BART

See also:

• SIR

SIR

See also:

• ALEXANDER
• ALEXANDER (1461-1506)
• ALEXANDER (ALEXANDER OF BATTENBERG) (1857-1893)
• ALEXANDER (ALEXANDER OsxENOVici) (1876-1903)
• ALEXANDER, ARCHIBALD (1772—1851)
• ALEXANDER, FRANCIS (1800—1881)
• ALEXANDER, GEORGE (1858— )
• ALEXANDER, JOHN WHITE (1856- )
• ALEXANDER, JOSEPH ADDISON (18o9—186o)
• ALEXANDER, SIR JAMES EDWARD (1803—1885)
• ALEXANDER, WILLIAM (1824— )
• ALEXANDER, WILLIAM LINDSAY (1808—1884)

ALEXANDER

See also:

• JOHN
• JOHN (1167–1216)
• JOHN (1290-c. 1320)
• JOHN (1296-1346)
• JOHN (1371–1419)
• JOHN (1468-1532)
• JOHN (1801-1873)
• JOHN (Heb. llni')
• JOHN (ZAPOLYA) (1487-1540)
• JOHN, 4TH MARQUESS OF TWEEDDALE (c. 1695-1762)
• JOHN, DON (1545-1578)
• JOHN, DON (1629–1679)
• JOHN, GOSPEL OF ST
• JOHN, THE APOSTLE
• JOHN, THE EPISTLES OF
• JOHN, or HAYS (1513–1571)

JOHN

See also:

• BALL (in Mid. Eng. bal; the word is probably cognate with " bale," Teutonic in origin, cf. also Lat. falls, and Gr. 7raXXa)
• BALL, JOHN (1585-1640)
• BALL, JOHN (1818-1889)
• BALL, JOHN (d. 1381)
• BART SIR ALEXANDER JOHN BALL
• BALL, THOMAS (1819- )

BALL  . (1759-1809), British rear-admiral and governor of Malta, came of a Gloucestershire family . He entered the navy, and in 1778 was promoted lieutenant . Three years later began a close association with Rodney, and, two days after his chief's crowning victory of April 12, 1782, Ball was promoted commander, and in 1783 he became captain . At this time he spent a year in France with the 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 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 ship in heavy weather caused the latter to forget his former animosity, and from that time the two were close friends . Under Nelson's command Ball took part in the battle of the Nile, and his ship, the " Alexander," was the particular opponent of Brueys' 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 marines and local militia, which made the siege on the land side . His care for his men laid the foundations of his popularity with the Maltese which continued till his 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

baronet) to 1809 he was governor of Malta, where he endeared himself to the people by his regard for their interests, and his opposition to the policy of treating the island as a conquered dependency . His friendship with Lord Nelson, whose letters prove his high regard for him, was only broken by death . Ball died on the 20th of October 1809 and was buried in Malta . Sir Alexander Ball was kind to 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 .