Henry Lidgbird Ball
Rear-Admiral Henry Lidgbird Ball (7 December 1756 – 22 October 1818) was a Royal Navy officer, best known as the commander of the First Fleet's , for the exploration of environs around Port Jackson and Broken Bay, helping establish the Norfolk Island penal settlement, and for discovering and naming Lord Howe Island. Ball joined the Royal Navy and was a crewman of various ships, before being commissioned as a Lieutenant on 23 April 1778. Commanding off the Northern Irish coast from 1783 until 1786. October 1787 Ball was appointed to command HMS "Supply" and to join Captain  Arthur Phillip's expedition to establish a penal colony in New South Wales. Leaving England 13 May 1787, with the 10 other ships, "Supply" was the first ship of the fleet to arrive in Botany Bay on 18 January 1788. "Supply" was to remain in the colony under the overall command of Governor Phillip. "Supply" transported men to establish a seconadary settlement on Norfolk Island. "Supply" was mainly used to transport supplies and men between the two settlements. With a decline in Ball's health in 1791, he returned to England to recover. Returning to the Navy in December 1793 , serving in the Downs. March 1796, Ball was given command and joined Rear-Admiral Hugh Cloberry Christian's convoy to capture Dutch and French colonies in the Caribbean. March 1797 Ball was appointed to and stationed off of South Africa, capturing six vessels and being involved in the action of 9 February 1799. "Daedalus" sailed for the East Indies Station on 9 July 1799, where it was involved in operations in the Red Sea. Ball returns to England March 1802. Ball was commander of at the Battle of the Basque Roads, and was called as a witness at the Court -martial of James, Lord Gambier, about those events. Ball had a few more commands before retiring in December 1813. Ball was promoted to Rear-Admiral of the Blue on 4 June 1814. Ball spent his retirement in Surrey, before his death on 22 October 1818. Early life. Henry Lidgbird Ball was born in 1756 at Birkenhead, Cheshire, England, to George Ball and his wife, Lucy Stringer. Henry was baptised on 7 December 1756 in Holy Cross Church, Woodchurch, Cheshire. Ball joined the Royal Navy when quite young, serving on various ships: , , , and . On 23 April 1778 he was commissioned a  lieutenant. From March 1783 until April 1786, he commanded the cutter off the northern coast of Ireland. Colonial service. In October 1787, Ball was placed in command of the armed tender as part of the naval escort for the ships of the First Fleet, a fleet of ships that transported convicts to start the first European colony in Australia. "Supply"s armament was increased in 1786, from its four small 3-pounder cannons and six -pounder swivel guns, with the addition of four twelve-pounder carronades; the crew was augmented to 55. Additionally, a detachment of 16 marines from the New  South Wales Marine Corps, under the command of Lieutenant William Dawes, was embarked. "Supply" as part of the First Fleet had orders to create a penal colony in Botany Bay, New South Wales. "Supply" sailed from Spithead, Portsmouth, on 13 May 1787 with the First Fleet under the overall command of Commodore Arthur Phillip. On 3 June 1787, the fleet anchored at Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain. On 10 June they began their voyage across the Atlantic to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, taking advantage of favourable trade winds and ocean currents. The fleet reached Rio on 5 August and remained  for a month while resuppling. The fleet departed Rio on 4 September to run before the westerlies, reaching Table Bay in South Africa on 13 October, the last port of call before Botany Bay. On 25 November, Phillip transferred from to the faster "Supply", and with the fleet's faster ships raced ahead to prepare for arrival of the rest of his command. However, this "flying squadron" reached Botany Bay only hours before the slower members, so no preparatory work was done. "Supply" reached Botany Bay on 18 January 1788; the three fastest transports in the advance group arrived on  19 January; slower ships, including "Sirius", arrived on 20 January. After an exploration of the Botany Bay area, it was decided that it was unsuitable for settlement, the fleet moved to Port Jackson, arriving at a cove Phillip named Sydney Cove on 26 January. On 14 February Ball on "Supply" sailed with Lieutenant Philip Gidley King, who was to establish a subordinate settlement on Norfolk Island. Ball discovered the navigational and physical difficulties in approaching the island which were to affect future settlement there, but got the people and supplies ashore by 6 March. On the return voyage he explored  a small