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 college at Cambridge on 3 Oct. 1888. He was also a fellow of the Linnean, Geographical, and Antiquarian Societies of London, and of the Royal Irish Academy.

Besides the works mentioned above Ball published papers in the Cambridge 'Mathematical Journal' on physical science, in the Philosophical Magazine,' and in the 'Reports' of the British Association, on the geological action of glaciers and on other subjects, on botanical subjects in the 'Botanical Magazine,' 'Journal of Botany,' the 'Proceedings of the Linnean Society,' 'The Linnfea,' and the 'Bulletin de la Société Botanique de France.' On Alpine subjects he contributed to the first series of 'Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers' (which he edited), 1859,8vo, and to the 'Alpine Journal.' He wrote the article 'Alps' in the 'Encyclopædia Britannica' (9th edit.), and an article in the 'Edinburgh Review,' 1861, on glacier theories. He contributed occasionally to the 'Saturday Review' and 'Nature.' He was also the author of a tract (1847), 'What is to be done for Ireland?' (2nd edit. 1849), and an article in 'Macmillan's Magazine,' 1873, on Daniel O'Connell.

 BALL, JOHN THOMAS (1815–1898), lord chancellor of Ireland, was the eldest son of Major Benjamin Marcus Ball, of the 40th regiment of foot, an officer who served with distinction in the peninsular campaign; his mother was Elizabeth, daughter of Cuthbert Feltus of Hollybrook, co. Carlow. Ball probably owed some of his most characteristic qualities to his paternal grandmother, Penelope Paumier, a member of an old Huguenot family settled in Ireland. He was born in Dublin on 24 July 1815 and was educated at Dr. Smith's school in Rutland Square, Dublin, and at Dublin University. Entering Trinity College in 1831 at an unusually early age, he obtained a classical scholarship in 1833, and in 1835 graduated as senior moderator and gold medallist in ethics and logic. He was an active member during his college days of the College Historical Society, holding in 1837 the office of president. In 1844 he took the degree of LL.D. During the latter part of his college career, and in his earlier days at the bar, Ball was a frequent contributor to the 'Dublin University Magazine,' and was intimately associated with Isaac Butt [q. v.], Samuel and Mortimer O'Sullivan [q. v.], Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu [q. v.], and others. Ball's contributions were for the most part concerned with historical and biographical subjects, but he also wrote some graceful verses. All his writings evince sound classical scholarship and severe and fastidious taste. In 1840 he was called to the Irish bar, where he quickly rose to an eminent position, and in 1854 he was called to the inner bar. As a queen's counsel his practice lay mainly in the ecclesiastical courts, and later in the probate and matrimonial division, where his knowledge of civil law and argumentative subtlety rapidly raised him to the leading position. In 1862 the primate, Marcus Beresford [q. v. Suppl.], appointed him vicar-general of the province of Armagh. This appointment marked the commencement of his active interest in the affairs of the Irish church, of which he was a devoted member. In 1863 Ball was elected a bencher of the King's Inns, and in 1865 was made queen's advocate in Ireland. In the same year he first appeared in the arena of politics, coming forward at the general election of 1865 as a candidate for the university of Dublin in the character of an independent churchman. The agitation against the Irish establishment had already commenced; and Ball, foreseeing the fierceness of the storm, counselled legislation for ecclesiastical reform. His policy involved the admission of deficiencies which the majority of churchmen were not prepared to own, and Ball was defeated at the polls. In 1867 Ball was nominated as a member of the royal commission appointed by Disraeli to inquire into the state of the church of Ireland, and in the following year became a member of the conservative administration as solicitor-general for Ireland. Later in the same year he was advanced to be attorney-general for Ireland. In the meantime Gladstone's declarations had raised the issue of disestablishment in a direct form, and in face of the impending peril the conservative electors of Dublin University recognised the importance of making Ball's abilities and knowledge of ecclesiastical affairs available for the defence of the threatened institution. Accordingly he was at the general election of 1868 returned to parliament as member for the university. 'Upon him from that moment devolved the task of inspiring, instructing, and inspiriting all the opposition that was possible in a hopeless minority of 120 to the mighty purpose which had rallied and united the liberal party' (Times). On the 