Have you run into problems trying to research your BALL lineage?
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In browsing around your website, I came across the name "AMZI" as a given name in your family tree. We, too, have Amzi and have puzzled as to the origins of the name. My mother-in-law said it was Biblical, but could never pin down the reference. Do YOU know? -- Frances P. Morrison || [email protected]

From Joanne: I really don't know where the name Amzi came from, but several have surfaced in my research. So far I've found four Amzi Balls.

• Edward-1, Caleb-2, John-3, Samuel-4, AMZI Lewis-5
• Edward-1, Caleb-2, John-3, Samuel-4, AMZI Lewis-5, John-6, AMZI Lewis-7 (died young)
• Edward-1, Caleb-2, John-3, John-4, Ephraim-5, Abraham-6, Abraham-7, AMZI-8
• Edward-1, Caleb-2, John-3, John-4, Ephraim-5, Abraham-6, AMZI-7 (this one was the shoemaker on the 1836 Newark directory)

My woman is Esther Bruen (1775) who married Timothy Ball (1711-1758), son of Thomas Ball and Sarah Davis. I have no other information on her. Do you? Michel

MORE ABOUT THE BRUEN FAMILY

I think we are all agreed that Caleb II had 14 children.
However, Joanne's info that there were three wives confuses me.
Can we please have documention on that wife, Mary Parkhurst.
Anything besides LDS 844886?

FROM JOANNE:
From LDS #844886 "Family Records" by Edward Payson Whallon, 1934, Cincinnati.

"Abraham Kitchell, son of Samuel and Grace Pierson Kitchell, was born at Newark in 1679 and died December 12, 1741. He married Sarah Bruen, who was born in 1679 and died April 20, 1745, daughter of John and Esther Laurence Bruen, and they had four sons and three daughters: Samuel, born 1704 and died November, 1732; Joseph, born 1710 and died December 24, 1789, who married Rachel Bates, who died December 24, 1789; John, born 1714, and died January 9, 1777, who married Marie Phoenice Keziah Ball, daughter of Caleb Ball and Mercy Parkhurst; David, born 1723 and died December 26, 1753, who married Ruth Tuttle, who was born 1713, and died April 4, 1780; Grace, who married Benjamin Lindsley; Mary Allis, who married Paul Leonard; Abigail, who married Edmund Crane."

FROM BEVERLY CRIFASI:
I have a Parkhurst in my Baldwin materials. The citation is "The Baldwin Genealogy from 1500 to 1881" by Charles Candee Baldwin's Cleveland, OH: 1881 p. 305. He reports an Esther Baldwin who married married Samuel Parkhurst. She was the sister of Stephen Baldwin who married Rebecca Ball. In other words . . .

1. John BALDWIN of Milford m 1 Mary CAMP 2 Mary BRUEN

2. John BALDWIN (of 1st wife) m 1 Hannah BRUEN 2 Ruth BOTTSFORD

3. Samuel BALDWIN (prob of 1st wife) m ?

4. Esther BALDWIN b aft 1708 m Samuel PARKHURST

Samuel and Esther BALDWIN were born in Newark, NJ., but Samuel PARKHURST was the son of Benjamin PARKHURST of Elizabethtown. CC Baldwin cites Congar and when I looked there I found the same information (p. 108) as well as information on the PARKHURSTs (p. 149) That citation is "Genealogical Notices of the Settlers" by Samuel H. Congar in "Proceedings Commemorative of the Settlement of Newark, NJ on its Two Hundreth Anniversary May 17th, 1866" in "Collections of the NJ Hist Soc" Vol VI- Supplement Newark, NJ: NJ Historical Soc., 1866.

Congar has this to say of the PARKHURST family:

"Benjamin PARKHURST of Elizabethtown, perh. son of Benj., one of the Associates, in his w. 1721, n. ch. Benjamin, Samuel, John, Martha, Mary, and Hannah; wi. Mary. Benjamin, had Jeniah, d. inf. and 7 daus; s. in 1. David James, Moses Beach, John Kitchell, and a Muchmore; perh others. Benj in Sussex ab 1800; par unk. Samuel m. Esther Baldwin, bur. on the day bef. the Brit. army ent. town, 1776. They had Stephen, Caleb, David, Samuel, and inf. dau. d. 1751. Stephen rem. to Springfield; had Samuel, d. 19th Sept. 1831 a. 63; wh. s. Steph. d. 6th Nov. 1813 a. 22; and Abraham, f. of Charles and Jonathan. Caleb m. Lydia Lyon; she d. 15th Aug. 1785 a. 40; had Jabez, Henry L., Hannah Wilson, Esther Clark, Lydia, Nehemiah, Caleb, and Abby Lyon. He d. 7th Feb. 1817 a. 73; had sec. wi. wid. Eunice Brown. David d. Oct 1778; had John, Samuel, David, and Mary Woodruff, wi. of Abner. Rev. Samuel, grad. Princeton, d. and bur. at Blooming Grove, young; had Nathaniel, and Mary. Samuel d. 1783."

