Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 59.djvu/328

 :: author. It was evidently prepared for the press as the second edition. Several manuscript compilations by him are preserved in the British Museum, including: He also rendered valuable assistance in the publication of De Thou's ‘History,’ 1728; Ainsworth's ‘Latin Dictionary,’ 1736, and also the editions of 1746 and 1752; the works of Dr. George Benson; and the second edition of Martin Folkes's ‘Table of English Gold Coins.’ He translated into Latin the eighth edition of Dr. Mead's ‘Discourse of the Plague’ (1723), edited William Lily's ‘Latin Grammar’ in 1732, and contributed numerous papers to the ‘Philosophical Transactions.’
 * 1) ‘Four Essays upon the English Language,’ London, 1758, 8vo.
 * 2) ‘A System of Oratory, delivered in a course of lectures publickly read at Gresham College, London,’ London, 1759, 2 vols. 8vo. The original manuscript is in the British Museum (Addit. MSS. 6263, 6264).
 * 3) ‘Dissertations upon several Passages of the Sacred Scriptures,’ London, 1761, 8vo. The original manuscript is in the British Museum (Addit. MS. 6267).
 * 1) ‘Journal of an Excursion through Holland and Part of Flanders to Paris,’ 1753 (Addit. MSS. 6235, 6236).
 * 2) ‘Collections relating to the British Museum, 1753–8’ (Addit. MS. 6179).
 * 3) ‘Memoirs relating to Gresham College’ (Addit. MSS. 6195–203).
 * 4) ‘Miscellaneous Collections relating to Gresham College’ (Addit. MSS. 6193, 6194, 6206).
 * 5) ‘Monumental and other inscriptions in Greek, Latin, and English’ (Addit. MS. 6243).
 * 6) ‘Carmina puerilia’ (Addit. MS. 6242, p. 1).
 * 7) ‘Essay on Polygamy’ (Addit. MS. 6262, f. 115).



WARD, JOHN (1781–1837), mystic, known as ‘Zion Ward,’ was born at the Cove of Cork, now Queenstown, on 25 Dec. 1781. In July 1790 his parents took him to Bristol, where at twelve years of age he was apprenticed to a shipwright, and got into bad habits. His father took him to London in 1797, where he learned shoemaking from his brother, but soon went on board the Blanche man-of-war as a shipwright, and was present at the engagement with the Danes at Copenhagen on 2 April 1801. In 1803 he was paid off at Sheerness, got married, and supported himself as a shoemaker. He had been brought up a Calvinist, but, removing to Carmarthen, he joined the methodists at his wife's instance. Unable to experience conversion, he returned to London, resolving to ‘never more have anything to do with religion.’ A casual hearing of [q. v.] at Lant Street Chapel, Southwark, led him to join the baptists. On Garrett's death (1806) he connected himself with the independents; in 1813 he joined the Sandemanians [see ], who sent him out as a village preacher.

Just after the death of [q. v.] her ‘Fifth Book of Wonders,’ 1814, came into his hands. Its universalism captivated him, and he began to preach it. This led to his rejoining the methodists, who made him a local preacher, but soon dismissed him for heresy. The Southcottians would not receive him. Convinced by the instance of Joanna Southcott that prophecy is ‘a living gift,’ he resorted to various claimants to inspiration. In this way he fell in with Mary Boon of Staverton, Devonshire, a Sabbatarian fanatic, who professed to be Joanna Southcott revived. He became ‘reader’ of the letters she dictated (for she could neither read nor write) for the benefit of her London followers. At length, in 1825, he conceived himself to be the recipient of an illumination surpassing that of his instructress. His followers reckon their years from this point, 1826 being ‘First year, new date.’

In 1827 he gave up shoemaking to proclaim his divine call. His wife and family thought him mad. He was brought before a Southwark magistrate (Chambers), and committed to Newington workhouse for six months. On his liberation (20 Nov. 1828) he claimed to be ‘a new man, having a new name,’ Zion. He called himself also ‘Shiloh,’ as being the spiritual offspring expected of Joanna Southcott. He obtained a coadjutor in Charles William Twort (d. 1878, aged 93), in concert with whom he began (1829) to print tracts. He made converts in the course of personal visits to Nottingham, Chesterfield, Worksop, Blyth, Barnsley, Birmingham, and Sheffield. In 1831 he preached regularly at Borough Chapel, Southwark, and in September he attracted notice by two discourses at the Rotunda, Blackfriars Road, made notorious by the preaching of (1784–1844) [q. v.]

In 1832 Ward and Twort came into collision with the authorities at Derby. They had posted placards announcing an address on a fast day, 15 July. These were thrice torn down by a local clergyman, James Dean (d. 1882), on whom, under provocation of the torn placards, Twort committed an assault. Ward and Twort were indicted for blasphemy and assault. Tried on 4 Aug. before Sir [q. v.], Twort was convicted of the assault, and both were found