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EDWARD BALL

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COMPILED BY NICHOLAS BALL,

(A DESCENDANT IN THE SIXTH GENERATION.)

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Preface.

The importance of preserving family records in print is
now nniversally admitted by intelligent people, and famil}-
liistories are constantly appearing. In the pages tliat fol-
\o\v, an elaborate genealogy is not attempted, but simply
a modest effort to gather a few threads that might other-
wise be lost. It was hoped that Edward Ball might have
been traced to his English home, but as was usually the
case with the first comers to New England, no record is
found to assist tlie investigator, nor is Edward's name
found in any ship list as a passenger.

At least half a dozen Balls of his generation, or the gen-
eration before, are found as settlers in various parts of New
England, but they are not any of them known to be con-
nected with the subject of our sketch, though one of them,
John Ball, early of the Isle of Shoals, was there engaged
in prosecuting the fisheries, which was in part tlie avoca-
tion also of Edward J^all.

Nicholas Ball.

Block Island, R. L, 1891.

Edward Ball and Some of His Descendants.

Edward Ball\ the first settler of that surname who ap-
pears at Block Ishand, was born probably about 1640, and
died in 1714. He married Mary George, daughter of
Peter and Mary George, of Block Island. She was born
Sept. 7, 1645, and died after 1714. The island had been
purchased in 1660 for <£400 by sixteen persons, many of
whom became permanent settlers in 1661. Among these
first settlers was Peter George, the future father-in-law of
Edward Ball; and Mr. George received lots Sand 9 with
Simon Ray, in a division of lands in west part of the
island, also lot 16 in north part of the island for his sole
use. These grants may have decided Edw\ard Ball as to
his own location later. There was, perhaps, a white popu_
lation of fifty persons when Edward Ball first came to the
island, with an Indian population several times greater.
The records are but meagre that relate to the early history
of Block Island, but Ave find Edward Ball was a freeman
there in 1678, and in 1689, when the French privateers
made a descent upon tlie island, it, is probable that he suf-
fered from their plundering, as did his neighbors. In 1696
he and Simon Ray were chosen trustees for funds for a
harbor. In 1700 the Rev. Samuel Niles was invited to the
pastorate of the church at Block Island, and Edward Ball
was appointed with Joshua Raymond and Simon Ray to
lay out and appraise lands which were to be given Mr.

6 GENEALOGY OF THE BALL FAMILY.

Niles for a house lot. In 1702, June 8th, he was Deputy
Warden, and held the office of ''Crowner," (i. e. Coroner.)
In 1704 he was sheriff. He made his will Aug. 16, 1714 ;
proved in the same month. He mentioned his wife Marj,
sons Peter, John and Edward, daughters Mary Hall, Eliza-
beth Hall, and Jane Dickens, and grand-daughter Patience
Hall. His inventory showed a bull, 4 cows, 4 heifers, 3
steers, 2 calves, 20 sheep, 16 lambs, mare, colt, 8 hogs, &:c.
Edward^ and Mary (George) Ball had children as follows :

I. Marv Ball, m. Hall.

II. Sybil Ball. She was mentioned in Mary

George's will.

III. Elizabeth Ball, m. Hall.

IV. Jane Ball, m. John Dickens.

V. Edward Ball, alive in 1714.

2. VI. Peter Ball, m. June 30, 1716, Mary Harris.

3. VII. John Ball, b. June 10, 1687, m. (1st) Sept. 1st,

1710, Sarah Rathbone ; m. (2d) Dec. 2d,
1718, Sarah Dickens.

2. Peter BalP (Edward^), married June 30, 1716, Mary
Harris. He was a large landholder and prominent in pub-
lic affairs. He was Deputy to the General Assembly in
1734, and was appointed in 1735 with Captain Simon Ray,
to improve the £1200, allowed by the General Assembly,
to build a pier at Block Island or repair the old one. He
deeded on May 20, 1755, to Robert Hull, and Thankful,
his wife, (daughter to said Peter Ball), all his real estate
and personal property, including household goods and
negroes.