Another source says that Samuel PARKHURST came from Saybrook, CT before the Revolution. That citation is History of Essex and Hudson Counties" by William H. Shaw, Philadelphia, PA: Everts and Peck, 1884. In another section of this book Shaw quotes all of Congar's material, however the statement about CT was in a different section referring to PARKHURSTs then living in Milburn, NJ.

Who WERE the parents of Edward BALL (approx. 1642-1724)?
Was he of ENGLISH heritage?

From: [email protected] (Gee Gee Hughes)
To: [email protected]
Date: 96-03-19 23:18:02 EST

To All - To add more "fat to the fire". <grin> Spent today digging through my files. When I first started my search on the Ball family (about 18/20 years ago), I found that I had copied a T.A.G. article written by Donald Linas Jacobus, M.A., of New Haven, Conn, pages 208-212, regarding the BALL family. Somehow I missed writting the vol. number down. :( Basically this is what it says.

1. "The real paternity of Alling BALL ...... was published in the N.E.H.G.R. vol 54. p. 96." "From the will of John BALL of St. Mary Bowe, London, Clothmaker, will dated 28 Feb 1637/8 proved 9 Apr 1638. Names brother Samuel BALL, mother-in-law [prob. step mother] and her sons Leonard COOKE and Thomas COOKE; my cousin Mary RUSSELL, and her brother Allen BALL, son of my uncle Allen BALL, and two other daughters of uncle Allen BALL; cousin John BAll, son of my uncle Hugh BALL; cousin William BALL, my co-partner; the wife of my other cousin William BALL (who is beyond seas); children of my cousin Roger BALL; cousin Newman ROOKES; my two brothers, Andrew BALL and Samuel BALL. The witnesses were James RUSSELL, Richard PREICE (sic), Richard BALL, and Alice BALL.

2. Mr. Jacobus continues with the fact that this proves Alling BALL's father was Alling or Allen, and his sisters were Mary (BALL) RUSSELL, and two who were not named. The William who was overseas, came before Alling and had left his family in England. This William was probably the same William who died in New Haven, and so Alling was not the brother of Col. William BALL of VA.

3. Mr. Jacoobus says that the proof of this is further cemented by the mention of Alling's sister, Mary RUSSELL. Mary married James RUSSELL of New Haven, and they had one child Hannah who married Thomas KIMBERLY, Jr., who died without issue. The children of Alling also became heirs.

4. The inventory of estate for Mary RUSSELL "presented" 11 Nov 1674 and the next June the court found that the only daughter of the late James RUSSELL and Mary, and the wife of Thomas KIMBERLY, was to have the entire estate after the death of her mother.

5. On 3 Mar 1706/7 Hannah Kimberly, widow, and Sgt. John BALL (who was a collateral heir of the estate) made an agreement " for himself and all the rest of the collateral heirs) of the said estate".

6. Land records - 26 Sep 1705 - Hannah Kimberly widow of Thomas Kimberly, gave power of attorney to "my truste & well beloued frind and Kinsman John BALL". 19 Jul 1708, Hannah sold land to " my Louing Kinsman Capt. Allen BALL". "John BALL and Capt. Alling BALL were the two surviving sons of Alling BALL Sr.".

While this may put to rest the confusion regarding the relationship to George WASHINGTON, the fact that Susannah BALL being a sister of Alling, has not changed.

As I stated before, Dr. Druse, had written me about the source for Susannah being the sister of Alling. I have never seen the actual article, but I will write Dr. Druse and ask where he found "Putman's History", and if he would send me a copy of the article.

I have ordered the N.E.H.G.R on CD, and have been waiting for it to arrive since last July. Each time I have called to see when it will be released, I have been given a different date. :( The latest date is now the end of April. We shall see. When it finally does arrive, perhaps I will find more on the BALL's

E-Mail from Beverly Crifasi to [email protected]

Ed> Remember, if we can officially document Edward's relationship to
Ed> Alling (Allen), that would be nice, but not necessarily the reason
Ed> behind the group as it is SO circumstantial.

