William "Billy" Ball (1795–1852), the "Shropshire Giant", was a nineteenth-century

iron puddler An iron puddler (often merely puddler) was a worker in iron manufacturing who specialized in puddling, an improved process to convert pig iron into wrought iron with the use of a reverberatory furnace. Working as a two-man crew, a puddler and he ...

and "giant". He was born in June 1795 at

Horsehay Horsehay is a suburban village on the western outskirts of Dawley, which, along with several other towns and villages, now forms part of the new town of Telford in Shropshire, England. Horsehay lies in the Dawley Hamlets parish, and on the north ...

Great Dawley Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to th ...

where he would live for his whole life. His exact date of birth is unrecorded, but he was baptised on 8 July. He was the first son of five children born to Thomas and Elizabeth Ball of Horsehay. As an adult he was tall and weighed more than forty stone. It was said that his "waistcoat was so big that three men could be buttoned into it". In September 1819, aged 24, he married Mary Bailey. They had two children, Eliza (1823–1824) and Thomas (1824–1839). In 1824, both his wife and daughter died. Thomas also died young, at fifteen. Next year, 1825, he married Margaret Wood (1790-c.1850), who bore him no children. He was known locally as a cheerful man with a very pleasing disposition.

Ironworker

From the age of eight he was employed in the

Coalbrookdale Company Coalbrookdale is a village in the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire, England, containing a settlement of great significance in the history of iron ore smelting. It lies within the civil parish called the Gorge. This is where iron ore was first s ...

's Horsehay Ironworks, where he continued for forty years (to 1843). He worked mostly as a puddler and later as a shingler. Puddling is a skilled and extremely strenuous job, requiring great physical strength. 'Big Billy Ball' was immensely strong, on one occasion reputedly lifting a piece of iron weighing nearly to place under the forge hammer. In the 1841 census he gave his occupation as a forgeman. In 1843 he was accidentally blinded in one eye when it was struck by a piece of molten iron. After this he always wore a pair of glass goggles. He also ceased working in the ironworks.

John Bull

After he left the ironworks he exhibited himself around

county fair An agricultural show is a public event exhibiting the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show (a judged event or display in which breeding stock is exhibit ...

s as "The Largest Man in Britain", appearing under the pseudonym '

John Bull John Bull is a national personification of the United Kingdom in general and England in particular, especially in political cartoons and similar graphic works. He is usually depicted as a stout, middle-aged, country-dwelling, jolly and matter- ...

'. 1850 saw the birth of

Alfred Darby II Alfred may refer to: Arts and entertainment *''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series * ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne * ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák *"Alfred (Interlu ...

, a descendant of the

Darby family Darby is an English locational surname and has since become a given name. Its prefix derives from the Old Norse ' ("deer"), and the suffix ' ("farm"/"settlement"). The oldest recorded surname dates to the period of 1160–1182 in Lincolnshire. Da ...

, which was to be celebrated by a procession. He was chosen to lead this procession on horseback, along with 'Little Bennie Poole', the smallest man working at the Coalbrookdale Company, riding a pony. Because of his size, he had to be hoisted onto his horse with a

block and tackle A block and tackle or only tackle is a system of two or more pulleys with a rope or cable threaded between them, usually used to lift heavy loads. The pulleys are assembled to form blocks and then blocks are paired so that one is fixed and one ...

, with a cry of, "Dunno yo drop me!". Afterwards the horse was so injured that it had to be destroyed. In the 1851 census of 30 April, he is listed but without specifying an occupation.

The Great Exhibition

He was invited, as both a guest and a celebrity exhibit, to

The Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held), was an international exhibition which took pl ...

of 1851 in London. As no passenger seat on the train to London was big enough for him, he travelled in the guard's van. This was to be his last major public appearance. Some Birmingham businessmen were said to have teased him about his size: they asked him how much material would be needed and what the cost would be to make him a suit, but after he quipped that if they would take him to a tailor, have him measured and pay for a suit, he would give them the information they wanted, they troubled him no more! He did not enjoy his experience of London and was the target of thieves. He left wishing never to return and had no wish to travel from Horsehay again.

Death

He died the year after his appearance at The Great Exhibition, in June 1852, aged 57. On his death, he had to be taken from his home in Sandy Bank Row, Horsehay by removing a window and the surrounding brickwork. It took ten strong men to carry the coffin, with straps and poles. It was said to be so large that "ten lads were able to lie in it". Although the funeral at St Luke's Church in Doseley was attended by a large crowd, he was buried in an

unmarked grave An unmarked grave is one that lacks a marker, headstone, or nameplate indicating that a body is buried there. However, in cultures that mark burial sites, the phrase unmarked grave has taken on a metaphorical meaning. Metaphorical meaning As a f ...

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