Joshua John Ward
Joshua John Ward, of Georgetown County, South Carolina, was the largest American slaveholder,[1] dubbed "the king of the rice planters".[2]
Joshua John Ward | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 24, 1800 |
| Died | February 27, 1853 (aged 52) Brookgreen Plantation Georgetown County, S.C. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Rice farmer, plantation owner, slaveholder |
| Known for | America's largest slaveholder. |
In 1850 he held 1,092 slaves;[2] Ward was the largest slaveholder in the United States during his lifetime. In 1860 his heirs (his estate) held 1,130 or 1,131 slaves.[1][2]
One of his plantations, the Brookgreen Plantation, is now part of a park called Brookgreen Gardens.
Career
In addition to his rice plantations, Ward served as the 44th Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina from 1850 to 1852, as a Democrat, under Governor John Hugh Means.
Family history
Ward was born November 24, 1800, at Brookgreen Plantation, South Carolina, the son of Joshua Ward, a planter and banker, and Elizabeth Cook. He was married March 14, 1825, in South Carolina to Joanna Douglas Hasell, and died February 27, 1853, at Brookgreen Plantation.[3]
References
- The Sixteen Largest American Slaveholders from 1860 Slave Census Schedules Archived 2013-07-19 at the Wayback Machine, Transcribed by Tom Blake, April to July 2001, (updated October, 2001 and December 2004 – now includes 19 holders)
- "Boundaries and Opportunities: Comparing Slave Family Formation in the Antebellum South", Damian Alan Pargas, Journal of Family History, 2008; 33; 316, doi:10.1177/0363199008318919
- Joshua John Ward / Joanna Douglas Hasell
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William H. Gist |
Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina 1850–1852 |
Succeeded by James Irby |