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Bernard Ward, 1st Viscount Bangor

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The 1st Viscount Bangor

Bernard Ward, 1st Viscount Bangor (18 August 1719 – 20 May 1781),[1] was an Irish politician and peer.

Background

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He was the only surviving son of Michael Ward of Castle Ward, County Down, one of the justices of the Court of King's Bench, and his wife Anne Catharina Hamilton, daughter of James Hamilton of Bangor and Lady Sophia Mordaunt.[1]

Life and career

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Ward entered the Irish House of Commons in 1745, representing County Down, the same constituency his father had represented, until 1770,[2] when he was raised to the Peerage of Ireland as Baron Bangor, of Castle Ward, in the County of Down.[3] In 1761, he was also elected for Killyleagh and in 1768 for Bangor, however, chose not to sit both times.[2] Ward was further honoured in 1781, when he was created Viscount Bangor, of Castle Ward, in the County of Down.[4]

Family

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In December 1747, he married Lady Ann Magill, daughter of John Bligh, 1st Earl of Darnley, and his wife Theodosia Bligh, 10th Baroness Clifton (the widow of Robert Magill of Gill Hall), and had by her four sons and four daughters:[5]

Ward died, aged 61, at his seat Castle Ward.[6] He was succeeded in his titles by his oldest son Nicholas, later placed under disability due to insanity.[7] Both his third son, Edward, and fourth son, Robert, sat in the Parliament of Ireland.[8]

Ward undertook the reconstruction of Castle Ward in the early 1760s, blending elements of both classical and Gothic architectural styles. This design was a reflection of a compromise between the viscount's preference for classical architecture and his wife's affinity for the Gothic style. Additionally, Ward expanded the estate by acquiring adjoining land and transformed it into a more spacious layout, incorporating features like a deer park.

References

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  1. ^ a b Lodge, Edmund (1838). The Genealogy of the Existing British Peerage (6th ed.). London: Saunder and Otley. pp. 38.
  2. ^ a b "Leigh Rayment - Irish House of Commons 1692-1800". Archived from the original on 1 June 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ "No. 11043". The London Gazette. 15 May 1770. p. 3.
  4. ^ "No. 12146". The London Gazette. 19 December 1780. p. 2.
  5. ^ Debrett, John (1828). Debrett's Peerage of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol. II (17th ed.). London: G. Woodfall. p. 785.
  6. ^ "ThePeerage - Bernard Ward, 1st Viscount Bangor". Retrieved 13 August 2009.
  7. ^ Sylvanus, Urban (1827). The Gentleman's Magazine. Vol. part II. London: J. B. Nicholls. p. 463.
  8. ^ "Public Record Office of Northern Ireland - Ward Papers" (PDF). Retrieved 13 August 2009.
Parliament of Ireland
Preceded by Member of Parliament for County Down
1745–1770
With: Arthur Hill 1745–1766
Henry Seymour-Conway 1766–1768
Roger Hall 1768–1770 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Killyleagh
1761
With: John Congreve 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Bangor
1768
With: John Blackwood 		Succeeded by
Peerage of Ireland
New creation Viscount Bangor
January–May 1781 		Succeeded by
Baron Bangor
1770–1781
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