John Ball (20 August 1818 – 21 October 1889) was an Irish politician,
naturalist and
Alpine
Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to:
Places Europe
* Alps, a European mountain range
** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range
Australia
* Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village
* Alpine National P ...
traveller.
Background and education
Ball was born in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
, the eldest son of
Nicholas Ball, judge of the
Court of Common Pleas (Ireland) and his wife Jane Sherlock. He was educated at
Oscott College
St Mary's College in New Oscott, Birmingham, often called Oscott College, is the Roman Catholic seminary of the Archdiocese of Birmingham in England and one of the three seminaries of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
Purpose
Oscott C ...
near
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...
, and at
Christ's College, Cambridge, where he was 41st
Wrangler but as a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
* Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
could not be admitted to a BA degree. He showed in his early years a taste for natural science, particularly
botany
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...
; and after leaving
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
he travelled in
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
and elsewhere in Europe and North Africa, studying his favourite pursuits, and contributing papers on botany and the Swiss glaciers to scientific periodicals.
Political career
In 1846 Ball was made an assistant
poor-law commissioner, but resigned in 1847, and in 1848 stood unsuccessfully as a parliamentary candidate for
Sligo. In 1849 he was appointed second poor-law commissioner, but resigned in 1852 and successfully contested the
Carlow County constituency in the Liberal interest. 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'. In the
British House of Commons he attracted
Lord Palmerston's attention by his abilities, and in 1855 was made
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies The Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies was a junior Ministerial post in the United Kingdom government, subordinate to the Secretary of State for the Colonies and, from 1948, also to a Minister of State.
Under-Secretaries of State for the ...
, a post which he held for two years.
At the colonial office he had great influence in furthering the cause of natural science, particularly in connection with equipment of the
Palliser Expedition in Canada (for his efforts, the
Ball Range in the
Canadian Rockies was named after him), and with
William Jackson Hooker's efforts to obtain a systematic knowledge of the colonial floras.
Alpinist
In 1858 Ball stood for
County Limerick, but was defeated, and he then gave up politics and devoted himself to natural history. He was the first president of the
Alpine Club (founded 1857), and it is for his work as an alpinist that he is chiefly remembered. His well-known ''Alpine 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 major
Dolomites
The Dolomites ( it, Dolomiti ; Ladin: ''Dolomites''; german: Dolomiten ; vec, Dołomiti : fur, Dolomitis), also known as the Dolomite Mountains, Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps, are a mountain range located in northeastern Italy. They form pa ...
peak (
Monte Pelmo in 1857). He also travelled in
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...
(1871) and South America (1882), and recorded his observations in books which were recognised as having scientific value.
Die Besteigung der Berge - Die Dolomitgipfel werden erobert (German: The ascent of the mountains - the dolomite peaks are conquered)
/ref>
Personal life
His wife was Elisa Parolini, daughter of the Italian naturalist Alberto Parolini. Ball died in London in October 1889, aged 71.
Notes
References
* NEW EDITION
*
*Gordon L. Herries Davies, 'Ball, John (1818–1889)'
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
Oxford University Press, 2004
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ball, John
1818 births
1889 deaths
Irish mountain climbers
Irish naturalists
Fellows of the Royal Society
Fellows of the Linnean Society of London
Politicians from County Dublin
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for County Carlow constituencies (1801–1922)
Irish Liberal Party MPs
UK MPs 1852–1857
Presidents of the Alpine Club (UK)
Alumni of St Mary's College, Oscott