William Balcombe

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(1777-12-28)28 December 1777
Rottingdean, Sussex, England
Died19 March 1829(1829-03-19) (aged 51)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Buried
Devonshire Street Cemetery, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Allegiance United Kingdom

British East India Company

New South Wales Colony
Service/branchColonial Service
RelationsWife Jane Cranston

William Balcombe spent some time in New South Wales acting as the colony's first treasurer[4] arriving on 5 April 1824 with his family and servants aboard the Hibernia.[5] He died there and is buried in Sydney in 1829 (aged 51).[6][7]

  • 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

References
  1. "The Children of Longwood". www.napoleon-series.org. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  2. Thomson, Kathleen. "Balcombe, Alexander Beatson (1811–1877)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  3. "BBC – Radio 4 – Betsy and Napoleon". www.bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  4. New South Wales, Australia, Record of Appointments to Government Offices, 1814–1825
  5. "Ship News". Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW: 1803 – 1842). 8 April 1824. p. 2. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  6. "William Balcombe (1779–1829) – Find A Grave Memorial". www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  7. "Obituary – William Balcombe – Obituaries Australia". oa.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 21 June 2017.

Further reading
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