island sighted previously, which he named Lord Howe's Island after Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe; he also named Mount Lidgbird and Ball's Pyramid after himself. Ball's sketches, notes and descriptions of the landscape and fauna of Lord Howe Island and Ball's Pyramid were published in 1789 as a chapter in Phillip's book "The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay". On 6 May "Supply" left Port Jackson for Lord Howe Island to capture turtles, to supplement the food stores of the settlement, but discovered that the turtles were only present on the island  in the summer. Phillip decided on an expedition to capture a native so as to learn their language and customs, so on 31 December, Ball and marine Lieutenant George Johnston took two boats to Manly Cove where they captured Arabanoo. "Supply" made multiple voyages between the two settlements, Port Jackson and Norfolk Island, transferring men and supplies between them. She was also used to explore the waters and environs around the colonies. On 5 March 1790 the "Sirius" and "Supply" left Sydney Cove to transport 300 convicts and marines to Norfolk Island, arriving on 13 March. Bad weather precluded landing  personnel and provisions near the settlement, so the marines and some convicts were landed at Cascade Bay on the north-east coast. Here they had to jump individually from a boat to a rock; the jump was possible only when the tide was half out. On 19 March the weather cleared and Ball and Captain John Hunter of "Sirius" started to unload the remaining convicts and provisions. Ball noticed the current was pushing the ships towards the sunken rocks and signalled to Hunter before manoeuvring "Supply" away from the danger. Even though the "Sirius" was farther from the rocks than  Supply, Hunter was unable to save his ship from foundering. "Supply", with assistance of the men on shore, was able to rescue every person from the sinking "Sirius". "Sirius" was supposed to continue on to Canton (present-day Guangzhou), to pick up supplies, but with the its loss at Norfolk Island, "Supply" sailed on 17 April to procure provisions from Batavia, Dutch East Indies, carrying Philip Gidley King, who was to continue on to England with the Governor's dispatches. Ball returned to Port Jackson 18 October, having chartered the "Waaksamheyd" to bring the rest of supplies, which arrived 17  December. Ball became very ill with a fever that had originated in Batavia. In March 1791 he sought leave to return to England both to recover his health and to attend to family affairs. Sailing on 25 November via Cape Horn and arriving at Plymouth 21 April 1792 after completing a circumnavigation with "Supply". Ball continued to be interested in the colonies of New South Wales; in 1803 James Grant mentioned Ball as an encourager to publish his book "Narrative of a Voyage of Discovery", about his explorations of Bass Strait in . In January 1808 it was noted that Ball  had applied for the governorship of New South Wales, but the request was turned down as no change in governor was intended at that point. Further naval career. Ball was promoted to commander on 28 April 1792. His health recovered, he returned to duty in December 1793 and given command of the sloop , joining Rear-Admiral John MacBride's squadron in the Downs. In December 1794 Ball was given command of 36-gun fifth rate frigate , and while in command he was promoted to captain on 9 July 1795. In March 1796, Ball was given command of 24-gun sixth  rate , and joined Rear-Admiral Hugh Cloberry Christian's convoy to the Leeward Islands Station, with the intention to capture the Dutch and French colonies in the Caribbean. Christian's convoy arrived in Barbados on 21 April. With Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby's forces, Christian sailed on 26 April, to invade St Lucia; the island surrendered 25 May. In March 1797 Ball was appointed to the 32-gun fifth rate frigate , on 14 July "Daedalus", with and , sailed from England for the Cape of Good Hope. While stationed in South Africa between the months August 1797 and February 1798 , "Deadalus" with , was involved in the capture of six vessels, American vessels "Rebecca" and "President", slavers "Quaker" and "Ocean", French schooner "Prosperité" and an armed ship "Bell". "Daedalus" was involved in an action off of South Africa, just after day-break on 9 February 1799 unknown sails were seen on the horizon, these were the French frigate "Prudente" and its prize an American ship "Canton". The two ships split up and "Daedalus" followed the larger "Prudente". Just after 12:00 "Prudente", unable to evade her pursuer, turned to fire a broadside at the "Daedalus". At around 25 minutes past 12:00 "Daedalus  opened