, around which are grouped the four evangelists.
Ernest and Sarah didn’t have any children.
Stephen Ernest Ward (1900-1931)
Stephen Ernest Ward (my grandfather and namesake), followed the same educational path as his brother Philip. He attended Leigh Prep School (known as Miss Brooker’s), then Leigh Grammar School before heading to Rossall School which he attended 1914-1919. I am again indebted to Sharon Potts, Alumni Officer at Rossall for informing me that Stephen was in Maltese Cross House, that he was a School Monitor and played for both cricket and rugby first teams. He was also on the hockey and gymnasium teams.
After leaving Rossall Stephen studied Medicine at the University of Manchester. In 1925 he worked as a registrar in Blackpool’s Victoria Hospital, then he moved to Manchester Eye Hospital before transferring to Nottingham in 1927 where he became a consultant eye surgeon at East Circus Street.
On Thursday May 8th 1930, Stephen married Margaret Helen Pearson at St Mary’s Church in her home village of Lowdham, Nottinghamshire. Margaret’s father, John Duncan Pearson (1860-1932), came from a well-respected line of horticulturists which had nurseries in nearby Chilwell for three generations.
When Duncan’s father, John Royston Pearson, died in 1876, he left the business in trust to his wife and family. After the death of Elizabeth in 1891 the land was sold. Duncan was already established as a nurseryman in his own right in the village of Lowdham, some 13 miles from Chilwell. One of his areas of expertise was propagating daffodils and developed new varieties which are still popular today. One of these was a miniature golden flower which bloomed in February. There is a family story which states that Great Grandpa Duncan asked my Grandma what the new variety should be called. She rather imaginatively replied ‘February Gold’, and February Gold it has remained to this day.
Stephen and Margaret were soon to be parents, with Margaret giving birth to their son, James Duncan Ward (my father) on September 8th 1931. Tragically Stephen died just three months later. Apparently he cut himself during an operation, contracted septicaemia, and died from a heart attack. He was buried at St. Mary’s Church. Rossall School was kind enough to supply me with a copy of the text of Stephen’s obituary:
‘By the death in Nottingham General Hospital yesterday of Dr Stephen Ernest Ward, of 3 East Circus Street, at the age of 31, the city has lost the services of an ophthalmic surgeon for whom a distinguished career had been predicted. A native of Leigh, Lancashire, Dr Ward was educated at Rossall School and studied medicine at Manchester University. He became a doctor of medicine but specialised as an ophthalmic surgeon. He came to Nottingham about three and a half years ago and was associated for about a year with Dr WG Laws before the latter retired, and Dr Ward took over the practice. He was a member of the Nottingham Medico-Chirurgical Society and took a keen interest in sport, being a member of the Park Tennis Club and the Squash Rackets Club. Dr Ward leaves a widow and infant son.’
Margaret remarried several years later to John Sutherland Kitchen, and her second son, John Martin Kitchen was born December 21st 1936. Margaret and John spent their retirement in the village of Congresbury, Somserset. After John passed away in 1977, Margaret continued to be heavily involved with the local Horticultural Society until ill health overtook her in the 1990s. She died in the year 2000, having lived to the age of 99. Her ashes were interred at St. Mary’s, Lowdham, next to Stephen’s grave.
Kathleen Harriet Ward (1902-1970)
There is not much information about Kathleen Ward, and there are some questions regarding dates. It is known that she attended Leigh Prep School and that she may have then gone to St. Winifred’s near Bangor. She then went to Loreburn College in Manchester, a college which specialised in secretarial and business courses.
Kathleen married Tom Evans in 1960, and died in 1970.
Helen Ward (1912-2003)
Helen Ward also went to Leigh prep School, then on to Leigh Girls’ Grammar School. She graduated from Bristol University with an Honours Degree in Botany in 1934 and taught at Harrogate College from 1935 and Lincoln High School from 1940. At an unknown date Helen moved to Manchester where she taught at Fairfield High School for Girls and North Manchester High School for Girls.
In 1959, Helen Ward and Keith Brocklehurst published their highly successful school textbook, ‘General School Biology’, a book which became a national reader, and went into it’s 10th impression. Brocklehurst and Ward worked together again to produce ‘A New Biology’ in 1968, which again met with success.
In view of her contribution to Science, Helen was invited to become the Association for Science Education’s second female Chair in 1970, and in 1978 she was made an Honorary Member. In her capacity as Chair, Helen travelled around the world to attend conferences, and was invited to London to meet the Queen and Prince Phillip.
I recall that she shared her father’s and her brother Stephen’s love of cricket, and if she could not attend matches she would follow them on TV or radio. Having had a long retirement which involved a lot of travel and tending to her beloved garden in Wilmslow, Helen Ward died in March 2003, at the age of 91.
Acknowledgements and Thanks
Leigh Local Studies – Hannah Turner
St. Chad’s Church members – Leslie Fletcher, Robert Nicholls, John Davies
Association for Science in Education – Suzanne Dickinson
Further Reading
Map of Ward family connections
Wigan Archives and local Studies
References
The Leigh Journal 19/9/1896, Marriage of Mr. James Ward, B.A. (courtesy of Leigh Local Studies, Wigan Council)
The Leigh Observer 30/10/1896, Presentation to Mr J Ward, B.A. (courtesy of Leigh Local Studies, Wigan Council)
The Leigh Chronicle 19/5/1910, Mr. James Ward, B.A. (courtesy of Leigh Local Studies, Wigan Council)
The Leigh Chronicle 12/11/1926, Mr. James Ward, B.A., J.P. (courtesy of Leigh Local Studies, Wigan Council)
The Leigh Chronicle 21/4/1933, Death of Mr. James Ward, J.P. (courtesy of Leigh Local Studies, Wigan Council)
The Leigh Journal 21/4/1933, Mr. Jas. Ward, J.P., B.A. (courtesy of Leigh Local Studies, Wigan Council)
The Leigh Chronicle 28/4/1933, Funeral of Mr. James Ward, J.P. (courtesy of Leigh Local Studies, Wigan Council)
The Leigh Journal 6/10/1994 p.49, Peter Riley, Library Still Means Business After 100 Years
St Chad – Ladybarn – Withington, History
GENUKI, St. Chad, Ladybarn – Church of England
Exploring Beeston’s History, Industry in Beeston, Nottinghamshire – Flowers to Foundry
2nd Lt. Philip Ward 1898-1917 
