BALLANTINE, WILLIAM (1812-1887), born in London on Jan. 3, the son of a London police-magistrate, was edu cated at St. Paul's school, called to the bar in 1834, and created a serjeant-at-law in 1856. He began in early life a varied ac quaintance with dramatic and literary society, and his experience, pushing character and acute intellect obtained for him a large practice, both in civil and criminal cases. He was most skilful in cross-examination and in forensic strategy ; but he did not attempt flights of eloquence. Among his great cases were the prosecu tion of the murderer Franz Muller in 1864, the prosecution of Madame Rachel (1868), the divorce suit Mordaunt v. Mor daunt (187o), his advocacy of the Tichborne claimant in the civil suit, 1871-72, and his defence of the gaekwar of Baroda in 1875. He died at Margate on Jan. 9, 1887, having published his Remi niscences. His private life was Bohemian; and having earned large sums, he died very poor.
See his Some Experiences of a Barrister's Life (5th ed. 1882) and a continuation of it, The Old World and the New (1884) ; also the article TICHBORNE CLAIMANT.