in
Żabbar making reference to Ball Alexander Ball was an important figure in the diplomatic and military events that brought
Malta under British rule. Universally loved by the
Maltese, Ball visited the islands for the first time on 12 October 1798. Whenever Ball appeared in public, the passers-by in the streets stood uncovered until he had passed; the clamours of the market-place were hushed at his entrance and then exchanged for shouts of joy and welcome. His mission was to sustain and continue the siege and blockade of the French forces in Malta, aided by certain
Portuguese naval forces. The Maltese leaders of the blockade were immediately attracted by Ball's charisma and sympathy. Moreover, they might have realised that after the eventual French surrender, their island would have to find another ruler, since no Maltese in the nineteenth-century considered independence. The fear of the return of the increasingly oppressive
Order of St. John may have pushed Malta indirectly toward becoming a British
protectorate. In a letter sent by one of the Maltese leaders to Ball, written by
Vincenzo Borg, the Maltese expressed the wish to Ball that
the vast majority of us wish to see the islands fall under English jurisdiction. The destiny of Malta was to be decided by the events occurring in Europe during this period.
Napoleon's troops succeeded in entering
Naples itself, forcing
King Ferdinand IV to flee the city with his family. For the Maltese this meant that only
Britain could guarantee Malta's safety. It was at this stage that problems emerged between the supporters of the Neapolitans and those preferring the Royal Navy. Captain Alexander Ball succeeded in calming the situation, and this led to his eventual election as the President of the National Assembly that took place on 9 February 1799. According to Ball's wishes, the Assembly changed its name to National Congress in order to emphasise the need for a compromise. However, the increasingly precarious situation faced by King Ferdinand IV made Ball pass more powers to the British forces stationed in and around Malta. In fact, it was at this time that the
Union Flag was flown for the first time alongside the Neapolitan flag. Nelson wrote to Ball in January 1799: "...Respecting the situation of Malta with the
King of Naples, it is this – he is the legitimate Sovereign of the Island: therefore, I am of opinion his Flag should fly. At the same time, a Neapolitan garrison would betray it to the first man who would bribe him. I am sure the King would have no difficulty in giving his Sovereignty to England; and I have lately, with
Sir William Hamilton, got a Note that Malta should never be given to any Power without the consent of England.... "P.S. – In case of the Surrender of Malta, I beg you will not do anything which can hurt the feelings of their Majesties. Unite their Flag with England’s, if it cannot, from the disposition of the Islanders, fly alone." The French forces besieged in
Valletta faced starvation as the British navy intercepted a French relief force off
Lampedusa Island. Eventually,
General Vaubois, the commander of the French forces, surrendered to the British forces, represented by Captain George Martin and Major General
Henry Pigot. As a representative of the Maltese people, Ball was not allowed to take part in the negotiations, while the Neapolitans were excluded for diplomatic reasons. The French were allowed to leave with full military honours, and after a few days Ball and the Maltese could enter the liberated
capital. In February 1801 Ball was appointed commissioner of the navy at
Gibraltar and had to leave Malta. Control passed to Major General
Henry Pigot, whose tyrannical administration angered the Maltese, a fact noted in a letter Ball wrote to Nelson in June of the same year. Ball reported that the Maltese would have rebelled against Pigot had Ball not promised them that he would convey their grievances to the authorities. Nelson himself wrote back to Ball from the
Baltic on 4 June 1801: "My dear, invaluable friend,... believe me, my heart entertains the very warmest affection for you, and it has been no fault of mine, and not a little mortification, that you have not the red ribbon and other rewards that would have kept you afloat; but as I trust the war is at an end, you must take your flag when it comes to you, for who is to command our fleets in a future war?... I pity the poor Maltese; they have sustained an irreparable loss in your friendly counsel and an able director in their public concerns; you were truly their father, and, I agree with you, they may not like stepfathers.... Believe me at all times and places, for ever your sincere, affectionate, and faithful friend." The British government then sent him back to Malta as the
Plenipotentiary Minister of His British Majesty for the Order of Saint John to coordinate the departure of the British in accordance with the provisions of the
Treaty of Amiens. The situation, however, changed quickly as the likelihood of war between France and the United Kingdom increased. Ball now received instructions to delay the evacuation of British troops from the island. Napoleon was anxious for the moment to see the British out of the
Grand Harbour, stating that he would prefer to see the British in possession of a Parisian suburb than of Malta. In May 1803 war was rejoined because of the British refusal to evacuate the islands. During the
Napoleonic Wars, through the 1814
Treaty of Paris, as ratified by the
Congress of Vienna, Malta and all its dependencies passed under the jurisdiction of the British. In 1810, the Maltese built a
monument in the
Lower Barrakka Gardens dedicated to Ball's memory. This
neoclassical monument was restored in 1884, and again in 2001. ==Flag rank appointments==