Frederick Wordsworth Ward (1835 - abt. 1870)

With Mary Ann's help, Captain Thunderbolt evaded capture for six years, the longest of any bushranger. Mary Ann also taught Fred Ward how to read and write. Despite being on the run, Fred and Mary Ann spent as much time as possible with their children. Mary Ann was charged three times with receiving stolen goods. Once while Mary Ann was being held at a station Fred Ward rescued her.^[14]She was released after serving three months of a prison sentence, the reason most likely was some of the gentleman of the colony did not like that a woman was imprisoned. It is claimed that Captain Thunderbolt never shot at any body, including police. The reason for this is his wife Mary Ann hated guns because it was the way so many of her people had been murdered by the whites at the time. Thunderbolt always took 9 months off his Bushranging, to look after Mary Ann and his family when ever she was expecting another child.

A letter to the editor of the Herald about the imprisonment of Mary Ann Ward

A letter to the editor of the Herald about the release from prison of Mary Ann Ward

In 1867, Frederick Ward went to the house of a Mrs. Bradford, he asked if Mrs. Bradford would look after a woman that was dying. Mrs. Bradford found the woman, and took her to the house where she died. The newspapers reported that Louisa Mason, alias Yellow Long, had died of pneumonia.^[15]

Many think it wasn't Thunderbolt that was killed by Constable Walker, but his uncle Harry, who was the brother of his mother Sarah.^[16] Harry Ward was posing as Thunderbolt in the Uralla area at the time.^[17] A autopsy photo shows a man who was much older then Frederick Ward. It is thought that after 8 weeks, Frederick and his mother Sarah Ann Shepherd went to Morpeth on the Hunter River, near Newcastle than caught a boat to San Francisco then moving to Canada.

Thunderbolt sighted after death

The Armidale Express and New England Advertiser Friday 23rd of May, 1941

Research Notes

• On the birth certificate of Marina Emily Ward, Fred Wards daughter, it shows that Frederick Ward was 28 years old.^[18] This makes it impossible for him to be the son of Sophia Ward as she had a daughter, Harriet born April 1833, but Frederick Ward was brought up by Sarah's parents, Michael & Sophia Ward.

• The Bann's applications for the Marriage of John Haswell and Sara Ann Ward was submitted the first time on 16th of July 1832, the 2nd time on 31st of August 1832.^[19] However, it was rejected both times, as Sarah was unemployed and John was not even in receipt of a wage. (with no income how were they going to support themselves?) Permission was given by both Sarah's father Michael Ward and John Haswell's convict master, William Everingham, as was required by the law.

Sources

1. ↑ http://www.thunderboltbushranger.com.au/analysis-birthyear.html
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Maitland Gaol – Description Book: Frederick Ward, 1856 [SRNSW ref: 2/2017, Year 1856 No. 175; Reel 759]
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} New South Wales Government. Description books [Sydney Gaol and Darlinghurst Gaol]. NRS 2523, Roll: 859. State Records Authority of New South Wales. Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia; cited in Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Australia, Gaol Description and Entrance Books, 1818-1930 [database on-line] Name: Frederick Ward Birth Place: Windsor Arrival year: 1855 Arrival Country: Australia Vessel Arrived In: Born in Colony Date of Admission/Photo: 1856 Gaol: Darlinghurst Gaol Location: Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia Record Type: Description Book
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Darlinghurst Gaol – Description Book: Frederick Ward, 1861 [SRNSW ref: 4/6309, Year 1861 No. 2103; Reel 860]
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Darlinghurst Gaol – Entrance Book: Frederick Ward, 1861 [SRNSW ref: 5/1895, Year 1861 No. 2103; Reel 2338]
6. ↑ http://www.thunderboltbushranger.com.au/analysis-birthplace.html
7. ↑ http://www.thunderboltbushranger.com.au/analysis-parents.html
8. ↑ Cockatoo Island - History of Cockatoo Island
9. ↑ Wikipedia - Mary Ann Bugg
10. ↑ Article - Thunderbolt an elusive Bushranger - Windsor and Richmond Gazette NSW, Friday 25 December 1925
11. ↑ Baxter, Carol (2011). Captain Thunderbolt and His Lady. Sydney: Allen & Unwin, cited in Wikipedia, Mary Ann Bugg.
12. ↑ Article - The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser Thursday 29 March 1866 Newspaper Article Mary Ann Ward helping Captain Thunderbolt find food and shelter while they were on the run
13. ↑ Article - Goulburn Evening Penny Post Saturday 4 April 1903 Australian Bushranging Thunderbolt Frederick Ward
14. ↑ Article - Imprisoment of Mrs Thunderbolt The Sydney Morning Herald Saturday 7 April 1866
15. ↑ Article -Reporting the death of Louisa Mason aka Yellilong - The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser - Thursday 28 November 1867
16. ↑ Inquest into the death of Captain Thunderbolt Barry Sinclair
17. ↑ Sydney Morning Herald - Dead ringer for Thunderbolt
18. ↑ Birth Certificate - Marina Emily Ward birth cetificate
19. ↑ Barry Sinclair - Thunderbolt's Birth & Parents

• New South Wales Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages Death Certificate 2470/1870 Name: WARD, FREDERICK Alternative Name 1: THUNDERBOLT, BUSHRANGER; AGE 36 YEARS; DIED KENTUCKY PONDS Alternative Name 2: WARD alias THUNDERBOLT, Frederick Father: not listed Mother: UNKNOWN District: ARMIDALE
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 26 January 2021), memorial page for Frederick Wordsworth "Captain Thunderbolt" Ward (16 May 1833–25 May 1870), Find a Grave Memorial no. 35757503, citing Uralla Old General Cemetery, Uralla, Uralla Shire, New South Wales, Australia ; Maintained by Muriel Butler (contributor 46849170) Find A Grave: Memorial #35757503

Article - Capt Thunderbolt the gentleman Bushranger Sydney Morning Herald 4 th December 1946

Barry Sinclair - Significant Thunderbolt dates.

A Pictorial History of Bushrangers, 1966 Landsdowne Press, Melbourne. Paul Hamlyn revised edition 1970. H. Nunn, Bill Wannan and Tom Prior.

Users.tpg.com - Personal copy of "Thunderbolt, Scourge of the Ranges" by G. James Hamilton with Barry Sinclair. Published in Australia by Phoenix Press. Nov 2009

Victor Crittenden, 'Ward, Frederick (Fred) (1835–1870)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, Biography Frederick Ward, published first in hardcopy 1976, accessed online 1 December 2017.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Thunderbolt