Notes |
- 1760 - Letters of Joseph Ball jr. to his sister, the mother of George
Washington. This Joseph Ball was the uncle of General Washington. I
believe the original letter is in the collection of the Library of
Congress but I include it here as transcribed by Ruth Walker. They
were apparently saved by David Ball, minister of the Old White Chapel
Church, St Mary's Parish from about 1791. He has no known connection
to the Balls of Lancaster.
I have before me two letters from him, the one addressed to his sister
Mary, and the other to his nephew George Washington, from which I take
the following passages. The first is to his sister, when her son was
thinking of going to sea. It is dated Stratford-by-Bow, 19th of May,
1747:
"I understand that you are advised and have some thoughts of putting
your son George to sea. I think he had better be put apprentice to a
tinker, for a common sailor before the mast has by no means the common
liberty of the subject; for they will press him from a ship where he
has fifty shillings a month and make him take twenty-three, and cut
and slash and use him like a negro, or rather like a dog. And, as to
any considerable preferment in the navy, it is not to be expected, as
there are always so many gaping for it here who have interest, and he
has none. And if he should get to be master of a Virginia ship, (which
it is very difficult to do,) a planter that has three or four hundred
acres of land and three or four slaves, if he be industrious, may live
more comfortably, and leave his family in better bread, than such a
master of a ship can. . . . . He must not be too hasty to be rich, but
go on gently and with patience, as things will naturally go. This
method, without aiming at being a fine gentleman before his time, will
carry a man more comfortably and surely through the world than going
to sea, unless it be a great chance indeed. I pray God keep you and
yours.
"Your loving brother, Joseph Ball."
To his nephew he writes thus after Braddock's defeat:-- Stratford, 5th
of September, 1755.
"Good Cousin:--It is a sensible pleasure to me to hear that you have
behaved yourself with such a martial spirit, in all your engagements
with the French, nigh Ohio. Go on as you have begun, and God prosper
you. We have heard of General Braddock's defeat. Everybody blames his
rash conduct. Everybody commends the courage of the Virginians and
Carolina men, which is very agreeable to me. I desire you, as you may
have opportunity, to give me a short account how you proceed. I am
your mother's brother. I hope you will not deny my request. I heartily
wish you good success, and am
Your loving uncle,
Joseph Ball"
[records of William Meade as transcribed by Ruth Walker]
1800- Burges Ball is a member of the Masons of Williamsburg, VA. He
has married into the Chichester family that is also related to
Rawleigh Chinn who married Ann Ball (5) Burges Ball of "Travellers'
Rest", Spotsylvania Co., and of "Springwood", Loudon, born July 28,
1749, died March 7, 1800; captain in 5th Virginia Regiment,
Continental line; taken prisoner at Charleston in 1780. In 1776, he
raised, clothes and equipped at his own charge a regiment for the
Continental service, married Mary, daughter of John Chichester, 2nd,
Frances, daughter of Col. Charles Washington. (Hayden's "Virginia
Genealogies").
(Source: Cukro, Diane, Virginia Surnames website.
http://www.vanygenealogy.com/ This site has good documentation on the
Ball and associated families.
Hughes, B. V. , "Descendents of Laurence Ball, 1560, Eng", Genforum, 5
Sep 1998 email - bvh@bellsouth.net
Meade, William. Old Churches, Ministers, and Families of Virginia,
Volume II. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1857
Montague, Robert and Allen, Kevin. Discussion of Ball family on
GenForum beginning with message #340, March 17 to March 21 of 2000
Walker, Ruth. Old Church Records of Virginia as listed on Genforum
http://genforum.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/pageload.cgi?ball::va::13769.htm
l , coorespondence of 11/27/02 email - rwalker@hawkpci.net
William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine1882-1914,
internet accessible through RootsWeb Virginia Achives of the
Quarterly)
1711 Joseph Ball I dies; Joseph Ball II inherits Morattico
Plantation. He lives primarily in England, making periodic trips to
Morattico, which is overseen primarily by Balls nephew, Joseph Chinn.
His will is listed in Lancaster Co., VA records as Joseph Ball: Will,
Lancaster, 1711. Seal bears I.B., and a merchants' mark.
[William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Papers, Vol. 1, No. 3.
(Jan., 1893), pp. 167-171.]
|