Who's statue stands at the top of Dudley town centre?
The statue at the bottom of Castle Street is that of William Humble Ward, 11th Baron Ward of Birmingham, Viscount Ednam and Earl of Dudley. He was born at Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk on 27th March 1817, the son of William Humble Ward, 10th Baron Birmingham and Susanna Beecroft. He was educated at Eton, mtriculated at Oxford and went to Trinity College but did not take a degree. He succeeded his father in the barony on the 6th December 1835.
He married Selma Constance de Burgh on April 24th 1851 but she died a few months later. His second wife was Georgina Elizabeth Montgrief, whom he married on 21st November 1865, she was a great dealer younger than he was and survived him by nearly forty years. In 1860 he was created Viscout Ednam and Earl of Dudley. He was a Trustee of the National Portrait Gallery between 1863-1866 and a Trustee of the National Gallery between 1874-1877. He was also Colonel Commander of the Worcestershire Yeomanry.
The Ward's were very astute businesmen and his estate was run by trustees while he was young. As the core of his lands were within the Borough of Dudley and in the coal and iron districts of the Black Country, his extremely successful business was in the iron industry. Between 1830 and 1880 he made enormous profits from this bringing him in an annual income of £120,000. He bought Witley Court in Worcestershire in 1837 and spent nearly £900,000 on creating a 19th century palace out of it. Being a friend of the Prince of Wales (Edward VIII)it became the haunt of royalty.
William died of Pneumonia on the 7th May 1885 at Dudley House, Park Lane, London. The marble statue was sculpted by Charles Bell Birch on a granite pedestal and was erected in 1888.It is a Grade II Listed feature.
