Samuel Ward | |
|---|---|
 Samuel Ward, 1781, byJoseph Wright of Derby | |
| Born | 1732 |
| Died | 1820 (aged 87–88) |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | being a taster for Bonnie Prince Charlie |
Samuel Ward (1732–1820) owned property inDerby andRichmond in England. As a boy he wasfood taster toBonnie Prince Charlie and was rewarded with a diamond ring which is now in the collection ofDerby Museum and Art Gallery along with his 1781 portrait byJoseph Wright.
Ward lived inDerby. WhenBonnie Prince Charlie was staying atExeter House in Derby on 4 December 1745, his mother allowed Samuel to be the young pretender'sfood taster. Ward was then the son of an Alderman who was being brought up by his widowed mother. During his short stay Bonnie Prince Charlie made his decision to give up on his march on London to seize the crown of England. He gave Ward's mother a diamond ring in thanks for their service before he left. The gold ring consists of one larger diamond surrounded by ten smaller diamonds.[1] The decision to retreat to Scotland meant that the Young Pretender would not takeGeorge II's crown and his army retreated to Scotland, where they were finally defeated in 1746 at theBattle of Culloden.
Ward went on to be a businessman in Derby and was painted by Joseph Wright of Derby around 1781. The ring remained with his descendants and the ring and the painting are now in the collection of Derby Museum and Art Gallery in England.[1] Notes that came with the painting describe Ward as being "of Derby but later from Richmond". His wife was from Richmond and he owned property there and in Derby.
The painting is first referred to in Joseph Wright's accounts, where he records its price as twelveguineas in 1781.[2] The Joseph Wright painting remained in the Ward family until the death of Sarah Ward in 1947,[3] whose gift went to Derby Art Gallery.
Media related toSamuel Ward (taster) at Wikimedia Commons