Social Victorians/People/Dudley

Also Known As

• Family name: Ward
• Earl of Dudley
  • William Ward, 1st Earl of Dudley (17 February 1860 – 7 May 1885)
  • William Humble Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley (7 May 1885 – 29 June 1932)
• Countess of Dudley
  • Georgina Elisabeth Moncreiffe Ward, Countess of Dudley (21 November 1865 – 7 May 1885)
  • Rachel Anne Gurney Ward, Countess of Dudley (14 September 1891 – 1932)
• Dowager Countess of Dudley
  • Georgina Elisabeth Moncreiffe Ward, Countess of Dudley (7 May 1885 – 2 February 1929)
• Viscount Ednam is the courtesy title for the eldest son of the Earl of Dudley.

Overview

William Humble Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland on 11 August 1902, a position without a great deal of administrative authority:

Dudley and his wife, however, were a great social success, living in Dublin and taking a house in Connemara, where they were popular with local people. Dudley was also one of the first motor-car owners in Ireland.

Organizations

William Humble Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley

• Eton
• Mayor, Dudley (1895–1896)
• Parliamentary Secretary, Board of Trade (1895–1902)

Timeline

1865 November 21, William Ward and Georgina Elisabeth Moncreiffe married.

1874 December 12, Georgina Moncreiffe Ward's jewels were stolen at Paddington Station and never recovered.

1884–1887, William Humble Ward "undertook a world tour ... during which his father died and he succeeded to the earldom (7 May 1885). After a few years of the leisurely life of a young country gentleman he entered public life" in 1895.

1891 September 14, William Humble Ward (2nd Earl of Dudley at that time) and Rachel Anne Gurney married; the Prince of Wales attended their wedding.

1897 July 2, Friday, the Earl and Countess of Dudley attended the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball at Devonshire House, as did the Earl's mother Georgina Ward, Lady Dudley and his brother, the Hon. Gerald Ward. (Rachel, Countess of Dudley is #31 on the list of people who were present); William, 2nd Earl of Dudley is #63; Georgina Ward, Lady Dudley is #198; the Hon. Cyril Ward is #705; the Hon. Gerald Ward is #271.)

1899 November 7, Hon. Gerald Ernest Francis Ward and Lady Evelyn Selina Louisa Crichton married.

1902 August 11, William Humble Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

Costume at the Duchess of Devonshire's 2 July 1897 Fancy-dress Ball

Earl and Countess of Dudley

Rachel, Countess of Dudley

Rachel (née Gurney), Countess of Dudley as Queen Esther. ©National Portrait Gallery, London.

At the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball, Rachel, Countess of Dudley sat at Table 11 and was dressed as

• "Queen Esther, in a Persian dress of white crêpe, thickly embroidered in real dull gold. The skirt was bordered with three lines of green embroidery studded with amethysts, turquoises, and pearls, and a chasuble of solid gold tissue encrusted with jewels fell from the shoulders to the hem of the skirt. The armlets and bracelets were of dead gold set with the same jewels, and the headdress consisted of two veils, the under one white, embroidered with gold, and the upper one purple, embroidered with gold. The crown was of dead gold, encrusted with precious stones, and hanging on the forehead were fifteen large drop pearls. She carried a fan of peacock feathers, the handle being set with jewels, and she wore a necklace of twelve rows of pearls."
• "Queen Esther. Persian dress of white crepe, thickly embroidered in real dull gold. The skirt was bordered with three lines of green embroidery, studded with amethysts, turquoises, and pearls; and a chasuble of solid gold tissue, encrusted with jewels, fell from the shoulders to the hem of the skirt. Armlets and bracelets of dead gold set with the same jewels. Head-dress, two veils, the under one white embroidered with gold, and the upper one purple embroidered with gold, crown of dead gold, encrusted with precious stones, and hanging on the forehead were 15 large drop pearls. Fan of peacock feathers, the handle set with jewels, and necklace of 12 rows of pearls."
• "Queen Esther. Persian dress of white crêpe thickly embroidered in red dull gold. The skirt bordered with three lines of green embroidery studded with amethysts, turquoises, and pearls. A chasuble of solid gold tissue encrusted with jewels fell from the shoulders to the hem of the skirt. Armlets and bracelets of dead gold set with the same jewels. Head-dress, two veils, the under one white embroidered with gold, and the upper one purple, embroidered. Crown of dead gold, encrusted with precious stones, and hanging on the forehead were 15 large drop pearls. Fan of peacock feathers, the handle set with jewels, and necklace of 12 rows of pearls." (The Times description of the costume of Rachel, Countess of Dudley dressed as Queen Esther is almost identical through the hem of the skirt in the Carlisle Patriot).
• "a lovely Queen Esther, with superb jewels."
• "a lovely Queen Esther, with superb jewels." This description of Rachel, Countess of Dudley as Queen Esther in the Belfast News-Letter appears to be identical to, except longer than?, the story in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph. Also, this article and the one in the London Daily News have chunks that are identically worded.
• According to the Pall Mall Gazette, "The Countess of Dudley made a sensation with her Queen Esther dress, which was encrusted with jewels, and worn with a heliotrope gauze drapery, fastened to the head by pink poppies. The head-dress was of splendid pearls and jewels, coming over the ears and forehead."
• "The Countess of Dudley made a magnificent Queen Esther in an indescribably rich dress and wealth of jewels."

