Joseph Ward

Sir Joseph George Davidson Ward, 3rd Baronet (17 September 1909 – 4 August 1970) was a New Zealand fencer and fencing administrator who represented his country at the 1950 British Empire Games. He was active in public life in Christchurch from the 1930s until his death, and served as the honorary consul for Belgium in that city for 30 years.

Early life and family Ward was born in Invercargill on 17 September 1909, the son of Cyril Rupert Joseph Ward, later 2nd Baronet, and Elinor Angela Ward (née Davidson). He was the grandson of New Zealand prime minister Sir Joseph Ward, While at Canterbury, Ward was active in student sports, and was chair of the New Zealand University tournament committee in 1934.

On 10 June 1944 at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Wellington, Ward married Joan Mary Haden (née Laffey), whose first husband, Seymour Haden, had been killed on active service with Bomber Command in 1942. The couple went on to have six children. Eight years, later Joseph Ward was closely involved in the formation of the New Zealand Amateur Fencing Association, as the convenor of a conference held in Christchurch in 1938 that led to establishment of the association, and he was elected as the inaugural president.

At the inaugural national fencing championships held in Christchurch in October 1938, Ward finished second in the men's foil, behind the left-handed L.D. Nathan from Auckland.

Ward was one of the three selectors of the fencing team that represented New Zealand in fencing at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland, and was named as captain of the épée squad. He competed in both the individual and team épée events. In the individual épée, he progressed to the final pool round, where he won two of his six matches to finish in eighth place. In the team event, New Zealand lost all three of its round robin matches to finish in fourth place; Ward only fenced in the match against Australia, winning two of his three contests in the team's 4–5 loss.

Between 1938 and 1954, Ward was a vice-president of the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime (International Fencing Federation), and he served as a member of the New Zealand Olympic and British Empire Games Association, representing the New Zealand Amateur Fencing Association, from 1938 to 1958. and was buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch. Upon his death, he was succeeded as Baronet by his eldest son, Joseph James Laffey Ward, as 4th Baronet. Joan, Lady Ward, died in 1993.

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