Background
He was born to Colonel Samuel Ward, Jr. (son of Samuel Ward, Sr and Anne Ray) and Phebe Greene (daughter of William Greene, Jr and Catharine Ray).
He was born to Colonel Samuel Ward, Jr. (son of Samuel Ward, Sr and Anne Ray) and Phebe Greene (daughter of William Greene, Jr and Catharine Ray).
In 1838, he secured through the Bank of England a loan of nearly $5,000,000 to enable the banks to resume specie payments, and established the Bank of Commerce, becoming its president. She was a sister of Rev. Benjamin Clarke Cutler (brother-in-law of General Sir Roger Hale Sheaffe), and, through her mother, a grandniece of Francis Marion.
She was a poet, and one of her poems is preserved in Rufus Wilmot Griswold's Female Poets of America (Philadelphia, 1848). They had seven children, including lobbyist Samuel Cutler "Sam" Ward and poet Julia Ward.
After his education he entered a banking house as clerk, and in 1808 was taken into partnership, continuing as a member of the firm of Prime, Ward & King until his death.
Married Julia Rush Cutler, October 1812, 7 children including Samuel, Louise Ward Crawford, Julia Ward Howe.