Henry Bullingham's portrait of "Rachel (née Gurney), Countess of Dudley as Queen Esther" in costume is photogravure #278 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery. The printing on the portrait says, "The Countess of Dudley as Queen Esther," with a Long S in Countess.

William, Earl of Dudley

Peter Lely (1618-1680) - Prince Rupert (1619–1682), 1st Duke of Cumberland and Count Palatine of the Rhine - BHC2989 - Royal Museums Greenwich

William, 2nd Earl of Dudley sat at Table 9 and was dressed as Prince Rupert.

The Earl of Dudley was 30 years old in 1897, and Prince Rupert, 1st Duke of Cumberland and Count Palatine of the Rhine (1619-1682) was about 45 when this portrait (right) was painted in about 1665. This portrait by Sir Peter Lely is not likely the original, if one exists, for the Earl of Dudley's costume.

Newspaper Reports

• "Prince Rupert, was in an orange-coloured satin doublet and breeches, richly embroidered in silver, with steel cuirass and rich silk sash, and hat with white ostrich feathers"
• "Prince Rupert. Orange-coloured satin doublet and breeches, richly embroidered in silver, with steel cuirass and rich silk sash, and hat with white ostrich feathers."
• "Earl of Dudley (Prince Rupert), orange satin doublet and breeches, embroidered in silver, steel cuirass silk sash; hat and plume of white ostrich feathers."
• "THE EARL OF DUDLEY, as Prince Rupert, wore orange-coloured satin doublet and breeches, richly embroidered in silver, with reel cuirass, a rich silk sash, and hat with white ostrich feathers."

Georgina, Dowager Countess of Dudley

Georgina Elisabeth Moncreiffe Ward, Lady Dudley, the Earl of Dudley's mother, as the Countess of Dudley, sat at Table 10 in the first seating for supper.

• "Georgina, Lady Dudley, was beautiful in white satin and blue."

Hon. Cyril Ward

The only newspaper mentioning the Hon. Cyril Ward is the Queen:

• "The HON. CYRIL WARD was a Venetian courtier in rich gold and blue brocade, the coat of Royal blue velvet, lined with white satin and gold lace."

Hon. Gerald Ernest Francis Ward

The Hon. Gerald Ward was dressed as an Imperial Guard in the Court in the Empress Catherine II of Russia procession.

• "Lord Raincliffe, Lord Romilly, Mr. H. T. Barclay, Mr. J. Forbes, Mr. C. H. Wellesley Wilson, Captain E. B. Cook, the Hon. Gerald Ward, the Hon. Cecil Campbell (eight officers of the Imperial Guard, attending Catherine of Russia), white and gold uniform with blue facings; ribbon and Order of Catherine of Russia."
• He "and seven other gentlemen formed an Imperial guard, wearing splendid white uniforms, with blue facings and trimmed with gold. They all wore the ribbon of the Order of Catherine of Russia."

Biographical Materials

• Dean Dudley, Second Supplement to the History of the Dudley Family, Wakefield, Mass., 1902.

Notes and Questions

1. Lady Edith Ward is listed as having been invited to one of the big social events along with the Earl and Countess of Dudley.
2. Mr. E. Villiers was Rachel Countess of Dudley's secretary in 1885.

Demographics

• Nationality: British

Family

• William Ward, 1st Earl of Dudley (27 March 1817 – 7 May 1885)
• Selina Constance de Burgh Ward ( – 1851)
• Georgina Elisabeth Moncreiffe Ward, Countess of Dudley (9 August 1846 – 2 February 1929)

1. William Humble Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley (25 May 1867 – 29 June 1932)
2. Hon. Sir John Hubert Ward (20 Mar 1870 – 2 December 1938)
3. Hon. Robert Arthur Ward (23 February 1871 – 14 June 1942)
4. Lady Edith Amelia Ward (16 September 1872 – 6 June 1956)
5. Captain Hon. Reginald Ward (11 June 1874 – 7 March 1904)
6. Captain Hon. Cyril Augustus Ward (31 January 1876 – 11 January 1930)
7. Hon. Gerald Ernest Francis Ward (9 November 1877 – 30 October 1914)

• William Humble Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley (25 May 1867 – 29 June 1932)
• Rachel Anne Gurney Ward (8 August 1868– 26 June 1920)

1. William Humble Eric
2. Roderick John
3. George Reginald
4. Edward Frederick

• Gertie Millar Monkton (21 February 1879 – 25 April 1952)

• Hon. Gerald Ernest Francis Ward (9 November 1877 – 30 October 1914)
• Lady Evelyn Selina Louisa Crichton (21 July 1879 – 4 May 1955)