Edward Ward (judge)

Sir Edward Ward (1638–1714) was an English lawyer and judge. He became chief baron of the exchequer, and is best known as the judge in the state trial for piracy of Captain Kidd.

Born in June 1638, he was the second son of William Ward of Preston, Rutland. He was educated under Francis Meres at Wing, Rutland. He was a student at Clifford's Inn, and was then admitted in June 1664 at the Inner Temple; he was called to the bar in 1670, and obtained a practice in the exchequer court.

Connected with the Whig faction, Ward appeared as one of the counsel for William Russell, Lord Russell, in July 1683. On 6 November 1684 he was leading counsel for his father-in-law, Thomas Papillon, in the action for false imprisonment brought against him by Sir William Pritchard. Ward's argument was interrupted by Chief-justice George Jeffreys, who declared that he had made a long speech but did not understand what he was about. Ward persisted, Jeffreys repeated his observations, there was hissing in the court, and Ward called his witnesses. The verdict went against his client, but in 1688 Ward was able to settle scores with Pritchard. On 25 November 1684 Ward appeared in the exchequer court for Charles Gerard, 1st Earl of Macclesfield, in the action of scandalum magnatum against John Starkey, a juryman of Cheshire, by which county he had recently been presented as a disaffected person.

In 1687 Ward became bencher of his inn, of which he was also Lent reader in 1690 and treasurer in 1693. On 12 April 1689 he was appointed by William III a justice of the common pleas, but was excused, at his own wish, four days later. In July of that year he acted as one of the counsel for Dr. John Elliott, Captain Vaughan, and Mr. Mould, who were impeached by the Commons for circulating King James's declaration.

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