Architect and founder of WARD & PARTNERSPARTNERS , designers and art craftsmen, of Belfast. Francis Ward, who was born on 16 October 1868, was the youngest son of Francis Davis Ward, JP., of Belfast, chairman of the well-known Belfast printing firm Marcus Ward & Co., and his wife Sarah (née Pritty).(1) After attending Uppingham School in England, he was articled in 1886 to ROBERT GRAEME WATT ROBERT GRAEME WATT of Belfast, with whom he remained for three years, serving as a clerk-of-works for six months. He then attended the Royal Academy Schools in London, where he obtained a silver medal. He worked in the office of WILLIAM FREDERICK UNSWORTH WILLIAM FREDERICK UNSWORTH in 1890 and of G.R. and GL. Crickmay in 1891. Returning to Belfast, he opened a short-lived architectural practice at 37 Donegall Place in 1892, exhibiting a design for Millburn House, Coleraine, at the Royal Academy in 1893. The Scottish architect James Davidson Cairns assisted him from 1892 until 1894.(2)
In 1894 Ward abandoned architecture and established an art-craft business in Belfast.(3) He designed some of the pieces himself, while the highly-regarded stained-glass workshop was run by WILLIAM J. DOUGLAS. DWILLIAM J. DOUGLAS. D ouglas left in 1918 to set up his own business. Ward & Partners ceased to trade in 1929 or 1930, when Ward himself became head of the stained-glass department of another company.
At the time of the 1911 census, Ward had been married to widow, Catherine Clark, for seven years and had two step-daughters and a daughter of his own.
RIAI: elected member 16 December 1893;(4) resigned, 1898.(5) RIBA: passed qualifying exam, 1892; elected associate, 13 June 1892, having been proposed by G.R. Crickmay, A. Cates and G.L. Crickmay; resigned 1895. RSAI: elected member, 1892;(6) no longer on list of members for 1900.
Addresses: Work: 37 Donegall Place, Belfast, 1893;(7) 4 College Street, Belfast, 1894.(8) Home: 58 Marlborough Park, Windsor, Belfast, 1911.
See WORKS.
References
All information in this entry not otherwise accounted for is from an article on Ward in IB 74, 27 February 1932, 190, which is illustrated with a portrait photograph, and Directory of British Architects 1834-1914 (RIBA 2001), II, 912; Ward gives a slightly different account of himself in his application for membership of the RIAI in Dec 1893, where he states that he the pupil of a London architect and ARIBA, and that he had been 'in good practice in Belfast for the last three years' (IAA, RIAI office archives (Acc. 93/136), membership forms 1878-1909 (extremely fragile).
(1) www.familysearch.org; Marcus Ward was his grandfather. (2)Directory of British Architects 1834-1914 (RIBA 2001), I, 321. (3) For the work of Ward & Partners, see Paul Larmour, The Arts and Crafts Movement in Ireland (1992), 71-2,118-9 and illustrations on pp. 71,72,73,85,118,119. (4)RIAI council meeting minutes, 7 Dec 1893, 308; general meeting minutes, 16 Dec 1893, 310. (5)RIAI membership list, 1898. (6)JRSAI 24 (1894), list of members. (7) See note 4, above. (8) See note 6, above.
7 work entries listed in chronological order for WARD, FRANCIS EDWARD
'Arts and Crafts style cottage with Queen Anne Revival details that seems as good as anything in England by Voysey at the same date, and yet perhaps the comparisons really ought to be with American work of the time'. For James Craig, linene manufacturer.
Refs:
Paul Larmour, The Architectural Heritage of Malone & Stranmillis (UAHS, 1991), 91(illus.), 96
