William Balcombe (28 December 1777 – 19 March 1829) was an East India Company and colonial administrator. He came to fame as the father of a daughter (Betsy Balcombe) who befriended Napoleon Bonaparte[1] whilst the Balcombe family were living on Saint Helena.[2][3] The exiled Bonaparte had lodged with the Balcombes (at the Briars) whilst his permanent quarters at Longwood were being prepared.
William Balcombe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 28 December 1777 Rottingdean, Sussex, England |
| Died | 19 March 1829 (aged 51) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Buried | Devonshire Street Cemetery, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom
 Colony of New South Wales |
| Service/ | Colonial Service |
William Balcombe spent some time in the Colony of New South Wales appointed as the first treasurer,[4][5] arriving on 5 April 1824 with his family and servants aboard the Hibernia.[6] He died there in 1829 (aged 51) and was buried in Sydney.[7][8]
Gallery edit
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Napoleon Bonaparte spent his first two months of exile living in the Pavilion, on the Balcombe Briars Estate on St Helena. -
The painted silk flag with the 1806 emblem of the New South Wales colony -
A modern rendition of the flag
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References edit
- ^ "The Children of Longwood". www.napoleon-series.org. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ Thomson, Kathleen. "Balcombe, Alexander Beatson (1811–1877)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ "BBC – Radio 4 – Betsy and Napoleon". www.bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ New South Wales, Australia, Record of Appointments to Government Offices, 1814–1825
- ^ "PFO-15 Colonial Treasurer (1856-1959) Treasurer (1959- )". NSW State Records & Archives. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ "Ship News". Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser. 8 April 1824. p. 2. Retrieved 21 June 2017 – via Trove.
- ^ "William Balcombe (1779–1829) – Find A Grave Memorial". www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ "Obituary – William Balcombe – Obituaries Australia". oa.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
Further reading edit
- "Chapter 1: William Balcombe – A Man of mystery". Pounding along to Singapore with the 2/20th Battalion AIF. 13 October 2015. Archived from the original on 17 October 2017.