John Ball | |
|---|---|
.jpg) John Ball. | |
| Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies | |
| In office 8 February 1855 – June 1857 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Prime Minister | The Viscount Palmerston |
| Preceded by | Frederick Peel |
| Succeeded by | Chichester Fortescue |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1818-08-20)20 August 1818 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 21 October 1889(1889-10-21) (aged 71) London, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Party | Whig |
| Alma mater | Christ's College, Cambridge |
John Ball (20 August 1818 – 21 October 1889) was an Irish politician,naturalist andAlpine traveller.
Ball was born inDublin, the eldest son ofNicholas Ball, judge of theCourt of Common Pleas (Ireland) and his wife Jane Sherlock. He was educated atOscott College nearBirmingham, and atChrist's College, Cambridge, where he was 41stWrangler but as aRoman Catholic could not be admitted to a BA degree.[1] He showed in his early years a taste for natural science, particularlybotany; and after leavingCambridge he travelled inSwitzerland and elsewhere in Europe and North Africa, studying his favourite pursuits, and contributing papers on botany and the Swiss glaciers to scientific periodicals.[2]
In 1846 Ball was made an assistantpoor-law commissioner, but resigned in 1847, and in 1848 stood unsuccessfully as a parliamentary candidate forSligo. In 1849 he was appointed second poor-law commissioner, but resigned in 1852 and successfully contested theCounty Carlow constituency in the Whig interest.[2][3] In 1854, while grave doubts were raised in well-informed quarters about entering a war with Russia, the voice of the people found expression in Ball who assured the government that justification of the Crimean war was vast, high and noble: 'the maintenance in civilised society of the principles of right and justice'.[4] In theBritish House of Commons he attractedLord Palmerston's attention by his abilities, and in 1855 was madeUnder-Secretary of State for the Colonies, a post which he held for two years.[2]
At the colonial office he had great influence in furthering the cause of natural science, particularly in connection with equipment of thePalliser Expedition in Canada (for his efforts, theBall Range in theCanadian Rockies was named after him), and withWilliam Jackson Hooker's efforts to obtain a systematic knowledge of the colonial floras.[2]
In 1858 Ball stood forCounty Limerick, but was defeated, and he then gave up politics and devoted himself to natural history. He was the first president of theAlpine Club (founded 1857), and it is for his work as an alpinist that he is chiefly remembered. His well-knownAlpine Guide (London, 1863–1868) was the result of innumerable climbs and journeys and of careful observation recorded in a clear and often entertaining style. Among his accomplishments, he was the first to climb a majorDolomites peak (Monte Pelmo in 1857). He is the namesake ofCima di Ball in the Dolomites.[5] He also travelled inMorocco (1871) and South America (1882), and recorded his observations in books which were recognised as having scientific value.[2][6][7]
His wife was Elisa Parolini, daughter of the Italian naturalist Alberto Parolini. Ball died in London in October 1889, aged 71.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Ball, John".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 263.| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forCounty Carlow 1852 –1857 With:Henry Bruen 1852–1853 William McClintock-Bunbury 1853–1857 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies 1855–1857 | Succeeded by |
