Ward, Nathaniel

Ward, Nathaniel (?1578–1652) Protestant religious leader; born in Haverhill, England. A member of a notable Puritan family, he studied at Emmanuel College (Boston) and Cambridge University, practiced law, and entered the Anglican ministry in 1618. He served a London parish from 1624–33, was dismissed for nonconformism, emigrated to Massachusetts, and in 1634 accepted the pastorate of Agawam (now Ipswich). In the late 1630s he helped compile the first code of laws for Massachusetts. Returning to England in the mid-1640s, he held the pastorate of Shenfield until his death.