Analysis: What did Sophia Ward's Death Certificate
say about her children?
Copyright Carol Baxter 2011
The most vocal proponents of the claim that Fred Ward was not the bushranger shot at Uralla on 25 May 1870 are also the authors of the novel Thunderbolt: Scourge of the Ranges.[1] Novelists can write whatever they want. That’s the advantage of writing fiction: its imaginary. Yet the authors have boldly announced in the press that the book “is written as a novel but all the information in it is based on facts”.[2] Well, let’s examine some of these claimed facts.
On page 29, the authors write: "I'd worked out that Sarah Ward ..." (see below):
Thunderbolt: Scourge of the Ranges, p.29
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First, let’s dismiss the red herring that Sarah Ann Ward was Thunderbolt’s mother rather than his sister. This claim is easy enough to disprove (see Was Frederick Ward the son of his “sister”?). Even the Death Certificate of Sarah's father lists Fred as one of his children. Sarah Ann Ward was indeed Thunderbolt’s sister, not his mother.[3]
Let’s now examine the Death Certificate of Fred and Sarah's mother and see what it actually declares. Sophia’s death certificate notes that only four of her children were still alive at the time of her own death in 1874, as follows:[4] |
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- Norah aged 58
- Joshua aged 50
- Esther aged 46
- Selina Maria aged 43
Clearly, this certificate does not “declare” that Sophia's daughter Sarah was still alive because it does not list anyone named Sarah. But it does “indicate” that she was still alive because Norah's listed age was Sarah's exact age suggesting that Norah was an error for Sarah (although it is worth noting that all the other ages listed on the death certificate were incorrect, including that of the informant himself!)
Underneath the list of names, the certificate notes: “4 males & 4 females – dead”. It does not name the dead sons and daughters so obviously it does not “declare” that William (or Harry as they insist on calling him) was already dead. Rather it allows this conclusion to be reached – a significant difference.
But is this all that Sophia’s death certificate tells us?
Exhaustive research has shown that Michael and Sophia Ward had the following known children:[5]
- Sophia (born circa 1808; died 1846) – paternity uncertain but called ‘Ward’
- Sarah Ann (born circa 1816; death unknown)
- Edward George (born circa 1818; died 1851)
- Amelia Brenchley (born circa 1820; died 1872)
- Joshua Michael (born circa 1822; died 1879)
- George (born circa 1824; died 1854)
- Esther Berfield (born 1826; died 1899)
- Selina Maria (born 1828; died 1900)
- William Thompson (born circa 1830; death unknown)
- Harriet (born 1833; died 1835)
- Frederick Wordsworth (born 1835; died 1870)
If we extract the sons from the above list, we have the following:
- Edward: died 1851
- Joshua: died 1879
- George: died 1854
- William: death unknown
- Frederick: died 1870
This number of sons (five) tallies with the sons mentioned on Sophia’s death certificate: that is, Joshua alive and the other four dead. Accordingly, the omission of Fred Ward’s name from the list of living children on Sophia’s death certificate is evidence of his death prior to 1874 in the same way that the omission of William’s name is evidence of William's death before 1874. Or to quote the authors’ words: if this certificate “declares” that William was dead by 1874, then this certificate also “declares” that Fred was dead by 1874.
Consequently, what is truly “strange” is that the authors of Thunderbolt: Scourge of the Ranges failed to mention the noteworthy omission of Fred’s name from the living children on Sophia’s death certificate. Or is this truly strange? Because if they had revealed that Fred was also dead by 1874, according to his mother's death certificate, it would undermine their novel’s premise that he was not the bushranger shot in 1870.
Which presumably explains why they keep insisting that Fred was not Michael and Sophia’s son but their grandson, despite all the evidence proving otherwise (see Who were Fred Ward's parents?). By manipulating these family relationships, the authors can ignore the information on Sophia’s death certificate showing that all of her sons except Joshua were dead by 1874.
But the authors have forgotten something. When they delete Frederick from the list of Sophia's sons, the numbers no longer tally. If Fred was not Sophia's son, then who was the fourth dead son mentioned on her death certificate?
