See also
| Husband: | William * BALLARD (1603-1639) | |
| Wife: | Elizabeth * LEE (1602-1687) | |
| Children: | Hester BALLARD (1633- ) | |
| John BALLARD (1634- ) | ||
| Nathaniel * BALLARD (1636-1722) | ||
| Marriage | 1632 | US1 |
| Name: | William * BALLARD | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Father: | Phillip * BALLARD (1580-1639) | |
| Mother: | Joann * FITZWILLIAM (1573-1603) | |
| Birth | 12 Aug 1603 | Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England2 |
| Baptism | 14 Aug 1603 (age 0) | Salford Priory3 |
| Warwickshire, England | ||
| Immigration | 1635 (age 31-32) | to Lynn, Essex, MA, US from England4 |
| Vessel: James | ||
| Occupation | farmer | |
| Census | 1638 (age 34-35) | Massachusetts Bay Colony, MA, US5 |
| Death | 16 Mar 1639 (age 35) | Lynn, Essex, MA, US |
| Name: | Elizabeth * LEE | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Father: | Joos * LEE (1566- ) | |
| Mother: | Ann * HUNGERFORD (1581-c. 1609) | |
| Birth | 18 Jul 1602 | Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England |
| Immigration | 1635 (age 32-33) | to Lynn, Essex, MA, US |
| Death | 15 Mar 1687 (age 84) | Lynn, Essex, MA, US |
| Name: | Hester BALLARD | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Birth | 1633 | |
| Name: | John BALLARD | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Birth | 1634 | |
| Name: | Nathaniel * BALLARD | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Spouse: | Rebecca * HUDSON (1646-1724) | |
| Immigration | 1635 (age -2--1) | |
| Birth | 1636 | Lynn, Essex, MA, US |
| Occupation | Tailor | |
| Death | 12 Jan 1722 (age 85-86) | Lynn, Essex, MA, US |
William Ballard was a farmer, and was admitted a freeman in 1638. In the same year he was a member of the Essex Court. His children were John, Nathaniel and Elizabeth Ballard. Mr. Ballard seems to have died in 1641. Nicholas Brown and Garrett Spencer made oath before Messrs. Bradstreet & Nowell, in March of that year, "that being with Mr.William Ballard of Linn a day or two before his death & perswadinge him to make his will," he told them that "he intended to do it the next day, but ... dyed before he could put it in wrightinge. He would leave his [wife Sarah?] half his estate and the other half to be divided amongst his children; the said William Ballard beinge then of perfect minde." (Suffolk records) p.171 Lands given to the inhabitants of the town of Lynn, Anno Domini 1638. William Ballard - 60 Acres. Note: Some of the descendants chose to spell their name Ballord *1603 - August 12 Baptised at Safford Priors, Warwickshire, England *1632 - Married Elizabeth Lee, according to Torreys New England Marriages.... the notes are hard to read. *1635 - Emigrated from England to the Colonies. *1837 - Was involved in a lawsuit *1638 - June 8 Appointed Magistrate for Newtowne (currently Cambridge) *1638 - May 2, Made a Freeman of the Colony *1638 - noted as released, had been arrested for hiring laborers illegally, but was discharged *1639 - died intestate but proven in testimony, received of his two neighbors, Nicholas Brown and Gerald Spencer, Jr that he had told them before his death that he wished half of his estate to go to his wife and the rest to go to the children. Lynne D. Miller American Research
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Was registered as a passenger, shipping from England for New England, as we find in Hotten's "Original Lists" that
"William Ballard, husbandman, ae. 32, with Mary, ae. 26, Hester, ae. 2, and John, ae. 1, came in the James in July, 1635."
The mention of his wife and of the children who grew up here, one of them afterward giving his age to correspond with this entry, make sit entirely certain that this refers to the Lynn pioneer.
Although called in the passenger list "husbandman," i.i. farmer, he must have been a man above the ordinary in education and ability; for the General Court of Massachusetts Bay appointed him a magistrate "in the rooms of Captaine Turner," in the session held at Mewtowne (Cambridge), June 8, 1638. He was made a freeman of the colony May 2, 1638.
