Ward is most remembered for his work as the head physician of the Batticotta Seminary, where he served as a prominent educator and was influential in handling the cholera outbreak of 1846.
Nathan and Hannah Ward traveled to Ceylon together, where the eventually conceived and raised all of their children.
At some point in between the births of William and Samuel, the Wards also had a baby girl who died before turning one.
[2] On June 30, 1833, Ward met the other voyagers that would be accompanying him on his journey to Ceylon, which included Reverend William Todd, Samuel Hutchins, Henry R. Hoisington, George H. Apthorp and their respective wives.
An audience of Bostonians accumulated to watch as a hymn was sung to grace the missionaries with good fortune on their journey.
He lived with other missionaries, Daniel Poor, Henry Woodward, James Read Eckard and their wives.
He explained how Ward helped keep the hospital regulated, train students, and engage in new fields of research.
Many of the natives were opposed to taking medication, but Ward was able to treat around 900 patients and save around 600 people to give him a 60% success rate.
Both Nathan and Hannah Ward had experienced deteriorations in their health and decided it was time to return to Vermont.
His health had improved since he left and so on October 30, 1860, Nathan and Hannah Ward departed on their second journey from Boston to Ceylon.
Hannah Ward continued on to Jaffna despite her husband's passing and worked there for five years before returning home.