Rowland Ward a Born Naturalist

Rowland Ward, taxidermist to the world, was born in May 1847 in London, England, into a well-to-do family of three generations of taxidermists with a strong tradition in the study and work in natural history.

Rowland was largely self-taught, learning the skills of his trade through practice and observation under the influence of his family including his father, brother, uncles and aunts.

When he died in 1912, he left a long lasting legacy after he became the most famous member of the Ward dynasty.

The world’s most prestigious taxidermist

As described in the previous blog post the Ward business run by his brother, Edwin, in Wigmore Street, London became renowned for its high-quality work of mounted animals and birds, and for its production of natural history specimens for Royalty, museums and exhibitions.

Rowland took over this business after his brother, Edwin, retired, and then moved to “The Jungle” at 166 Piccadilly.

The Ward Family Dynasty

The Ward Dynasty began with Rowland Ward’s grandfather, John Ward

Rowland’s grandfather, John Ward (1785–1851) was originally a bird breeder and came from Lambeth, London.

The Ward Dynasty: Rowland Ward’s Uncles and Aunt

Rowland Ward’s uncle James Frederick and his father, Edwin Henry (later known as Henry) became taxidermists and naturalists just like their father, as did his Aunt, Jane Catherine, who later emigrated to Australia and became the first ever woman taxidermist there.  Before her marriage, Jane Catherine had worked in John Gould’s London taxidermy shop.

High Profile Connections

The Ward Dynasty’s Connections:  Rowland’s father, Henry Ward, Audubon and Gould

There was a strong connection in the Ward family with birds since Rowland’s grandfather, John, had originally been a bird breeder, and this would serve all of the family very well, because they went on to collaborate with both John James Audubon on his “Birds of America” and John Gould on his Hummingbird project.

Rowland’s father, Edwin Henry had gone with Audubon to America in 1831–32, where he preserved over 550 birds that would inform the epic “Birds of America.”  Rowland’s uncle, James Frederick (b. 1807) also went to America slightly earlier (1829), and had also worked with Audubon and Swainson.

Rowland helped his father Henry in mounting John Gould’s famous hummingbird collection.  This collection would later be sold at the auction house of J.C. Stevens in King Street, Covent Garden in 1878.

I have looked extensively for this auction catalogue, and although some of Stevens’ catalogues are digitised by the likes of the Internet Archive and the Welcome Foundation and others, I cannot locate a viewing copy of it.  It’s likely that a physical copy would be found somewhere in stored archives of the world’s great libraries and establishments, including the British Museum (and that is a project for me for another day).

Henry Ward & T.M. Williams

Rowland’s father had inspired his children with his skills and experience created before the highpoint of the business of Natural History in the 1870’s – 1900, and It is known that he had first started his professional life by collaborating with the naturalist, Thomas Mutlow Williams, who had a workshop and a shop window at 155 Oxford Street, opposite Bond Street, London. Collaborating with Henry Ward,  Williams had also exhibited at The Great Exhibition 1851.

Henry Ward eventually took over the original TM Williams business and ran it in his own name between 1857 and 1878. In 1870 he received a royal warrant from Queen Victoria. Henry Ward’s labels sometimes detail “late Williams”, and this is why.

Henry Ward’s cases were considered ahead of their time and described as highly artistic. They were of particularly superior quality and today, if you can find one, they are highly prized.

Edwin Ward

Rowland Ward’s brother Edwin Ward (1834–1905)

Edwin was Rowland’s elder brother (and there’s often a confusion between his father Edwin Henry, and his brother Edwin. His father became more often known by “Henry”).

Edwin Ward established “The Trophy Galleries” at Wigmore Street, London and received the royal patronage from the Prince of Wales. Edwin also wrote and produced a book “The Knapsack Manual for Sportsmen in the Field” in 1872 some of which was copied closely by his brother  Rowland in “The sportsman’s guide to collecting and preserving trophies (Ward 1888)”

Edwin Ward retired and then emigrated to California in 1879 and with his new found time attempted to build a natural history museum in Pasadena.

Rowland took over full control of his brother’s business at Wigmore Street after Edwin left for the USA. It is said that this helped Rowland’s business to really take off. With his brother out of the way, Rowland’s business flourished, and it’s generally accepted that although Rowland was talented in his own right, that he was also a master marketer, understanding clearly how to exploit and leverage connections.

In 1905, twenty five years after leaving England, Edwin Ward died after experiencing financial ruin in America.

Bibliography:

Morris, P.A. Rowland Ward, Taxidermist to the World

Ward, Rowland. A Naturalist’s Life Study

Jackson, Christine, The Society for the History of Natural History