Events
Date of Baptism: 12 September 1832.
Place of Baptism: Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England (St Mary’s).
The parish registers give the baptism.
Date of Death: 28 February 1870.
Place of Death: House of Industry, Shrewsbury.
This information is recorded on Daniel’s death certificate.
Relationships
Father: James Ward (about 1804 - 1877).
Mother: Mary Ward (1803 - 1881).
See the Commentary section.
Spouse: Sarah Ann Breeze (1836 - 1916). Married 29 November 1857 in Shrewsbury (Holy Cross) and 24 December 1857 in Kidderminster (St Mary’s).
The parish registers give the marriage.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
Mary Sophia Ward (baptized 19 February 1859 - died 1898). Mary was a nurse in Shrewsbury.
Charles John Thomas Ward (born 19 January 1861 - died 22 August 1940) married Sarah Harper 7 April 1885 in Kidderminster.
Henry Breeze Ward (born 21 February 1863) married Selina Potter in 1891.
William James Ward (born 11 February 1865 in Shrewsbury - died 1909 in Newport, Wales) married (1) Sarah Ann Mound in 1886; married (2) Emily Louise Stokes 9 May 1891 in Yardley, Worcestershire.
Edward Ernest Ward (baptized 16 July 1867 in Shrewsbury - died 1934) married Annie Elizabeth Bridges 19 January 1890 in Kidderminster.
Sarah Hannah Ward (baptized 28 March 1869 - died 1940) married Henry Thomas Westwood 3 August 1896 in Kidderminster.
Evidence
1841 census of England (Kidderminster, Worcestershire)
Lion St
James Ward, 35, Commission Agent, Y [“Y” means born in Worcestershire]
Mary [Ward], 35, Y
Daniel [Ward], 8, Y
Joseph [Ward], 6, Y
James [Ward], 3, Y
Thomas [Ward], 7 Months, Y
1851 census of England (Kidderminster, Worcestershire)
Coventry St
James Ward, Head, Mar, 47, Currier, [born] Worc’r Kidderminster
Mary [Ward], Wife, Mar, 48, [born Worc’r] Bromsgrove
Daniel [Ward], Son, Un, 18, Ironmonger App, [born Worc’r] Kidderminster
Joseph [Ward], Son, 16, [Ironmonger App], [born Worc’r Kidderminster]
Hannah [Ward], daur, 14, Scholar, [born Worc’r Kidderminster]
James [Ward], Son, 12, [Scholar]. [born Worc’r Kidderminster]
Thomas [Ward], Son, 10, [Scholar], [born Worc’r Kidderminster]
George [Ward], Son, 8, [Scholar], [born Worc’r Kidderminster]
Mary [Ward], daur, 5, [born Worc’r Kidderminster]
Certified copy of entry of marriage (General Register Office)
1857. Marriage solemnized at the Parish Church in the Parish of Kidderminster in the County of Worcester.
No.: 89
When Married: December 24 1857
Name and Surname: Daniel Ward
Age: 25
Condition: Bachelor
Rank or Profession: Ironmonger
Residence at the time of Marriage: Shrewsbury
Father's Name and Surname: James Ward
Rank or Profession of Father: Currier
Name and Surname: Sarah Ann Breeze
Age: 21
Condition: Spinster
Rank or Profession: --------
Residence at the time of Marriage: Kidderminster
Father's Name and Surname: John Breeze
Rank or Profession of Father: Tailor
Married in the Parish Church according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Established Church after Banns by me, Henry Isaac Sharp.
This marriage was solemnized between us, Daniel Ward, Sarah Ann Breeze, in the Presence of us, John Breeze, Sophia Jane Breeze.
from the Worcester Journal (2 January 1858):
Marriages
Dec. 24, at St. Mary’s Church, Kidderminster, by the Rev. H. Isaac Sharp, Mr. Daniel Ward, of Shrewsbury, to Sarah Ann, eldest daughter of Mr. John Breeze, Kidderminster.
Baptisms of children (Saint George's, Shrewsbury):
[The information in the baptism records is entered into a row of “cells” in a “spreadsheet” format. The titles of the columns are: When Baptized; Child’s Christian Name; Parent’s Name, Christian, Surname; Abode; Quality, Trade, or Profession; By whom the Ceremony was performed. For some of the entries, a date of birth is written before or after the row.]
