When Charles Frederick Ball was killed at Gallipoli in 1915 The Irish
Times called him 'one of the best known botanists and horticulturists in
Ireland'. Fred Ball (to friends and family) trained in horticulture at
Kew Gardens in the UK, moved to Dublin in 1906, became Assistant Keeper
at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, and was editor of the journal
Irish Gardening. A skilled plant breeder, he could have expected, in
time, to succeed Sir Frederick Moore as Keeper of the Botanic Gardens.
Instead, he responded to the call to serve king and country, enlisting
in the famous 7th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
This book describes Fred Ball's life and achievements up to his tragic
death at Suvla Bay in September 1915, shedding new light on his
contribution to Irish horticulture as well as his time as a soldier. It
is also the story of Fred Ball's relationship with Alice Lane, the
youngest daughter of a well to do Anglo-Irish family, who was the love
of his life. They were married in Dublin in December 1914, just after
Fred had joined up.
The author, Alice's grandson, discovered among his mother's papers a
small metal box containing over 100 letters that Fred wrote to Alice
between 1911 and 1914. These letters, combined with further research in
libraries and archives in Ireland and England, provide a captivating
account of Fred Ball's life in the Victorian and Edwardian worlds of
which he was a part. Richly illustrated with historical photographs,
Charles Frederick Ball offers a moving testament to a life tragically
cut short.