He had settled at Lynn, perhaps upon his arrival in new England, and had 60 acres of land, as we learn from the earliest record of the town extant, made in the year 1638. [Essex Court Files.] The court assigned various duties to him, one of these being to serve on the committee that established the line between Salem and Lynn, whose report was made March 13, 1638-9. Some complaint was made of several persons who had been hiring laborers in an illegal way, and his name was in the list; but he was "discharged" Dec. 4, 1638, "as he had hired none but such as had lots." He had a suit in court in 1637, and was a juryman in 1638. He was one of the Committee, appointed September 7, 1638, to set off land to Richard Bellingham; but he died before the work was completed, and another was appointed in his place in May, 1639. [Essex Deeds, 2, 250.]
He died early in 1639, leaving no written will; but he told Nicholas Browne and Gerlad Spencer, Jr., "a day or two before his death" that he wished half his estate to go to his wife, and the rest to be divided amongst his children; and this nuncupative will was proved upon their testimony 1 (1) 1638-9. The Court had due information of the event, and appointed, "Mr. Tymothy Tomlins to act with Mr. Hauthorne" (as magistrate) June 6, 1639.
He married first, in England, Mary -----, who came with him in 1635 and must have died within a few years; and he married a second wife, Elizabeth [Lee], who survived him. She afterward married William Knight,* of Salem, and outlived him also. He bequeathed to her and her children, "the four children I had by my last wife Elizabeth," and made bequests also to John and Nathaniel Ballard of 40 shillings apiece, though not saying they were her children or why he remembered them; but when the executor paid them their legacies, they receipted for them from their"father in-law" (stepfather, as we now say). Knight's will was dated in 1653, proved in 1655. Elizabeth married third, 28: 1: 1656, Allen Bread (Breed).
* The town of Reading was formed from a district of Lynn, and Mr. Ballard had lands there. In the earliest record of Reading now extant, "the 6th of the 11th Month 1644," a division of land is recorded thus: "To Samuel Dutton half the Meadow that was given to Goodman Knight and Mr. Ballard's children, that is Goodman Knight's part."
I have new information that William Ballard had only one wife, Elizabeth Lee:
from Carolyn Gage:
William Ballard of Lynn never was married to a Mary. That name is incorrectly entered on a passenger list. The William Ballard of Andover was married to Grace Berwick. Earlier researchers have intermingled these two families and I became suspicious when I realise that dates did not follow as they should. If you will notice, you have children born to William after the date of his death. William of Lynn died very young in 1639. Sorry I haven't been able to find anything on Elizabeth Lee's ancestors. The notes I have from "Ballard Genealogy" do list William's wife as Mary. However from "Descendants of Zaccheus Ballord" Page 1, I have: "The immigrant ancestor of this family has been proved to be William (1) Ballard who was baptized at Sanford Priors, Warwickshire England on August 12, 1603. With his wife Elizabeth, daughter Hester(Esther) and son John he came on the ship James in 1635 and landed at Boston, Massachusetts, whence he made his way to Saugus, Essex, Co. Mass, which was later incorporated as Lynn. His estate was on the Boston Road on the west of Saugus River; he was admitted as freeman May 2, 1636, and the same year was a member of the quarterly court. His uncupative will was given the first month of 1641; he gave half of his estate to his wife and the other half to his children. His wife Elizabeth survived him."
I made this note on 2/2/99: "This seems to lend credence to the later information on this Ballard family, that William had but one wife Elizabeth; and the name "Mary" on some of the passenger lists for the boat "James" is incorrect."
I remember that you had mentioned the History of Lynn. I also have some notes from that book, and find that again there are discrepancies in names and dates. In fact, that book surmises that William's widow may have been someone named Sarah.
Sorry to have gone so long on this, but you will upon further research into the Ballards, that there are still those confusing the two families and insist that William of Lynn was married to Grace Berwick. They like this because the Berwicks have some connection to royalty.
There is much speculation about the origins of William Ballard of Lynn. Many sources list him as the son of Henry Ballard of Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England, but apparently this Henry Ballard's son William died in 1619.
ANNALS OF LYNN-1635. Though an agreement had been made by Thomas Dexter with the Indian chief, for the proprietorship of Nahant, yet the town evidently regarded it as their property; as will appear by the following extracts from the Town Records, preserved in the files of the General Court: January 11. 11 It is also voted by the freemen of the towne, that these men underwritten shall have liberty to plant and build at Nabant, and shall possess each man land for the said purpose, and proceeding in the trade of flsbing. re Daniel How, Mr. Ballard, JosephRednap, Timothy Tomlins, f Mr. Hunt, Richard [?], Thomas Talmage, Henry Feakes, Francis Dent'
These lands following were given to the inhabitants of the town of Lynn, Anne Domini 1638.
