Edward Ward never took his seat in the House; he died in March 1704 at the age of only twenty. His only involvement in the life of the House of Lords related to the possibility of a jurisdictional clash between the English House of Lords and its counterpart in Ireland arising from a continuing dispute with Edward Brabazon, 4th earl of Meath [I]. Politicians on both sides of the Irish Sea were anxious to defuse the issue and worked successfully to do so.
Dudley’s political allegiances are unclear but he was on close terms with John Somers, Baron Somers. In his will he named Somers as co-trustee (with his mother-in-law, Lady Diana Howard) of his wife’s affairs until she came of age. He died of smallpox on 28 Mar. 1704, leaving his wife (and executrix) heavily pregnant.