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William Balcombe

1777 – 1829

Australian politician

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About William Balcombe

Lived 1777 – 1829 (aged 51).

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 whilst the Balcombe family were living on Saint Helena. The exiled Bonaparte had lodged with the Balcombes (at the Briars) whilst his permanent quarters at Longwood were being prepared.

William Balcombe spent some time in the Colony of New South Wales appointed as the first treasurer, arriving on 5 April 1824 with his family and servants aboard the Hibernia. He died there in 1829 (aged 51). One of his sons was Thomas Tyrwhitt Balcombe (1810—1861) and a great-granddaughter was Mabel Brooks (1890—1975).

There is a long-held tradition that Balcombe brought cuttings of a weeping willow that grew over Napoleon's grave on St Helena to his property, Kenmore, near Goulburn. The same tradition holds that cuttings from the trees at Kenmore, and their descendants, were used to propagate the trees to other parts of New South Wales.

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Important facts

Birth century
Positions held
Treasurer of New South Wales

People in William Balcombe's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped William Balcombe's

Frequently asked questions

Who was William Balcombe?

Australian politician

When was William Balcombe born?

William Balcombe was born on 28 December 1777 in Rottingdean.

When did William Balcombe die?

William Balcombe died on 19 March 1829 in Sydney.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: William Balcombe

· Wikidata: Q30426738

· DBpedia: William Balcombe

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). William Balcombe. https://biography.guide/william-balcombe/

MLA: "William Balcombe." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/william-balcombe/.

Chicago: "William Balcombe." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/william-balcombe/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-24 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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