Peter and Mary (Harris) Ball, had children as follows :

I. Mercy Ball,)). Feb. 2, 1718.

II. Thankful Ball, b. Oct. 26, 1721, m. Robert Hull.

3. John BalP (Edward^), was born June 10, 1687, and
died in 1769. He married (1st) Sept. 1, 1710, Sarah Rath-

GENEALOGY OF THE BALL FAMILY. 7

bone. He married (2d) Dec. 2, 1718, Sarah Dickens,
daughter of Thomas and Sarah Dickens. His 2d wife was
born July 5, 1696. He made his will Oct. 9th, 1764,
(proved April 13, 1769). Executor, son Edward Ball.
He mentions his Avife Sarah, son Edward ; daughters
Sarah Dodge, Priscilla Dunn, and Catherine Whale}^ ; and
grandchihlren as follows : grandson Peter Ball, four chil-
dren of daughter Priscilla Dunn, viz. : Jane Rose, Catha-
rine Dodge, Samuel Dunn, Jr., and Ellis Dunn ; and daugh-
ter Elizabeth's three daughters, viz. : Mary Wright, Sarah
Dodge, and Elizabeth Dodge.

John^ and Sarah (Rathbone) Ball, had chikhen as fol-
lows :

I. PrisciHa Ball, b. Aug. 10, 1711, m. Samuel Dunn.

II. Sarah Ball, b. Aug. 20, 1714, m. Dodge.

John^ and Sarah (Dickens) Ball, had children as follows :

III. Catherine Ball b. July 29, 1719, m. Dec. 17, 1741,

Samuel Whaler.

IV. Elizabeth Ball, b.^Aug. 7, 1720, m. Dodge (?)

4. Y. Edward Ball, b Mar. 12, 1727, m. Aug. 31, 1746,

Mary Dodge.
4. Edward BalF (John^, Edward i), was born March 12,
1727, and died June 17, 1796. He married Aug. 31, 1746,
Mary Dodge. Administration was taken on his estate
June 25, 1796. He was buried in the old cemetery which
overlooks the great Salt Pond. The gravestone bears the
following inscription :

*'In memory of Mr. Edward Ball, who died June 17, 1796,

in the 70th year of his age. A kind husband,

tender father, affectionate friend, and well

beloved by all his acquaintance.
"As you pass by pray cast an eye,
As 5'^ou are now so once was I,
As 1 am now so must you be,
Prepare for death and follow rne,"

8 GENEALOGY OF THE BALL FAMILY.

EdwarcPand Mary (Dodge) Ball had cliildren as follows :

I. Sarah Ball b. Nov. 22, 1746, d. Dec. 23, 1747.

II. John Ball, b. Mch. 17, 1748, m. Fidelia Little-
held. He had sons, 1, Lyman (who among other
children had, Lydia, Sarah, Caleb, Phebe, Wm.
B. S., and Joseph) ; 2, Bartlett, (who among other
children had Bartlett, and Thankful, now living,
who m. John Ball, the son of Samuel & Peggy
(Mitchell) Ball,) 3, Joseph, died 1852, (who
had four sons viz. : Joseph, deceased, John,
living in Otsego county, N. Y., C. S. Ball,
of Springfield, Mass., and O.D.Bali, j\L D.,
practicing in Albany, N. Y.) 4, Lydia, (who
m. Capt. Pendleton of Isleboro, Maine. A
grandson of hers publishes a paper at Bel-
fast, Me., and others are interested in coast-
wise shipping in Maine.)

5. III. Peter Ball, b. July 23, 1750, m. Elizabeth Sims.

IV. Thankful Ball, b. July 31, 1752.

V. Edward Ball, b. Nov. 17, 1754. He had a son
^ Samuel, who married Jan. 28, 1796, Catherine

Dodge, daughter of Rev. Thomas Dodge. He
had 1, Bathsheba, b. Nov, 25, 1798, m. Edmond
Dodge ; 2, Susannah, b. Aug. 30, 1801 ; 3, Ed-
ward, b. Sept. 27, 1804 ; 4, Samuel, b. May 6,
1809, m. Olive Mitchell, daughter of Amos
Mitchell ; 5, Priscilla, b. March 20, 18— ; 6,
Thomas D., b. Dec. 4, 18 — , moved to Connecti-
cut, and married; 7, Jesse, b. July 25, 18 — ,
m. Abby Mitchell, daughter of Amos Mitchell.
(Samuel and Jesse and their wives still living,
as also Thomas).

