Cor Mio

John Ward (1590–1638) was an English composer. He trained as a singer in Canterbury and went on to compose religious and secular works.

Ward was born in Canterbury and baptised 15 February 1590 at St Mary Bredman. He was a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral and likely King's scholar at Canterbury Grammar School 1604–7. He appears to have stayed in Canterbury until at least 1607 and then went to London where he served Sir Henry Fanshawe (1569–1616) as a musician. Fanshawe, as patron of the arts, was a musician himself owning a viol, who held the office of remembrancer of the exchequer, as the third consecutive member of the family to hold this office. Fanshawe had a London house in Warwick Lane, a country house Ware Park near Ware, Hertfordshire and property in Essex. Henry Fanshawe had also been a patron to the dramatist George Chapman.

The Fanshawe family appear to have employed more than one person called John Ward (if so, the other was possibly the composer's father), which makes some details of the composer's life difficult to establish. One important stage in his career was the publication of his "first set" of madrigals in 1613. It was printed by Thomas Snodham and dedicated to his patron. His output includes at least one lament for Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, who was on good terms with Fanshawe.

Sir Henry died in 1616. His will of 1613, which was witnessed by John Ward, mentions musical instruments. His eldest son and heir Thomas Fanshawe gave less support to the family's musical establishment. However, Ward continued to work for the family. Ward appears in the will of Henry's widow Elizabeth Smythe. Dated 20 February 1630, it described Ward as her "ancient servant" and he was named as trustee of her manor of Dengie by the Essex coast.

The remembrancership was put in trust for Thomas when he went abroad in 1618 to continue his education and he took up his duties on his return to England in 1619. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography suggests that it was probably about this time ("and certainly by April 1621") that Ward obtained "a modest post" in the remembrancer's office.

Ward married Thomasine daughter of Thomas Clee of London dwelling at Tower Dock and had at least 5 children. Records show that he held property in Ilford Magna, Essex, where he died in 1638 (see note). Although John Ward retained his job in the remembrancer's office in London until the year of his death, he appears in the 1630s to have been assigned the mastership of the Hospital Chapel of St Mary & St Thomas of Canterbury in Ilford. In the register at the end of a vellum book, folio 30, it records the baptism of John Ward's son and his fifth child Mary in August 1630 as well as her burial on 2 January 1633 which implies he may have been resident prior to his appointment, at the Masters House (situated near the chapel on the corner of Ilford Lane, before becoming the Green Man Inn c1781 which was finally demolished 1905). The Fanshawe family had held an interest in the mastership of the chapel from the mid 1560s and Queen Elizabeth granted the ownership to Thomas Fanshawe in 1572.

Tribute was paid to Ward by Thomas Tomkins who in 1622 dedicated a madrigal to him.

Ward composed madrigals, works for viol consort, services, and anthems. His madrigals are remarkable for their fine texts, broad melodic lines and originality.