I recently came across a wonderful description of Edward BALL's family tree that makes a connection to England BALLs and keeps going. Only problem is that it's by that notorious fraud, [I'll never forget him, what's his name???] and so I laughed and moved on. What I began wondering later, though, is whether anyone has ever actually attempted to retrace that particular line of research? Or, having discovered evidence of deception in other lines [and I am getting frustrated that I can't recall this guy's name!!] all his work has just been written off. Some of the data is correct and, not having seen any description of exactly what "data" has been discredited, I am resisting abandoning all of it if there is anything useful there? What sources do we really have on Edward's lineage? What common fallacies and outright frauds have been documented as invalid as opposed to being highly suspect? Sometimes what we know to not be true is as important as what we can document as being factual, and I would really like to see if we could put it all together. Regards- Bev

E-Mail from RAY PHAIR to JTR (Fidonet 11/94):
RP: Edward-1 BALL, b. abt 1640-1644, possibly in England or Ireland, d. aft 2 Jun 1724, prob. at his farm on Watchung mountain in Newark township, Essex Co, NJ (now in Montclair township). He first appears in the Branford, CT, records in 1665. He moved to Newark in 2nd half of 1667, or soon afterwards. No record has been found which stated Edward's age. He served on a grand jury in Feb 1709/10. At that time the maximum age for jury service was 70, suggesting he was born no earlier than 1640. He was the defendant in a law suit in Branford in 1665, hence probably at least 21, indicating he was born no later than 1644. This estimation of Edward's age was given by John R. Burnet in 1850 [B205, B345, J. R. Burnet ms., NJHS]. He was NOT a s/o Alling (or Allen) BALL of New Haven, CT, s/o Allen BALL of London - see Donald Line Jacobus, TAG 10:208-212 (1933), also NEHGR 54:96. Edward might have been the s/o William BALL who was in New Haven by 1643 and who died there in 1648, but no records have been found to suggest he had, or didn't have, children. The notorious Gustave Anjou, perpetrator of many fraudulent genealogies, gave an Irish ancestry to Edward; however, the record which links Edward to Ireland appears to be a fake created by Anjou. He m. abt 1662, prob in Branford, Abigail BLATCHLEY, who was b. abt 164-, prob. in Branford, d. aft 31 May 1698, prob. in Newark twp. Besides their 7 children, there may have been others judging from the large gaps between births. All the children, with the possible exception of their first, were prob. b. in Newark.

Was George WASHINGTON our cousin?

Here's what Michel's great-grandma had to say about it.

E-Mail from JIM BALL to JTR
On Aug 22 1994, Joanne Rabun wrote in a message to Carol Stark...

JR: Letter from Joseph L. Druse that says to "forget the Washington connection"

JB: Joanne, I'm glad to see the above comment. I have followed your messages and cringed when I first saw the "3 brothers" mentioned. I was reluctant to jump in and am glad you had the good sense to contact Dr. Druse. No connection between the New England lines and the Lancaster/Northumberland VA lines has ever been substantiated. In fact, I don't believe the DAR will accept the "3 brothers". When you consider it, it is absolutely illogical. I've been at this for many years and have had to trace several Ball family lines so as to not confuse them with my own family (Middlesex VA). Even Hayden attempted to document my Ball line and screwed-up, mixing the Middlesex with the Lancaster families. It's easy to do. One thing for certain, you had best reconsider any information source that was published about 1940 or earlier. Even much of today's work is very suspect. My research has centered in and around the area of Fauquier VA from the mid 1700s on. I have found 5 distinct Ball families in the area. Regards... Jim

From Lawrence Hiler:

The following letters concern a question a cousin of mine, who was doing research in the 50's, had about the family stories that our BALL was a part of Pres. George Washington's. The replies she received are below:

March 16, 1955
Dear Mrs. Clark,

I suggest you consult Mr. Prentiss Price of Rogersville, Tenn., about your Ball line, since he knows a great deal, about that line and the Washingtons while I really know more about the Lewises, in spite of my cousin Virginia Crosby's good opinion of me.

Mary Ball Washington's dates were 1708-1789, and her grandfather is given as Co. William Ball of Millenbeck, Va., 1615-1680. You can see that Alling Ball, who came from England in 1624, must have been a generation further back, or that of her great grandfather who is variously supposed to have been William Ball of Lincoln's Inn, or his brother Richard, 1572-1631.

But there may have been a family connection, and Mr. Price is better able to advise you on this than I am. I have an impression that Alling Ball was of the Balls of New England, but that does not necessarily preclude a relationship.

