Born: ABOUT 1755/60 in:
Died: 1789/90 in: Sinking of the "Welfare"

Occupation: Bounty Surgeon's Mate

Ledward was a student at St. Andrews University in Scotland during the 1782/83 session.

While detailed class lists do not survive for these years, he did matriculate from the junior Greek class and other subjects were likely to have been junior Latin and junior Mathematics the normal subjects for first year pupils.

His name was absent from subsequent years and the only other clue given by the University was that he paid his fees as a "seconder", that is, his father was likely to have been a professional (lawyer, doctor, or clergyman) or landed.

The Royal College of Surgeons indicates that Ledward was examined by the old Company of Surgeons on 4 Oct 1787, and as a result was qualified as Surgeon's First Mate to sail on a second class ship, which at that time would have carried about 90 guns and 680 men.

Described by Bligh as a 'passionate man but good-hearted', he was signed on because Bligh was unwilling to undertake such a long voyage with only one medical man on board.

He was a well-educated man, well suited to have held the position of Ship's Surgeon himself, had Huggan not been previously appointed by the admiralty.

He took no part in the mutiny, and was confined early on below decks with the loyalist officers until being placed in the Launch.

He appears to have had few if any disagreements with Bligh on either the Bounty or the voyage of the Launch, where he sided with Bligh in his disputes with Fryer.

He was, therefore, notably incensed at the way Bligh treated him in Timor, as noted in letters.

In 1789 or early 1790, Ledward boarded the 'Welfare' for his passage back to England from Batavia.

The ship never arrived, and was never heard from again, likely sinking somewhere in the Pacific.