I do not intend this to be the definitive Bale family genealogy; its purpose is only to explore the individuals from whom our particular family line descends. Bold face type indicates individuals who are ancestors of our particular family. Sources can be accessed by clicking on the bracketted blue numbers, or you may see all the citations at the bottom of this page. If any reader has corrections or additions to this Bale line, I would appreciate hearing
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First Generation
This web page is in the midst of reconstruction because it now seems possible that Thomas Bale1 and the man I have been calling his son, Thomas Bale2 are actually the same person. More research is needed. Is there a reader with access to a will of a Thomas Bale in 1704 or does it not exist, and the only will is the one in 1708? Where did Thomas and Urath Carnell marry? Or was urath's maiden surname unknown and Carnell was a second marriage? I would appreciate hearing from you via e mail to . Retype this e mail address into your e mail program as it is not a live link.
Thomas Bale1 probably lived in Withycombe Raleigh Parish, Devonshire, England.[1] The parish was bounded on the west by the River Exe. Its manor was formerly held "by the tenure of finding the King, whenever he should hunt in Dartmoor, two good arrows stuck in an oaten cake”. A portion of its ancient church, which the Bale family would have known, was pulled down about 1745 and a new church built a half mile from Exmouth.[2] Anthony Bale, gent., from the same parish emigrated to Maryland.[3]
I have discovered disappointingly little about Thomas. He was married to Urath CARNELL. A Thomas Bale, or Bales, was transported to Maryland in 1665, but under what circumstances, or who bought him, is unknown to me.[4] Thomas Bale had a sister, Mary WOOTON of Exmouth, Devonshire. Christopher RANDALL served as attorney for her when she conveyed 222 acres of “Bond’s Desire” to John SWYNYARD—land she had inherited from her brother. Christopher also served as attorney when Mary Wooton, widow, conveyed “Bonner’s Purchase” to Roger MATTHEWS. The deed was acknowledged in court on 8 March 1732.[4a]
Real estate records are frustrating because there were several men named Thomas Bale or Beale. If we eliminate those obtaining land in Calvert, Dorchester, or Prince George’s Counties, that leaves one Thomas Beale of Anne Arundel County who acquired 141 acre “Beale’s Purchase” in Baltimore County 14 July 1700. In June 1702 this Thomas or another purchased 284 “Beale’s Enlargement” and 100 acre “Level”.[5] In 1702 the 140 acre “Addition” was surveyed to him, and 10 October 1704 it was patented. The spelling is not necessarily a reliable guide. However, Thomas Bale obtained three tracts in Baltimore County. “Bale’s Increase” of 300 acres was surveyed 10 October 1704. Its name implies that he already had some land.[6]
The name Bale eventually became corrupted to Beale, and became a fairly frequent first name in colonial Maryland.[8] But it more likely refers back to Ninian Bale/Beale rather than to our Thomas.
Children of Thomas and Urath Bale:
i. Thomas Bale2, b. ca. 1664; bur. 5 Feb. 1707/8 in St. George's Parish; m. (2?) Sarah GIBSON, daughter of Miles Gibson.[9] On 10 May 1704 Thomas Bale of Baltimore County, merchant, conveyed 200 acre “Stout” (part of 529 acres) to John WHIPS, Jr., Thomas’s wife Sarah, consenting.[9a] He obtained 222 acre “Bond’s Discovery” on 20 November 1705, and 221 acre “Thomas’s Choice” on 10 June 1706.[6] Thomas’s will, dated 14 Mar. 1706, was probated 18 Mar. 1707. He left real estate to his sisters Hannah and Mary, to his brother Anthony, and to his daughter Urath. His daughter Urath’s will dated 18 June 1708 (pr. 19 Nov. 1708) mentions her “mother-in-law” (often meaning step-mother), her Uncle Anthony Bale, and aunt Hannah RANDALL, the wife of Thomas Randall.[10]
ii.
Hannah Bale, d. by May 1727; m. by 2 Feb. 1708 Thomas RANDALL. She inherited from her brother Thomas land at the Garrison "Green Spring Punch", "Rich Levell" and the addition to it, and "Toms" on the Garrison Road bought from Andrew Hard. In additin a codicil gave her 100 acres, part of "Gibson's Park".
iii.