Wishing you luck in your researches, I am yours sincerely, Mrs. David Newell

28 May 1955
Dear Mrs. Clark:

I have your letter of the 20th May and also one of the 18th March, sent to me by Mrs David Newell of Leesburg, Florida. Alling Ball of New England has no connection with the Ball family to which Mary (Ball) Washingtion belonged. Mary Ball 1708-1789 who married Augustine Washingtion as his second wife and became the mother of George Washington was the daughter of Colonel Joseph Ball 1649-1711 of "Epping Forest", Lancaster county, Virginia, and his second wife, Mrs Mary Johnson. Colonel Joeseph Ball was the third son of Colonel William Ball 1615-1680 and his wife Hannah Atherold who were married in England in 1638. Colonel William Ball came to Lancaster County, Virginia in 1657. His decendants are well known for many generations and there is no connection with the Alling Ball line.

Sincerely, Prentiss Price

11/4 -- Query from Joanne Todd: I'm looking for the names of Deborah Farrand's parents. She married Deacon/Captain Samuel Ball of Hanover, NJ about 1775. Her first marriage was to Robert Plume.

E-Mail from CAROL GAISER to JOANNE RABUN (Fidonet 1995)

CG: From "A History of the WILLIS Family" p. 165: Children of Joseph (4th generation) and Sarah (Crissy) FARRAND.

5 Moses
5 Enos
5 *Deborah, b. 1744, d. in Hanover, J. J., 1806; m. Robert PLUME in 1764. They were our great-great-grandparents. (For further record see PLUME genealogy, 8th generation.) Deborah m. 2d Captain Samuel BALL and became our great-great-grandmother through that line. (See BALL genealogy.) Phoebe PLUME, dau. of Deborah and Robert PLUME, m. Daniel FARRAND 6th; they were thus our grand-parents. Deborah FARRAND 5th was also first cousin of Lieutenant Bethuel FARRAND, the father of Daniel.

MORE FARRAND DESCENDANTS

11/4 -- Query from Joanne Todd: I have seen the wife of Caleb Ball, Sr. (son of Edward & Abigail) identified as both Sarah Thompson and Sarah Sargeant. Does anybody have anything that proves her true identity?

In search of an answer: According to Hanover Presbyterian Church records, Martha Sargeant married Caleb Ball (III) on 8 Dec. 1748. Caleb I died before this. There is a Caleb (b. abt 1728 d. 11-15-1782) who served as a private in Morris Co., NJ militia who married Lois Gordon in 1780 and lived in Hanover. Is he the same one that we show being married to Lois MNU? Those Calebs are quite confusing.... Beware!

JTR: Per 11/95 phone call from Edith C. Todd: one source for the name of Sarah Thompson was the "Early Essex Co. Vital Records".

11/4 -- Query from Michel Metford Platt: My grandfather remembers a great aunt by the name of Mary Louise Ball Johnson. I can't find her. My line is Edward-1, Thomas-2, Timothy-3, Uzel-4, Rhoda-5, Wm. Harvey Johnson-6, Nancy W. Johnson-7, Grace Lyon Marsh-8, Ellis Hugh Metford-9, Mary Grace Metford-10, Michel Adam Metford Platt-11.

11/4 -- Query from Michel Metford Platt: Were the children of Caleb-3 (Caleb-2, Edward-1): Mary, Isaiah, Caleb, Sarah, Lydia, Anne, Deborah and Mathew, Sr. -- OR -- Joshua, Ezekiel, Mathew and Caleb

More about Caleb Ball II from Burnet Journal Extracts, submitted by John Myer 11/95

"The will of Caleb Ball (Junr) 'gentleman' of Hanover, dated 25 July 1748 and proved 20 August of the same year, names his wife Sarah, & sons (ch of 1st wife) Isaiah, Joshua, (ch of 2nd wife Sarah) Caleb, Ezekiel and Mathew. Daughters Abigail Johnson, Elinor Ball, Kezia Kitchell Dec. Jane Perry (for Jane Perry see p. 84, 85, and 87), Mary Bates, Sarah Ball, Lydia Ball, Anne Ball and Deborah Ball. (As Abigail (see below) was born 1708, her father Caleb, must have been born as early as 1686-7 whence the first Caleb was probably the oldest child of Edward Ball). The will of John Johnson, Hanover 1775, names his first wife Abigail.

The Morristown bill of Mortality states that John Johnson was buried May 4, 1775 age 70 and Abigail widow of J. June 4, 1793 died suddenly age 85. Her age may be proven too much.

P.S. Joshua & Caleb were half brothers--Hence Sarah widow of Caleb Junr was a second wife, married to Caleb Ball not far from 1725. She afterwards married W. Plume of Newark, grandfather of John J. Plume Esq, and had a daughter Jane, who married Josiah Willson. Her third marriage to a Wm. Tuttle of Hanover.