VI. Elizabeth Ball, b. Sept. —, 1756.

VII. Dorcas Ball, b. Oct. 7, 1758.

GENEALOGY OF THE BALL FAMILY. 9

VIII. Niilluiiiicl Ball, 1). Dec. 25, 17G0.

IX. Isaiah Ball, b. June 28, 1763, in. Peggy Dodge.
He bad among others, 1, Gideon (who married
Lydia Dodge, and bad Gideon, Leander A.,
Amanda and Charlotte) ; 2, Nathaniel (who
had son Nathaniel who married Margery Rose,
dauHiter of James F. Kose. They had Asa,
Henry, (twins), Nathaniel and Kay ; the last
two still living).

— X. Samuel Ball, b. July 13, 1766.

XI. Mary Ball, b. Jan. 5, 1770, m. Elias Little-
tield, Avho was drowned in Salt Pond through
the ice ; she afterwards married Thomas Lit-
tle field.

5. Peter Ball* (Edward^ John'-^, Edward^), was born
July 23, 1750. He married Elizabeth Sims, of Westerly,
R. I., born Oct. 20, 1752, daughter of William and Jerusha
(Lamphere) SiniK.

Peter* and Elizabeth (Sims) Ball had children as fol-
lows, though not in this exact order:
6. I. Edmund Ball, b. 1779, m. (1st) in 180-t, Charity
Dodge ; m. (2d) about 1833, Mercy Mitchell.

II. Joshua Ball, b. , m. (1st) Priscilla Dodge,

dau. of Rev. Thomas Dodge ; m. (2d) Margaret
Wright. He lived just west of William P.
Ball's present residence, on same side of road.
By his first wife he had 1, VV^illiam, who left
the island when a young man ; 2, Eliza, who
m. Wm. Dodge ; he is now living ; 3, Lydia,
who married Joshua Sprague ; 4, Joshua, Jr.,
who m. Dorcas Bali, daughter of Washington
Ball. They had four sons : William, Abel,
Simeon and George, of whom only Simeon sur-
vives, the parents having died in middle life of

10 GENEALOGY OF THE BALL FAMILY.

*

consumption, and their three other sons of same
disease before manhood.

III. Peter Ball, b. , m. a Miss Fish, in New

York State, and moved to Exeter, Otsego Co.,
N. Y., where he died, about 80 years of age.
He had among other children, a daughter
Phebe, Avho married Alvin Coleman. The
Richfield Springs Mercury, Sept. 5th, 1889,
has this notice :

"Mrs. Phebe Coleman, widow of the late
Alvin Coleman, died at the residence of her
daughterin-law in this village, Aug. 30, having
attained the age of 80 years and ten months.
Deceased was a daughter of Peter Ball, and
belonged to one of the several families Avho em-
igrated from Block Island and helped to settle
the township of Exeter in its Pioneer days.
They were a sturdy. God-fearing race, and from
them have descended some of our most
j^roininent and respectable citizens. The
deceased possessed strong traits of character,
and was a worthy scion of the parent tree.
Since the death of her husband she has resided
with Mrs. Helen Coleman, of this village,
where her declining years were made as pleas-
ant and peaceful as possible."

Mr. Alvin Coleman and Helen, his wife, had
a son born in 1856, whose name is A. L. Cole-
man. In 1885, with his wife and their boy
five years old, he emigrated from Richfield
Springs to Red Bank, Big Horn County, Wy-
oming Territory, where they now own a ranch
of 160 acres. He is a menil)er of the new
State Legislatui-e at the present time.

IV. Samuel Ball, 1). , m. Margaret Mitchell,

daughter of Alexander and Dorcas Mitchell,

GENEALOGY OF THE I'.ALL FAMILY. 11

aiul had cliildreii : 1, Jolii], wlio m. Thankful
I>alU daughter of Bartlett, and 2, Esther, avIio
niairied (1st) Rev. P^lijah Hose ; (2d) Roljert
Dodge. She is still living.

W Sarah Ball, b. , in. Levi Mitchell, and

had six children, viz : 1, I^evi ; 2, Peter ; 3,
Ambrose; 4, Angeline; 5, Lucy: 6, Jerusha.