Mary Bale, m. ___ WOOTON; res. in Exmouth, Devonshire in Jan. 1729 when she sold “Bond’s Discovery”, land she inherited in Maryland from her brother Thomas. She also inherited “Banner’s Purchase” from him.[11]
iv.
Anthony Bale, d. Apr. 1720 in Balt. Co.; m. 15 June 1713 Anne PLUMMER.[12] An Anthony Bale of Withyscomb, Gent., purchased a lot in London Town (Md.) 6 Aug. 1717 from Nicholas GASSAWAY.[13] Anthony inherited from his older brother Thomas personalty and all Thomas's lands from Gunpowder Falls to the great falls of Patapco. In Anthony's will, dated 10 Apr. 1720, he gave to his sister Hannah Randall the plantation at Patapsco, mentioned his sister Mary Wooten “now in England”, and his “dear and antient mother, if alive”. His wife was executrix and received the residue of his estate.[14] He was styled “Gent.”, and
was brother and heir-at-law with Thomas of Withycomb
Rawleigh Parish.[15]
Second Generation
Hannah Bale2, daughter of Thomas and Urath, is even less well-documented than her father. We know she married Thomas RANDALL in 1707. Hannah took out an administrative bond 16 April 1722 to settle his estate. It was valued at £285.[16]
In 1706, before her marriage, her brother Thomas bequeathed Hannah land at the Garrison named “Green Spring Punch”, “Rich Level”, and
“The Addition”, as well as “Tom’s” in the Garrison Road which Thomas had purchased from Andrew HURD. In a codicil, he also left her 100 acres of “Gibson’s Park”.[17] Some fourteen years later her other
brother, Anthony, left her tracts called “Murray’s Point”, “Gutridge’s Addition”, and “Kinsey’s Choice”.[18]
Hannah was executrix for her late husband Thomas Randall's estate which was appraised 8 November 1722 for £285.0.10. The following year a second inventory was made that came to £16.18.6.
Hannah Bale Randall signed her will 23 October 1726 (proved 19 February 1732). In it she mentioned
her son Christopher and her daughter Urath, wife of Samuel OWINGS. It gave to Samuel £74, being in right of his wife Urath from her father. This language might have been used if Urath had already died and the hope was to make sure her children inherited. But she was still very much alive; the legal fiction of femme covert (that a husband and wife were one legal person, that person being, of course, the husband) encouraged parents to bequeath items to their sons-in-law on behalf of their daughters.
Children of Thomas and Hannah (Bale) Randall (may be incomplete):[19]
i.
Christopher Randall, b. ca. 1708; m. Catherine LARKIN.[20]
ii.
Urath Randall, b. 1 or 22 Jan. 1713/4; d. 15 Dec. 1796; m. 1 Jan. 1729/30 at St. Thomas Parish in Baltimore Co., Samuel OWINGS.
The Bales and their colonial Maryland relatives are described in The Southern Connection: Ancestors of Eleanor Addison Smith Holliday Price. It delves into the social system, economics, religion, and politics that developed in colonial Maryland. The white elite considered themselves the pinnacle of civilization, while their wealth and power were dependent upon a horrifically brutal racist enslavement system. This hardback print-on-demand book provides the context for the Bales' colonial Maryland situation. However, because I only follow two generations of the Bale family, they do not figure prominently in the book. However, if you are interested in learning about the larger picture, this might interest you. The book is available at lulu.com. Click on the title, then on "preview" to see the table of contents and a few sample pages. The price is the cost of printing and binding, plus shipping. I make nothing on it.
If you have corrections or additions, please send an e mail to
.
This page was most recently updated 8m/23/2014.
See some other colonial Maryland families that link one way or another with these Bales:
Addison,
Brooke,
Browne,
Dent,
Dorsey,
Ely,
Hall,
Hatton,
Holliday,
Howard,
Isaac,
Molton,
Norwood,
Owings,
Randall,
Ridgely,
Sim,
Smith,
Stone,
Tasker.
Warfield.
and Wilkinson. They are all included in The Southern Connection.
See the index of Collateral
Lines to see other lines included in this website.
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Citations and Notes
The full bibliographical
citation is given the first time a source is mentioned, but is not repeated
each time that source is cited. Scroll up til you find the first mention
and there you will find the complete citation.
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