WARD, Hester Elizabeth
Hester Elizabeth Ward was born at 1 Eagle Street, Ipswich in 1852, second child of William Ward (c1824-19 May 1872), a grocer, and his wife Mary Ann née Deane (c1829-1873). By 1871 they had moved to 15-17 Tacket Street, Ipswich and ten years later Hester was still there but with her brother, William Ward and his wife Frances being the grocers. Hester studied at the Ipswich School of Science & Art and graduated in Advanced Painting in 1880 and from where she won a second prize in the studies from life exhibition in 1884. A painter in oil of flowers, still life and landscapes and a member of Ipswich Fine Art Club 1879-1909 exhibiting from 15 Tacket Street, Ipswich in 1881, five works 'Fruit and Still Life', 'Hawthorn and Nest', 'Fresh Gathered' and two titled 'Fruit', in 1883 she exhibited nine works, 'Fruit Blossom', 'Spring', 'Harvest Time', 'Poppies', 'Fresh from the Woods', 'May Blossoms' two entitled 'A Study' and a drawing 'At Cromer' and was a regular exhibitor showing some eighty-two works including in 1907 'At Pin Mill' and 'The Orwell from Freston'. She also exhibited at the Bury St Edmunds Fine Art Society at the Town Hall, Bury St Edmund's in 1886 several still life works. In 1891, an 'artist portrait painter', still at Tacket Street and in 1911 an 'artist painter' lodging at 4 Withipoll Street, Ipswich. Hester Elizabeth Ward died at Ipswich in 1931, aged 79, she was unmarried.