fire, with the ships now side by side they exchanged cannon fire, until the badly battered French ship surrendered after almost an hour. The Daedalus" lost two men killed and 12 wounded in the engagement; "Prudente" suffered 27 killed and 22 wounded. Returning to the Cape of Good Hope, where "Prudente"s damage was deemed too expensive to repair and she was scrapped. On 9 July, "Daedalus" sailed for the East Indies Station, joining the fleet of Rear-Admiral Peter Rainier. On 14 August "Daedalus" and , on operations in the Red Sea, got information from trading vessels that Frenchmen were  stationed at the town of Kosseir. Sailing to investigate, they found that the French colours were flying over the fort, the two frigates then opened fire on the fort and town, continuing the occasional cannon fire through the night and over the next few days. Twice boats were sent in an attempt to land men and cannons to take the town, but the French defence had them retreating, with one man dead and a cannon lost in the surf. "Daedalus" and "Fox" retreated on the afternoon of 16 August. Between 23 August 1800 and 31 March 1801, "Daedalus" was part  of Rainier's fleet that captured five armed Dutch vessels and destroyed another 22, one of these captured vessels Ball ordered manned and armed, which he named . With the death of Captain John Turnor in January 1801, Ball took command of the 64-gun third rate ship of the line . With the Peace of Amiens, 25 March 1802, Ball returned to Britain. With the death of Captain Adrian Renou in January 1805, Ball was appointed flag captain to Rear-Admiral Bartholomew Rowley in the 64-gun third rate ship of the line as a guardship at the Nore. On 6  April 1806, "Zealand" in company with , and , captured four Prussian vessels. With Rowley appointed in April 1807 as Commander-in-Chief, the Downs, Ball was moved to the navy's list reserve officers. Ball was awarded a silver medal from the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (now known as the Royal Society of Arts), in 1807. It was awarded for a design for the improvement of the durability of anchors, as well as a way of raising them, that he believed would reduce accidents to the crew and ships. In early April 1809 Ball was commander  of the 80-gun third rate ship of the line . "Gibraltar" joins the fleet of Admiral Lord Gambier in blockading the French at Battle of the Basque Roads. Crew from "Gibraltar" helped to man the fireships of Captain Lord Cochrane's attack on 11 April, with Lieutenant John Cookesley injured and Master's mate John Conyers killed. "Gibraltar" was part of Gambier's fleet that tried to capture or destroy the French vessels, until the battle came to an end on 29 April. On 3 August, Ball was called as a witness on the eighth day of the Court-martial  of James, Lord Gambier which assessed whether Gambier had failed to support Cochrane at the Battle of Basque Roads. Ball testified in Gambier's favour, with the verdict clearing Gambier of all charges on 4 August. In April 1812 Ball became flag captain to Rear-Admiral Philip Charles Durham in 80-gun off of Texel, until December 1813, with "Christian VII" being removed from active service. Ball then went on half-pay in semi-retirement. On 4 June 1814 Ball was promoted to flag rank as rear-admiral of the blue. Personal life. Ball married twice, his first marriage was  on 17 June 1802, to Charlotte Forster, she died a year later in 1803. On 19 July 1810, Ball married for a second time to Anne Georgianna Henrietta Johnston, who was 31 years his junior, she survived him and died in 1864. No children were produced from either marriage. Ball had one daughter, Anne Maria, born 1789 on Norfolk Island to Sarah Partridge (also known as Sarah Roberts), a convict sentenced to 7 years transportation, for shoplifting on 14 January 1784, transported with the First Fleet in the "Lady Penrhyn". Anne Maria was baptised on 22 August 1789 at Sydney . As Partridge's sentence had expired by the time Ball returned to England, it's believed that Partridge and his daughter returned with him on "Supply". Anne Maria married Joseph Freeman Rattenbury, of Gray's Inn, on 24 July 1810. Ball's sister Mary made "my niece 'Ann Maria her heir in 1820. Death and legacy. Ball retired to Mitcham (then in Surrey and now in Greater London) where he died on 22 October 1818. He was buried in the churchyard at St Peter's Church, Petersham, in the family vault of his second wife. A plaque commemorating Ball was  added to the Johnston tomb on 20 October 2013 at a service attended by the Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. Ball's Pyramid and Mount Lidgbird on Lord Howe Island, Ball Bay, Norfolk Island, and Balls Head on Sydney Harbour are all named after him.