Army & Navy · Story 9

George Ball 1818 - ? (Served 1839 - ?)

53rd Company of Royal Marines

George Ball was born in about 1818 and baptised in Ringstead on 19th February 1818. Although I was not aware of it initially, it was George, the eldest, who was the first of Daniel and Phoebe Ball’s wandering children to leave Ringstead. He joined the Royal Marines, and perhaps set the pattern for a number of his younger siblings.

National Archive Records (ADM157/32/47: C641519) show that George enrolled at Huntingdon on the 10th September 1839 He joined the 53rd Company of the Marines. George was 20 years 9 months old and was shown as being born in Ringstead. He was not married and was a labourer. He had not been in the Militia and had enlisted for “unlimited service” for the bounty of three pounds. It also tells us that he was 5 feet 7 inches tall with a fresh complexion, hazel eyes and dark brown hair. He received the “King’s shilling” on being attested which in this case was two shillings and sixpence. He was given a clean bill of health and the attestation was signed off by the Colonel Commandant, Elias Lawrence, on 5th October 1839.

The main role of the Marines at this time was to act as a buffer between the crew of a ship and the captain and officers. Before George was attested he was read article 3, 4 and 5 of the Articles of War. These related to joining in a mutiny, not doing ones utmost to suppress any mutiny, or in any way disobeying an officers command. All would be punishable by death or what a court martial deemed fit. The Marines would also take part in sea battles, often as riflemen but as there were fewer sea battles in the second half of the century they became skirmishers going ashore ahead of the main party.

Unfortunately, the Record of Service for George has not been completed but in the1841 Census there appears to be a name which could be George Ball (Bales) aged 20 (rounded age) who is living in the Chatham Barracks in Kent. By 1851 the Census (which again is difficult to decipher, has a George Ball (the forename not transcribed on Ancestry) who is 34 years old and born in Ringstead in Northamptonshire. He is an unmarried private in the Marines and still living in the Chatham Barracks. Then the trail goes cold.

There is one further document at the National Archives which is a “Declaration of a Marine enlisted before 1st August 1847, claiming Good Conduct Pay for the First Time”. George put his mark, relinquishing all claim to additional pay for length of service in order to be entitled to “Good Conduct Pay”. It was signed at Chatham on 1st April 1851 (It could be 1857).

There is, in the 1861 Census, of the “Tenders to Victory” in Portsmouth Harbour a George Ball, aged 41, who is a Carpenter’s mate and married. He is shown, however, as being born in Chatham so unless this is a mistake he is not our man. I have not found him after that. Could he have been killed in the Crimean War? We may never know.

References

Ringstead Parish Registers www.Ancestry.co.uk .

Various Censuses .

National Archives. ADM157/32/47: C641519