John Ball (abt. 1736 - bef. 1788)

Born about 1736 in Devon, England [uncertain]

Died before 2 Oct 1788 before about age 52 in Sydney Cove, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

John Ball was a convict on the First Fleet.

From "The Founders of Australia", by Mollie Gillen:

John Ball "was sentenced to death at Exeter on 20 March 1786 of the theft of a live ewe sheep, was reprieved to seven years transportation on 13 April and was sent to the Dunkirk hulk at Plymouth, where at the recorded age of 50 he was reported as "tolerably decent and orderly". On 11 March 1787 he was embarked on Charlotte for NSW. He did not long survive arrival: after spending several months in hospital he was buried at Sydney Cove on 2 October 1788."^[1]

Devon Lent Assizes were held at Exeter on 20 March 1786 before Sir James Eyre Knt. and Sir Beaumont Hotham Knt. The ewe sheep was "price 10s. the goods of John Sommerville".^[2]

John Ball's burial was registered in St Philip's register.^[3]

Research Notes

From Mollie Gillen's book: "John Ball may have been that John, son of William and Elizabeth Ball, baptised at Exeter Devon, on 3 November 1834."

However there are several people named John Ball born in Devon about this time.

Sources

1. ↑ Gillen, Mollie, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), p 21.
2. ↑ PRO Assizes 24/26, and PRO Assizes 23/8, cited in Cobley, John, The Crimes of the First Fleet Convicts, 1970. p.14.
3. ↑ St Philip's Church of England, Sydney NSW: Church Register - Burials; ML ref: Reel SAG 90.; Volume entry number: 138., cited in Biographical Database of Australia (BDA) bda-online.org.au/mybda/search/biographical-report/10011004201?f=john&l=ball&ol=&i=3&s=&p=

• Centre for Educational Development and Interactive Resources, University of Wollongong. http://firstfleet.thruhere.net/convict.php?id=31
• State Records of NSW http://indexes.records.nsw.gov.au/ebook/digitalcontent.aspx?id=12188_4_4003_0017-18
• BDM NSW Death Record V1788138 4