For the facts about Fred Ward's demise, see When did Fred Ward die?
Sources
[1] Hamilton, G. James with Sinclair, Barry Thunderbolt: Scourge of the Ranges, Phoenix Press, Hyland Park (NSW), 2009
[2] Armidale Express 11 Dec 2009
[3] See also Who were Frederick Ward’s parents?
[4] Death Certificate: Sophia Jane Elizabeth Ann Ward [RBDM ref: 1874/5858]
[5] For further information and source-references see Timeline: Michael and Sophia Ward and their family
- Joshua aged 50
- Esther aged 46
- Selina Maria aged 43
Clearly, this certificate does not “declare” that Sophia's daughter Sarah was still alive because it does not list anyone named Sarah. But it does “indicate” that she was still alive because Norah's listed age was Sarah's exact age suggesting that Norah was an error for Sarah (although it is worth noting that all the other ages listed on the death certificate were incorrect, including that of the informant himself!)
Underneath the list of names, the certificate notes: “4 males & 4 females – dead”. It does not name the dead sons and daughters so obviously it does not “declare” that William (or Harry as they insist on calling him) was already dead. Rather it allows this conclusion to be reached – a significant difference.
But is this all that Sophia’s death certificate tells us?
Exhaustive research has shown that Michael and Sophia Ward had the following known children:[5]
- Sophia (born circa 1808; died 1846) – paternity uncertain but called ‘Ward’
- Sarah Ann (born circa 1816; death unknown)
- Edward George (born circa 1818; died 1851)
- Amelia Brenchley (born circa 1820; died 1872)
- Joshua Michael (born circa 1822; died 1879)
- George (born circa 1824; died 1854)
- Esther Berfield (born 1826; died 1899)
- Selina Maria (born 1828; died 1900)
- William Thompson (born circa 1830; death unknown)
- Harriet (born 1833; died 1835)
- Frederick Wordsworth (born 1835; died 1870)
If we extract the sons from the above list, we have the following:
- Edward: died 1851
- Joshua: died 1879
- George: died 1854
- William: death unknown
- Frederick: died 1870
This number of sons (five) tallies with the sons mentioned on Sophia’s death certificate: that is, Joshua alive and the other four dead. Accordingly, the omission of Fred Ward’s name from the list of living children on Sophia’s death certificate is evidence of his death prior to 1874 in the same way that the omission of William’s name is evidence of William's death before 1874. Or to quote the authors’ words: if this certificate “declares” that William was dead by 1874, then this certificate also “declares” that Fred was dead by 1874.
Consequently, what is truly “strange” is that the authors of Thunderbolt: Scourge of the Ranges failed to mention the noteworthy omission of Fred’s name from the living children on Sophia’s death certificate. Or is this truly strange? Because if they had revealed that Fred was also dead by 1874, according to his mother's death certificate, it would undermine their novel’s premise that he was not the bushranger shot in 1870.
Which presumably explains why they keep insisting that Fred was not Michael and Sophia’s son but their grandson, despite all the evidence proving otherwise (see Who were Fred Ward's parents?). By manipulating these family relationships, the authors can ignore the information on Sophia’s death certificate showing that all of her sons except Joshua were dead by 1874.
But the authors have forgotten something. When they delete Frederick from the list of Sophia's sons, the numbers no longer tally. If Fred was not Sophia's son, then who was the fourth dead son mentioned on her death certificate?
For the facts about Fred Ward's demise, see When did Fred Ward die?
Sources
[1] Hamilton, G. James with Sinclair, Barry Thunderbolt: Scourge of the Ranges, Phoenix Press, Hyland Park (NSW), 2009
[2] Armidale Express 11 Dec 2009
[3] See also Who were Frederick Ward’s parents?
[4] Death Certificate: Sophia Jane Elizabeth Ann Ward [RBDM ref: 1874/5858]
[5] For further information and source-references see Timeline: Michael and Sophia Ward and their family