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See also: British See also: rear-See also: admiral and governor of See also: Malta, came of a See also: Gloucestershire See also: family
.
He entered the See also: navy, and in 1778 was promoted See also: lieutenant
.
Three years later began a close association with Rodney, and, two days after his chief's crowning victory of See also: April 12, 1782, See also: Ball was promoted See also: commander, and in 1783 he became captain
.
At this See also: time he spent a See also: year in See also: France with the See also: double purpose of learning the language and living economically
.
Nelson, then a captain, was at this time by no means favourably impressed by his future friend and comrade, and spoke of him as a See also: great coxcomb." It was not until 1790 that Ball received a command
.
From that year, however, he was continuously employed
.
In 1798, assistance rendered by him to Nelson's See also: ship in heavy weather caused the latter to forget his former animosity, and from that time the two were close See also: friends
.
Under Nelson's command Ball took See also: part in the See also: battle of the See also: Nile, and his ship, the " See also: Alexander," was the particular opponent of Brueys'
See also: flagship, " L'Orient;" which blew up
.
Two months later he was ordered to the blockade of Malta, which was kept up without a break for the next two years
.
Ball committed the blockade to his first lieutenant, and himself led the See also: marines and See also: local militia, which made the siege on the See also: land See also: side
.
His care for his men laid the See also: foundations of his popularity with the Maltese which continued till his See also: death
.
After the fall of Malta, Ball_ practically retired from the service, in spite of Nelson's urgent entreaty that he should continue afloat, and from i8oi (when he was made a See also: baronet) to 1809 he was governor of Malta, where he endeared himself to the See also: people by his regard for their interests, and his opposition to the policy of treating the See also: island as a conquered dependency
.
His friendship with See also: Lord Nelson, whose letters prove his high regard for him, was only broken by death
.
Ball died on the 20th of See also: October 1809 and was buried in Malta
.
See also: Sir Alexander Ball was kind to See also: Coleridge and is highly praised by him in The Friend, " The Third Landing Place." There are numerous mentions of Ball in Nelson's Despatches, in Sir H
.
Nicolas' edition
.
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