No head stones of Caleb Ball Junr or his sons have been found, but the deaths & ages of some of them have been ascertained from the Morristown Bill of Mortality.

Joshua was buried Feb. 18, 1773, aged 50. His widow and wife Martha was buried Jan. 17, 1777, age 55. His sons were James, Jacob and Joshua by second wife. They had a half sister, sister to Joshua, mother in law of David Bedford who was ....(?)... Fairchild. ..... [info re: Joshua sons omitted]

Caleb Ball (third of the name) died 1782 aged 54. According to tradition, he was thrice married. By this first wife Martha Serjent [?], married Dec 8, 1748, he had two daughers, Polly who married a Dickinson & Sarah who married a Davis. Both adhered to the royal cause and removed after the war to N. Scotia. By his second wife married April 3, 1775 Mary Parrot dau of Thomas and Mary Parrot, died July 25, 1777, age 39 (Succasunna). He had ....[follows lengthy listing of children and grandchildren of Caleb 4 and Mary; then reference to Caleb 3's third wife Lois(?).]

Of Ezekiel Ball, son of Caleb II I have not yet learned any thing.

Mathew the youngest son of Caleb II appears by the Morristown bill of Mortality to have buried his first wife Mary Jan 17, 1777, age 37. He was a farmer, and removed with a second wife (an eastern woman) to Maryland. Two eldest sons, John & Jason (?) died young in Maryland. The other sons were (1) Mathew died on the Muskingum, Ohio, 1834 or 1824 at age about 40? (2) Daniel died in Iowa 1849, 64 (3) Caleb died in Maryland about 1820 (These three their sister Julia Myers says had no children. ...{info re daughters of Mathew Sr omitted] -end of Burnet quotes--

Helen Smith Listing, submitted by John Myer 11/95

Children of Caleb Ball Jr & Elizabeth ____

Abigail, b. 1708 & d 04 Jun 1793. She m John Johnson. He d 03 May 1776 in Hanover NJ., age 70 (8 ch)
Isaiah
Kezia, b--. She m John Kitchell.
Mary, b--. She m William Bates
Joshua, b--1723 & d 16 Feb 1[7]73. Bur 18 Feb 1773. He m (1) Phebe ___. She d 31 Dec 1758. Joshua m (2) Martha Tompkins 07 Sep 1760 (wid of John Tompkins) She d 11 jan 1777 age 55 of small pox.
Jane, b --1724 & d 31 mar 1793. She m Arthur Perry. He d 01 Jan 1777 age 60 yrs (7 ch)

Children of Caleb Ball Jr & Sarah Wallace
Caleb, b--1728 in Hanover NJ. & d 15 Nov 1782 (age 54) He m (1) ___ Sargent in 1748, (2) Mary Parrot in 1755. (4 ch) Caleb m. (3) Lois Gordon (wid) 23 Jul 1780 in Essex Co. NJ. (1ch) Ezekiel,b---. He m Abigail Robinson 26 Jan 1777.
Elinor
Sarah
Lydia
Anne
Mathew, b--1745. Baptized 17 Jul 1748 in First Presbytarian Church in Hanover NJ & d 27 Dec 1821 in Noble Co., OH. He m (1) Mary (Osborne) Hathaway abt 1770. She d 14 Jan or 22 May 1777 in Morristown NJ., age 37 of a fever. (Mary m (1)Abel Hathaway 01 Mar 1759 in Essex Co NJ. He d 20 Feb 1769 age 32) Mathew m (2) Ruth ____. (ref: land rec of Allegany Co., MD., & Mathew's will in Noble Co., OH. The hist of Noble Co. OH., says Mathew was b in Wales but this is an error)
Deborah

Children of Caleb Ball II according to Edith C. Todd (per 11/95 phone call to Joanne Rabun):

By 1st Marriage to Mercy Parkhurst:
1. Abigail 2. Isaiah 3. Maria Phoenice Keziah (LDS 844886, pg. 50)

By 2nd Marriage to Elizabeth ___
4. Caleb III 5. Ezekial 6. Joshua 7. Jane 8. Mary 9. Sarah 10. Eleanor

By 3rd Marriage to Sarah Wallace
11. Lydia m. David Smith 12. Matthew 13. Deborah 14. Anne

(Later note to Joanne from Michel: Just a quick note after thinking of what you said about Mary and Elizabeth being potentially the same in some cases. We have the suggestion that Mary and Mercy are the same. I wouldn't go against it. Maybe she didn't like Mercy, being born with a name and not liking it is an age old tradition. Michel)