Alexander Ball Sir Alexander John Ball , 1st Baronet ( 1757 – 20 October 1809 ) was a British Admiral and Civil Commissioner of Malta . He was born in Ebworth Park , Sheepscombe , Gloucestershire . He was the fourth son of Robert and Mary ( Dickinson ) Ball . Early naval experience . Ball entered the Royal Navy , and on 7 August 1778 , was promoted lieutenant . Three years later he began a close association with Sir George Rodney . Ball was promoted commander on 14 April 1782 , two days after his chief ’ s crowning victory , and on 20 March 1783 he became captain . With peace restored , Ball was furloughed on half - pay . He then spent a year in France , hoping to learn the language and live economically . Captain Horatio Nelson was at this time by no means favorably impressed by his future friend and comrade , and described Ball as a " great coxcomb " . In 1790 , Ball received a command and from then on he was continuously employed . In May 1798 , Ball commanded the in the Mediterranean . Once when Nelson ' s had lost her fore - and topmasts , Ball towed Vanguard to Sardinia . Under Nelson ’ s command , Ball took part in the Battle of the Nile , and his ship , the " Alexander " , was the second British ship to fire on the French Admiral ' s flagship , " L ’ Orient " , which later blew up during the battle . Alexander Ball and Malta . Alexander Ball was an important figure in the diplomatic and military events that brought Malta under British rule . Universally loved by the Maltese , Ball visited the islands for the first time on 12 October 1798 . Whenever Ball appeared in public , the passers - by in the streets stood uncovered until he had passed ; the clamours of the market - place were hushed at his entrance and then exchanged for shouts of joy and welcome . His mission was to sustain and continue the siege and blockade of the French forces in Malta , aided by certain Portuguese naval forces . The Maltese leaders of the blockade were immediately attracted by Ball ' s charisma and sympathy . Moreover , they might have realised that after the eventual French surrender , their island would have to find another ruler , since no Maltese in the nineteenth - century considered independence . The fear of the return of the increasingly oppressive Order of St . John may have pushed Malta indirectly toward becoming a British protectorate . In a letter sent by one of the Maltese leaders to Ball , written by Vincenzo Borġ , the Maltese expressed the wish to Ball that " the vast majority of us wish to see the islands fall under English jurisdiction " . The destiny of the Malta was to be decided by the events occurring in Europe during this period . Napoleon ' s troops succeeded in entering Naples itself , forcing King Ferdinand IV to flee the city with his family . For the Maltese this meant that only Britain could guarantee Malta ' s safety . It was at this stage that problems emerged between the supporters of the Neapolitans and those preferring the Royal Navy . Captain Alexander Ball succeeded in calming the situation , and this led to his eventual election as the President of the National Assembly that took place on 9 February 1799 . According to Ball ' s wishes , the Assembly changed name to National Congress in order to emphasise the need for a compromise . However , the increasingly precarious situation faced by King Ferdinand IV made Ball pass more powers to the British forces stationed in and around Malta . In fact , it was a this time that the Union Flag was flown for the first time alongside the Neapolitan flag . Nelson wrote to Ball in January 1799 : " . . . Respecting the situation of Malta with the King of Naples , it is this – he is the legitimate Sovereign of the Island : therefore , I am of opinion his Flag should fly . At the same time , a Neapolitan garrison would betray it to the first man who would bribe him . I am sure the King would have no difficulty in giving his Sovereignty to England ; and I have lately , with Sir William Hamilton , got a Note that Malta should never be given to any Power without the consent of England . . . " P . S . – In case of the Surrender of Malta , I beg you will not do anything which can hurt the feelings of their Majesties . Unite their Flag with England ’ s , if it cannot , from the disposition of the Islanders , fly alone . " The French forces besieged in Valletta faced starvation as the British navy intercepted a French relief force of Lampedusa Island . Eventually , General Vaubois , the commander of the French forces , surrendered to the British forces , represented by Captain George Martin and Major General Henry Pigot . As a representative of the Maltese people , Ball was not allowed to take part in the negotiations , while the Neapolitans were excluded for diplomatic reasons . The French were allowed to leave with full military honours , and after a few days Ball and the Maltese could enter the liberated capital . In February 1801 Ball was appointed commissioner of the navy at Gibraltar and had to leave Malta . Control passed to Major General Henry Pigot , whose tyrannical administration angered the Maltese , a fact noted in a letter Ball wrote to Nelson in June of the same year . Ball reported that the Maltese would have rebelled against Pigot had Ball not promised them that he would convey their grievances to the authorities . Nelson himself wrote back to Ball from the Baltic on 4 June 1801 : " My dear , invaluable friend . . . believe me , my heart entertains the very warmest affection for you , and it has been no fault of mine , and not a little mortification , that you have not the red ribbon and other rewards that would have kept you afloat ; but as I trust the war is at an end , you must take your flag when it comes to you , for who is to command our fleets in a future war ? . . . I pity the poor Maltese ; they have sustained an irreparable loss in your friendly counsel and an able director in their public concerns ; you were truly their father , and , I agree with you , they may not like stepfathers . . . Believe me at all times and places , for ever your sincere , affectionate , and faithful friend . " The British were uncertain of their policy towards Malta , as with Napoleon on the rise they could not afford problems with their allies . The choice of Charles Cameron as Civil Commissioner in May 1801 did not remove these uncertainties , even though his presence assured the Maltese of the protection of the Empire . When the Treaty of Amiens placed Malta again under the rule of the Knights of St . John , this assurance was dashed . Ball was made a baronet on 24 June 1801 . The British government then sent him back to Malta as the " Plenipotentiary Minister of His British Majesty for the Order of Saint John " to coordinate the departure of the British in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty of Amiens . The situation , however , changed quickly as the likelihood of war between Napoleonic France and the United Kingdom increased . Ball now received instructions to delay the evacuation of British troops from the island . Napoleon was anxious for the moment to see the British out of the Grand Harbour , stating that he would prefer to see the British in possession of a Parisian suburb than of Malta . In May 1803 war was rejoined because of the British refusal to evacuate the islands . After the Napoleonic Wars , through the Treaty of Paris of 1814 , as ratified by the Congress of Vienna , Malta and all its dependencies passed under the jurisdiction of the British . Sir Alexander Ball was possibly the British leader most loved by the Maltese population . Samuel Taylor Coleridge became an assistant to Ball in 1804 and later described his administration in " The Friend " , going as far as describing Ball as " a truly great man " . Ball died in the San Anton Palace on 25 October 1809 and was buried in Malta . In the Lower Barrakka Gardens in Valletta , the Maltese in 1810 built a monument in Ball ' s memory . Restored in 1884 , this Neo - Classical monument remains a testament to the Maltese peoples ' love and respect .