VI. Elizabeth Ball, b. about 1794, m. (1st) Mark
Dodge, son of Mark and Penelope Dodge ; m.

(2d) John Willis, son of Abel Willis. She

died, a widow, at Block Island, April 13, 1878,

in about her 84th 3^ear, without issue.

\ll. Abel Ball, b. , m. Nancy Paine. They

had one child named Abel, who married a New
York lady,and after following the sea for many
years as an oliicer of a ship, returned from
New York and settled on Block Island. He
was born Sept. 7, 1805, and died Dec. 18,
1852. His widow died twenty-six years later,
and both are buried in our cemetery here.
The}' had four children : 1, Nathaniel, 2,
Nancy, mari-ied Bowen, 3, Theophilus, and 4,
Abel Edward, all are living.

6. Edmund BalP (Peter^ Edward^, John^ Edward^),
was born 1779 and died July 16, 1864. He married (1st)
in 1804, Charity Dodge, daughter of Joshua and Hannah
(Littletield) Dodge. She was born 1787, and died Sept.
10, 1829. He married (2d) about 1833, Mercy Mitchell,
daughter of Joseph and Ruth (Williams) Mitchell. . She
was born in 1792, and died Jan. 8, 1856, without issue.
Edmund Ball's house was demolished about 1865. It
stood on the brink of the hill on the east part of the lot
batween the road and pond, now owned by Hiram D. Ball,

12 GENEALOGY OF THE BALL FAMILY.

one lot intervening between that and a Town Bridge
known as '^Sam Mott's Bridge," bearing southwest from
the same.

The births of Edmund Ball's children which are to fol-
low are taken from his family Bible.

Edmund'^ and Charit}' (Dodge) Ball had children as
follows :

I. Alzadie Ball, b. July 25, 1805, m. April 17,

1825, Silas Mott. Mrs. Mott now living.
They had 1, Lucre tia; 2, Ruth Ann; 3,
Ebenezer ; 4, Marium ; 5, Alden.

II. Angeline Ball, b. Dec. 4, 1808, m. May 10,

1829, Ebenezer Tourgee. She d. Aug- 3,
1888. Two sons, viz. : Dr. Eben Tourgee,
Director of New England Conservatory of
Music, Boston, and Jeremiah H. Tourgee,
who enlisted in 2d R. I. Reofiment on June
Dili, 1861, as a private, and was promoted to
a First Lieut., and served through the whole
war of the Rebellion, and received an hon-
orable discharge on June 14th, 1865. There
were daughters Charity, Mary A., and Anna
C. Tourgee.

III. Lucretia Ball, b. May 20, 1811, m. Abram

Mott. She d. Feb. 10, 1864. Their son,
Nathan Mott, the only child, now living.

IV. Ruth Ball, b. Feb. 28, 1813, m. (1st) George

Brown in 1835. They had Elizabeth,
Octavie and George ; m. (2d) Aaron W.
Dodge, in 1865. She d. May 18, 1877.
Y. Hannah \j. Ball, b. July 6, 1815, m. (1st) Thos.
Rose, Jan. 3, 18c3 ; m. (2d) William Tap-
lin, Aug. 2, 1853. By 1st marriage, Thomas,
Edward and Hannah ; 2d niarriage, Lawison.

GENEALOGY OF THE BALL FAMILY. 13

VI. Hiram D. Ball, b. June 22, 1818, m, (1st) Cath-
erine Mott, daughter of Thos. and Catherine
(Mitchell) Mott. Had one son, Noah, wlio
died from effects of disease contracted while
in the arni}^ ; m. (2d) Mary Ann Mott, dau.
of P'reeman and Hannah (Littlefield) Mott.
Had Hiram A., Macy A., Cluwity D., and
Adrietta, all living.

VH. Noah D. Ball, b. June 13, 1820, ni. Ruth
Dodge, daughter of Moses and Nancy (Ball )
Dodge. Had one daughter, Josephine, who
m. Joseph Ball, son of Limon. He d. 1844.
He sailed from New York, mate of schooner
Empress, of Taunton, Mass., Benjamin
Shores being Master, bound to Richmond,
Va., on the 20th day of May, 1844, and nei-
ther vessel nor crew has been heard of since.

