Page:A catalogue of notable Middle Templars, with brief biographical notices.djvu/32

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Ball — Banister.

an impulse to his tastes for natural science, already strong in him. He passed aa Forty-first Wrangler, but, being a Roman Catholic, could not take a degree. He was called to the Irish Bar in 1845, and in 1846, the year of the potato famine, acted as Assistant Poor Law Commissioner. In 1852 he entered Parliament for Carlow, and in 1855 became Under-Secretary of the Colonies, in which position he was able to advance the cause of science by advocating the expedition under Palliser to explore the Canadian route to the Pacific, and by supporting Sir W. Hooker's efforts to systematize the floras of the British Colonies. In 1858, being defeated at Limerick, he retired from politics, and resumed his scientific studies, pursuing them in the Alps, in Morocco, and South America, and publishing from time to time the results of his researches in the Alpine Guide, and other scientific journals, his best known papers being his Journal of a Tour in Morocco (1878); his Notes of a Naturalist in South America (1887); and his Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers of the Alps (1859). He was, indeed, the first authority on matters relating to the Alps, and was first President of the Alpine Club. He died in Kensington 21 Oct. 1889.


BALL or BALLE, PETER.
Physician.
d. 1675.

Admitted 4 February, 1651-2.

Third son of Sir Peter Ball, one of the Masters of the Bench. His elder brother. Goring, was admitted on the same day. He was called to the Bar 8 May, 1657. He studied medicine at Leyden and Padua, and was admitted to the Royal College of Physicians in 1664 as Hon. Fellow. He was one of the original Fellows of the Royal Society. He died in 1675, and was buried in the Round of the Temple Church. His elder brother, William (q.v.), was also a member of the Inn.


BALL or BALLE, WILLIAM.
Astronomer.
d. 1690.

Admitted 4 November, 1646.

Son and heir of Sir Peter Ball of the Middle Temple. He devoted himself to astronomical pursuits, and made important observations on Saturn and his rings. He co-operated in the founding of the Royal Society. He died in 1690, and was buried in the Round of the Temple Church.


BAMPFIELD or BAMPFYLDE, THOMAS.
Speaker of the House of Commons.

Admitted 28 October, 1642.

Third son of John Bampfield of Poltimore, co. Devon. He was called to the Bar 8 June, 1649, was Recorder of Exeter and member for that city in Cromwell's Parliaments of 1654 and 1656, also in Richard Cromwell's Parliament in 1658, when he was elected Speaker in the place of Mr. Chute. He remained Speaker till 16 March, 1659-60. He sat again for his old constituency in the Convention Parliament of 1660, but retired in the following year. There is no record of his death.


BANBURY, EARL OF. See KNOLLYS, WILLIAM.


BANISTER or BANNISTER, Sir WILLIAM.
Judge.

Admitted 18 May, 1672.

Son and heir of William Banister of Turk Dean, in the county of Gloucester. He was called to the Bar 30 May, 1679, was made a Serjeant-at-Law in 1706,