page_title: Northwood House
section_title: George Ward (1793 - 1829)
hierarchical_section_title: Northwood House / History / The Ward Family / George Ward (1793 - 1829)
caption_attribution_description: English: Killed in a duel at Northwood House
context_page_description: Northwood House is a country manor house in Cowes on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom. The current building dates back to 1799 and was built for the London businessman George Ward, remaining in his family for five generations. It is a Grade II listed building, said to have a ground floor area of around 15,000 square feet.
  In 1929, Northwood House and its 26-acre "pleasure park", known as Northwood Park, were gifted by the Wards to Cowes Urban District Council. The gift was conditional upon the house being used as municipal offices and the grounds ‘as pleasure gardens for the people of Cowes’.
  In 2010, after 81 years of operating as Council offices, the Council withdrew and handed the house and estate over to a charitable trust to administer. Today this Georgian manor house is looked after and run by the Northwood House Charitable Trust Co. Ltd. Their aim is to preserve the building and its grounds for the enjoyment of future generations. Its grounds are open to the public and its buildings are available to hire or to let by the general public as an events centre. This is typically for weddings, parties and conferences.
context_section_description: In 1793, George Ward esq, a highly successful merchant banker from Broad Street in the city of London, bought at auction the Cowes estate of Bellevue, which consisted of Belle Vue House and seventeen acres of land. The house was described as a 'modern brick dwelling house', with four rooms on each floor and an excellent wine cellar.  
  In 1799, he largely demolished Belle Vue House and built Northwood House on its site, with the grounds being renamed to Northwood Park. The only part of Belle Vue which still exists are the large cellars underneath Northwood House, said to have been originally built to hide smuggled goods. By this time, Ward had also acquired more land in Cowes, including Debourne Farm, bringing the estate up to 217 acres. The driveway, leading up to the house, was by that time almost a mile long. The changes to the house were designed by John Nash, the famous London architect. Nash also designed Buckingham Palace as well as many other island properties, including East Cowes Castle, the IW County Club and St Mildred's Church, Whippingham.
  The walls surrounding the estate were built from Bembridge limestone, taken from Brading Harbour.
  Ward's wealth originated from his Grandfather, John Ward and his father, who was also called John Ward. Both of whom were highly successful businessmen. However, aside from this, in 1783, his father also won a half-share of a £20,000 state-run lottery win. This is worth over a million pounds today. George Ward was also the older brother of Robert Plumer Ward, the barrister, politician and novelist who was MP for Cockermouth between 1802 and 1806.
  Amongst other things, George Ward made his own fortune by lending money to the government during the Napoleonic Wars at highly beneficial rates of interest. He used his money to buy more and more land on the Isle of Wight, eventually amassing around 20,000 acres, said to be one fifth of the island's area. Due to the enormous amounts of land that he owned by this time, his nickname was 'King Ward'. Ward was also a director of the East India Docks in London.  
  In 1798, George Ward was nominated as a new Sheriff in the Court of Exchequer 
  In 1803, his wife Mary had a baby daughter, born at the house. However in 1813, she unfortunately died of a paralytic stroke.
  In 1813, George Ward started the first paddle steamer service between Cowes and Southampton. The Isle of Wight Royal Mail Steam Packet Company would eventually become the company now known as Red Funnel.
  In 1817, a duel took place at Northwood House between Major Orlando Lockyer and Lieutenant John Sutton, after Lockyer took offense to a comment made by Sutton, whilst both were drinking one night. In the morning, at the agreed duelling place, it was said that Sutton apologised and informed Lockyer that he would not return fire against him. Lockyer still asked for the signal to fire and when the handkerchief was dropped, shot Sutton through the heart without Sutton even unstopping his pistol. Before dying, Sutton staggered forward and held out his hand, which Lockyer took. Lockyer and his seconds then fled the scene. At the Coroner's inquest, the jury returned a verdict of 'Wilful Murder' against Lockyer and his two seconds, who at that time had still not been apprehended.  In their subsequent trial at the Winchester Assizes, they were charged with murder. Lockyer said that he had been under the most gross provocation and that he had asked for Sutton to make a concession which would make the duel unnecessary, but that Sutton refused and was obstinate to the last. The defendants were found guilty of manslaughter and given three months' imprisonment each. John Sutton is buried in the next door St Mary's Church graveyard.
  In 1821, to celebrate the coronation of George IV, a grand celebration for the poor people of Northwood and Cowes was held at Northwood House. A feast for 2,000 people was prepared and it was seen as an opportunity for them to testify their loyalty and joy to the new king. As well as giving use of his estate, Ward donated 50 guineas towards the total cost of 200 gui
caption: 'To the memory of John Sutton, who fell in a duel near this town on 10 December 1817 aged 22 years.'
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