1859 Feby 19th Mary Sophia D.r of Daniel Sarah Ann Ward Severn Cottages Ironmonger J. Harding
1861 February 17th Charles John Thomas son of Daniel Sarah Ann Ward Severn Cottages Ironmonger J. Harding [born] Jan:y 19
1863 March 15th Harry Breeze son of Daniel Sarah Ann Ward New Street Cottages Ironmonger J. Harding [born] Feby 21st
1865 March 12th William James son of Daniel Sarah Ann Ward Severn Cottages Ironmonger J. Harding [born] 11th Febr.
1867 July 16 Edward Ernest Daniel & Sarah Ann Ward Mount-Fields Ironmonger H LLoyd Oswell
1869 March 28 Sarah Hannah Daniel & Sarah Ann Ward Mount-fields Iron-Monger H. LLoyd Oswell
1861 census of England (Shrewsbury, Shropshire)
Severn Terrace (Frankwell St Chad)
Daniel Ward, Head, M., 28, Ironmonger assist., [born] Worcester Kidderminster
Sarah Ann Ward, Wife, M., 24, Wife, [born] Warwick Bir’m
Mary Sophia Ward, Dau, Un, 2, daughter, [born] Salop Shrewsby
Chas Jno Thomas Ward, Son, Un, 11 weeks, [born Salop Shrewsby]
Mary Jane Jones, Serv, Un, 22, House Servant, [born] Stafford Whampton
Daniel’s death (GRO):
no. 36
Twenty seventh February 1870, House of Industry, Shrewsbury
Daniel Ward
male
37 years [old]
Ironmonger
Delirium tremens Disease of the Liver and lungs certified
x The mark of Samuel Bayly In attendance House of Industry Shrewsbury
[Registered] Twenty eighth February 1870
Tho.s Morgan Registrar
Commentary
Date and place of birth:
Multiple independent pieces of evidence indicate that Daniel was born in Kidderminster in 1832:
In the 1841 census (taken 6 June), Daniel is recorded as aged 8, implying a birth date between 6 June 1832 and 6 June 1833). The probable informant was Daniel’s father James.
In the 1851 census (taken 30 March), he is recorded as aged 18 and born in Kidderminster. The probable informant was Daniel’s father James.
In the 1861 census (taken 7 April), he is recorded as 28 and born in Kidderminster. The probable informant was Daniel himself.
At his marriage registration (24 December 1857), Daniel gave his age as 25.
On 12 December 1832, a Daniel Ward was baptized at St George’s, Kidderminster, parents James and Mary Ward. This baptism is the only one in Kidderminster consistent with the census information. (Another Daniel Ward was born in about 1838, the son of Elisha Ward.)
Parentage:
In the 1841 and 1851 censuses, Daniel is recorded as the son of James Ward, and James’s wife is recorded as Mary. James is a commission agent in the 1841 census and a currier in 1851.
In the baptism records of Daniel and his siblings, their parents are recorded as James and Mary Ward. James’s profession is recorded as currier in 1832, 1834, 1836, 1838, and 1840; fishmonger in 1843, and writing clerk in 1846.
In his 1857 marriage record, Daniel gives his father as James Ward, and his father’s profession as currier.
The 1838 birth registration of Daniel’s brother James gives as parents “James Ward”, “Currier”, and “Mary Ward formerly Ward”. The informant was “James Ward of Waterloo Street Father”. Mary’s maiden surname is also recorded as “Ward” on the birth certificates of her later children Thomas, George, and Mary. (Birth certificates were not yet instituted when her elder children were born.)
The 1831 marriage record of James and Mary Ward confirms that Mary’s maiden surname was “Ward”.
Taken together, the evidence is clearly sufficient to confirm the relationships. There are multiple, independent pieces of direct evidence, where Daniel and James are known to be the informants. The baptism took place in Kidderminster, where James’s family would have been known.
There is also DNA evidence that Daniel is the son of James and Mary Ward. I am a paper-trail descendant of Daniel, and I share DNA with two paper-trail descendants of Daniel’s brother Joseph (19 cM over 2 segments, 11 cM over 1 segment).
References
“AncestryDNA ThruLines for James Ward database report”, AncestryDNA. Accessed 25 February 2025.
Parish registers of Kidderminster, Worcestershire St Mary’s, FHL 435268-435273, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Parish registers of Saint George, Shrewsbury. Digital images available on Findmypast.co.uk, accessed 29 December 2015.
James Ward household, 1841 census of England. Worcestershire, Kidderminster, Kidderminster, Kidderminster; HO107, piece 1208, book 9, folio 16, page 24, in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1841. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1841; digital image Ancestry.com (accessed 13 April 2014).
James Ward household, 1851 census of England. Worcestershire, Kidderminster, Kidderminster, ED 1r, piece 2038, folio 447, page 25, in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1851. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1851; digital image Ancestry.com (accessed 13 April 2014).
The Worcester Journal (2 January 1858, page 8); digital image on Findmypast.co.uk (accessed 14 April 2014).
Daniel Ward household, 1861 census of England. Worcestershire, Kidderminster, Kidderminster, ED 7, piece 1874, folio 31, page 11, in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1861; digital image Ancestry.com (accessed 13 April 2014).
GRO index, Deaths Mar 1870, Shrewsbury, Volume 6a, page 613. General Register Office. England and Wales. Civil Registration Certificates. (London, United Kingdom: General Register Office).