VIII. Almira P. Ball, b. April 23, 1822, m. William

Mitchell, who now lives in Westerly, R. I.
They have two sons, Nicholas and Hammett.

IX. Elizabeth M. Ball, b. Oct. 2, 1824, m. (1st)

Joseph Holmes, Feb. 1842. They had two
sons, Joseph and Frank L., whose names
were chano-ed from Holmes to Camm in
1855; m. (2d) Isaac Camm, June, 1852;
By 2d marriage, one daughter, Anna^.

X. Charity D. Ball, b. Mch. 13, 1826, m. Apr. 13,

1843, Joseph W. Sherman ; had chiklren as
follows : Joseph, Frederick, Irvin, Herbert,
Frank, Clarence, Harriet, Jennie, and Effie.

7. XI. Nicholas Ball, b. Dec. 31, 1828, m. (1st)
Eliza Millikin ; m. (2d) Mrs. Almedie Ros-
alind Littlefield.

14 GENEALOGY OF THE BALL FAMILY.

7. Nicholas Ball^, (EdmuncP, PeterS EdwarcP, John2,
EdwarcP), was born at Block Island, Dec. 31, 1828. He
marjied (1st) Ang. 17, 1861, Eliza Millikin, daughter of
Abraham and Sybil (Littlefield) Millikin. She was born
Sept. 23, 1829, and died April 14, 1870. He married (2d)
April 5, 1871, Mrs. Almedie Rosalind Littlefield, daughter
of Solomon and Catharine A. (Willis) Dodge. She was born
Nov 19, 1845. His first marriage was performed at Crans-
ton, R. I., by Rev. John W. Col well, of that place. His
second marriage was at Newport, R. I., b}^ Rev. Charles
Howard Mai com of that place.

The career of Nicholas Ball has been sketched several
times by other hands, and it is not in the plan of this little
work to give more than a brief summary. He lost his
mother when he was but an infant,* but desires to pay this
tribute to his step-mother : that she was a kind, and affec-
tionate woman, beloved and respected bj^ all, and that she
could not have administered to the wants of the children
l)etter if she had indeed been their own mother.

At fourteen, Nicholas Ball went to sea in a subordinate
capacity. In 1819 he was chief mate of a ship bound to
California, where he located twice for a time, but in
1854 was back at Block Island, engaged in business there.
He was Representative in the General Assembly in 1854
and 1855, and State Senator most of the time from 1858 to
1872. His efforts toward procuring for Block Island its
breakwater, life-saving station, signal-station, and subma-
rine cable, are matters well luiown to most who Avill see
this sketch, as also his career as a hotel proprietor.

in April, 1890, he again visited California as a member
of tlie Society of California Pioneers of New England, in
which society he was a director.

Nicholas and Eliza (Millikin) Ball had children as
follow^s :

GENEALOGY OF THE BALL FAMILY. 15

I. Eugene Randall Ball, b. iMay 6, 18ri2 ; d. Aug.
12, 1865.

IT. Cassius Cla3^Ball, b. Nov. 15, 1854, m. Alice O.
Lewis, dau.of Wni. P. and Wealthy (Dodge)
Lewis, on June 15, 1876 ; had one son named
Nicholas. Alice, his wife, died Sept. 13, 1884 ;
2d marriage was on Sept. 8, 1886, to Lucre-
tia, daughter of Nathan and Phebe (Dickens)
Mott. They have one daughter, Lucretia
Beatrice, born Dec. 22, 1887.

III. Effie Aurelia Ball, b. Nov. 28, 1855, m. April 14,

1880, Frank C. Cundall, of Ashaway, R. I.

IV. Philemon Galusha Ball, b. Feb. 28, 1858, d. Sept.

11, 1858.

V. Imogene Yergelia Ball, b. Sept. 14, 1859, died

Aug. 17,1870.

VI. Schuyler Colfax Ball, b. Dec. 23, 1861 ; m.Lena

W. Bartlett, of Haverhill, Mass.

A boy w^as born May 5, 1874, of Nicholas Ball's second
marriage, but died two months afterwards without a name.

Note. — I shall be pleased to have any omissions or errors as to
dates, names, etc., that may be found to exist in these pages, by the
readers thereof, reported to me.

NICHOLAS BALL,

Block Island, R. L

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

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