To the Right Honorable the Lord William Cowdrey, 60. Brook, 800 acres, as it is esti- Thomas Laigbton, 60. mated. John Cooper, 200. To Mr. Thomas Willis, upland and Allen Breed, 200. meadow, 500 acres, as it is esti- John Pool, 200. mated. Edward Howe, 200 and ten. Mr. Edward Holyoke, upland and Thomas Sayre, 60. meadow, 500 acres, as it is esti- Job Sayre, 60. mated. I Thomas Chadwell, 60. Henry Collins, upland and meadow, William Walton, 60. ' 80 acres, arid ten. Christopher Foster, 60. Mr. [Joseph] Floyd, upland and mea- William Ballard, 60. dow, 60 acres, and ten. Josias Stanbury, 100. Edmund and Francis Ingalls, upland Edmund Fa;rington, 200. and meadow, 120 acres. Nicholas Potter, 60. Widow Bancroft, 100 acres. William Knight, 60. Widow Hammond, 60 acres. Edward Tomlins, 200, and twenty. George Burrill, 200 acres. [L6 Mr."] South, 100. John Wood, 100 acres. Boniface Burton, 60. Thomas Talmage, 200. 1 John Smith, 60. Nicholas Brown, 200. 1 Mr. Edward Howell, 500.
1639: [This year, the Court granted to Garrett Spenser, 11 the Ferry at Linn, for two yeares, taking 2' for a single person to the furthest place, and but a V a person for more, to the furthest place, and but a 1' for a single person to the nearest place." This ferry, was, without doubt, from Needham's Landing, between Chase's mill, and the Turnpike, in Lynn, to Ballard's Landing, in East Saugus, and was a great convenience.]
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William Ballard (1603-1639) lived at Salford Priors, Warwickshire, England. William Ballard (1603-1639) and daughter Hester (Esther) Ballard (1633-1717) have their baptisms recorded at the church at Salford Priors.
William Ballard (1603-1639) age 32 years and wife Elizabeth 32 years and children Hester (Esther) 2 years and John 1 year sailed on 13 July 1635 from England aboard the James and arrived at Massachusetts Bay Colony the last week of September in 1635. They were settled at Lynn, MA on a 60 acre farm by 1638. William Ballard was a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Boston in 1638. William Ballard was a Freeman on 02 May 1638. He was elected Magistrate 08 June 1638 - 06 June 1639. William Ballard probably died between March and May of 1639. He had no written will. He made a verbal will to Nicholas Browne and Gerald Spencer a day or two before his death that left half his estate to his wife and half his estate to his children. The Estate Inventory was in June of 1643 and the lands were divided in December of 1647.
Some sources list a son William for William Ballard (1603-1639), but he is not on the ship roster when they immigrated in 1635 or in the Lynn records and he is not in William Knight's 1655 will which includes the other step-sons.
Widow Elizabeth Ballard married 2nd William Knight who died in 1655 and left 40s each to John Ballard and Nathaniel Ballard, step-children. Widow Elizabeth Ballard Knight married 3rd on 28 Mar 1656 Allen Breed who left he a widow for the 3rd time on 17 Mar 1690.
Daughter Esther/Hester Ballard (born 1632) married Joseph Jenckes (1632-1717) and they raised 9 children in RI.
Sources: Ballard Genealogy by C. F. Farlow, 1911; Boston Transcripts (baptisms); Babcock and Allied Families by L. E. DeForest, 1928; Our Colonial and Continental Ancestors by L. E. DeForest, 1930 6,7
| 1 | "US New England Marriages prior to 1700". |
| 2 | "American Genealogical-Biographical Index" (Godfrey Memorial Library, On-Line, Provo, UT). |
| 3 | "Warwickshire, England - Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1535-1812". |
| 4 | Samuel G. Drake, "The Founders of New England" (New England Historic Genealogicl Society). |
| 5 | "MA Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Indes, 17990-1890 Record". |
| 6 | "http://www.reocities.com/Rainforest/8810/gen/ballard.html". |
| 7 | Charles Frederic Farlow, "Ballard Genealogy" (New England Historic Generalogical Society). |