.png) InThe Sketch, 16 August 1899 | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gerald Ernest Francis Ward | ||||||||||||||
| Born | (1877-11-09)9 November 1877 Himley, Staffordshire, England | ||||||||||||||
| Died | 30 October 1914(1914-10-30) (aged 36) Zandvoorde, West Flanders, Belgium | ||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-armfast | ||||||||||||||
| Relations | Lord Ward (father) Sir Thomas Moncreiffe (grandfather) Dermot Blundell (brother-in-law) | ||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||
| 1903 | Marylebone Cricket Club | ||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Source:Cricinfo,21 January 2021 | |||||||||||||||
Gerald Ernest Francis WardMVO (9 November 1877 – 30 October 1914) was anEnglish first-classcricketer andBritish Army officer.
The son ofWilliam Ward, 1st Earl of Dudley, he was born at the family home ofHimley Hall inStaffordshire in November 1877.[1] He was educated atEton College, where he was the most successful bowler of his year.[2] After completing his education at Eton, he opted for a career in the military. He initially served as asecond lieutenant in theWorcestershire Regiment, before transferring to the1st Life Guards in January 1899.[3] Later that year he gained promotion tolieutenant.[4] Ward served in theSecond Boer War from 1899 to 1902.[2] Following the conclusion of the war, Ward returned to England where he played in afirst-class cricket match for theMarylebone Cricket Club (MCC) againstOxford University atLord's in 1903.[5] Batting just once in a drawn match, Ward scored 8 runs in the MCC first innings before being dismissed byAdolph von Ernsthausen.[6]
Ward served his elder brother, the2nd Earl of Dudley, as hisaide-de-camp during his tenure asLord Lieutenant of Ireland. He was invested as a member of theRoyal Victorian Order in May 1904, as part of the visit ofEdward VII to Ireland.[7] He was placed on the reserve list of officers in March 1907.[8]
Ward served with the 1st Life Guards at the outbreak of theFirst World War, where he saw action during the first few months of the conflict on theWestern Front. He fought at theFirst Battle of Ypres, where he was killed in action atZandvoorde on 30 October 1914. His body was never recovered and he is commemorated at theMenin Gate.[2] He was survived by his widow, Lady Evelyn Selina Louisa Crichton, daughter ofJohn Crichton, 4th Earl Erne.[2] His grandfather,Sir Thomas Moncreiffe, and brother-in-law,Dermot Blundell, both played first-class cricket.