William Ballard, the probable son of John Ballard, Sr of Mecklenburg county, Virginia, left a will dated 9 January 1811, recorded 15 June 1812.¹  The name of his wife is not known.

On 3 July 1771 William Ballard obtained a mortgage from his brother John Ballard, Jr for £150, secured by 400 acres in Mecklenburg county that John had conveyed to William, along with a bay horse, hogs, beds and furniture.

The Will of William Ballard of Mecklenburg County, Virginia:

In the name of God I William Ballard of Mecklenburg County and State of Virginia being in my usual senses and memory do make and Ordain this to be my last will and testament revoking all others by me heretofore made.

First and principally, I recommend my soul to God my maker and my body I desire may be buryed at the discretion of my executors. My estate I dispose of in the following manner. to wit

I give and bequeath unto my daughter Faitha one negro woman by the name of Nelly one horse saddle and bridle One feather Bed and furniture including all the Bed Cloths called hers. One pine chest one spinning wheel and one hundred dollars cash to her and her heirs forever.

I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Mary one negro girl by the name of Phobe One horse saddle and bridle one feather bed and furniture including all the bed cloths called hers one pine chest and one hundred dollars cash to her and her heirs forever.

I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Wilson, wife of Caleb Wilson, One negro woman by the name of Jenny One saddle and bridle one feather bed and furniture all of which she is already in possession of to her and her heirs forever.

I lend unto my daughter Rebecca Daws wife of John Daws during her natural life one negro girl by the name of Lucinda One horse saddle and bridle one feather bed and furniture all of which she is already in possession of

I give and bequeath unto my son-in-law John Overton one horse saddle and bridle and one featherbed and furniture all of which he is already in possession of to him and his heirs forever.

Having heretofore by deed recorded in a Mecklenburg Court given to my grandchild Faitha Gray and William B. Overton children of John Overton two negroes. I decline Giving them any thing in addition thereto. the said negroes and other future increase being all Intended for them of my estate. My will and desire is that my executors hereafter named or any One or more of these be and are hereby empowered to sell my Lands in such manner and on such credit as they or any one or more of these may think proper and make good and sufficient right in fee simple to the purchase thereof also my household and kitchen furniture my stock of every Kind and also disposed of and all my plantation Utensils and my Crop and the money arising therefrom to be applied to the payment of all my Just debts and the two hundred dollars to my daughters and should it be necessary to make further provision for this purpose aforesaid I desire that my executors or any One or more of them sell such of my negroes as they think proper for the purpose of paying any balance of my debts or the two hundred dollars aforesaid. But should the sale of any of my negroes be rendered unnecessary and those should remain a surplusage from the sale of my Lands stocks plantation Utensils and crop after the payment of my just debts and the aforesaid two hundred dollars

I desire that my daughter Mary, Faitha, Elizabeth shall each have of such part thereof and the children of my Daughter Rebecca have also one fourth part thereof to be applyed and used for their benefit by my executors as they shall think fit. My will and desire is that all my negroes (excluding Fanny now in the possession of John Overton, and whom I direct a suit to be commenced for) not already disposed of that may remain after the payment of my just debts and the cash legacies be equally divided between my daughters Mary, Faitha, Elizabeth and Rebecca and that the proportion that may be allotted to my daughters. Mary Faitha and Elizabeth I give and bequeath to them respectively and to their heirs forever and the proportion that may be allotted to my Daughter Rebecca I lend her during her natural life and after her death I give them and their future increase together with Lucinda heretofor mentioned and her future increase to her Rebecca’s children to be equally divided between them to ??? I give them and their heirs forever.

I hereby charge the Legacy for my Daughter Rebecca and her children with the sum of fifteen pounds which my executors are required to make by sale of such part thereof if necessary—having paid about that sum on account of her husband John Daws since his removal from this county.

I constitute and appoint my friends Jess Hutcheson, Jones Gee and William Baskerville executors fo this my last will and testament In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal this ninth day of January 1811.

William Ballard (his mark)

In presence of :

Charles Baskervill
Henry Hicks
Adam Davis
John Garer
Edw. Delony

At a court held for Mecklenburg County the 15th day of June 1812. This will was proved by the Oaths of Henry Hicks and Edw. Delony witnesses thereto and Ordered to be recorded. And at a court held for the same County the 20th day of July in the year aforesaid, On the motion of Wm. Baskervill one of the exec. herein named who made Oath thereto and together with Mark ??? ???? and Chas. Baskervill his securities entered into & acknowledged their bond in the penalty of Fifteen thousand dollars conditioned as the Law directs certificate is granted him for Obtaining a probat of the said Will in due form liberty being reserved to the other exec. named in the said will to join in the probat when they shall think fit.

Teste: William Baskerville

Their children were:

Faitha.

Mary.

Elizabeth, who married 5 January 1803 Caleb Wilson of Orange county, North Carolina²;

Rebecca, who married John Davis Jr, son of John Davis and grandson of James Davis;

Francis, who served as a Major in the Revolution; he was surety for the marriage of Austin Wright Sr and Susan Holloway on 1 March 1806, and of Edward Holloway and Nancy Farrar on 8 November 1806.³  Francis died 1808, unmarried and without issue, leaving a nuncupative will recorded in Mecklenburg Co. Va. Wills, Vol 6, 1807-1810, p. 133 (“Francis Ballard leaves 175 acres in Lunenberg Co, Virginia to niece Faithy Ballard Overton, daughter of John Overton”⁴).  He is most likely the Francis Ballard murdered on 4 August 1808 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia by John Daws, according to a proclamation published in the Virginia Argus 9 September 1808 (p. 4).⁵

Martha Elizabeth, who married 10 November 1806 John Overton in Mecklenburg county, Virginia.⁶

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Endnotes

1. Mecklenburg Co. Va. Wills, Vol. 7, 1810-1813, page 245-47.

2. Marriage License Bonds of Mecklenburg Co. Va., 1765-1810. Surety was Francis Ballard.

3. Marriage License Bonds of Mecklenburg Co. Va., 1765-1810.

4. Will of Francis Ballard, recorded in Mecklenburg Co. Va. Will Book 6, p. 133 (cited by Landon C. Bell, Cumberland Parish, Lunenburg County, Virginia, 1746-1816 & Vestry Book, 1746-1816 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1974), p. 175).

5. The Virginia Argus, 9 September 1808, p. 4: 

By the Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas it is represented to the Executive that on the fourth day of the present month, an atrocious murder was committed in the county of Mecklenburg, by a certain John Daws, an inhabitant of the said county of Mecklenburg, on the body of Francis Ballard, late of the same county; and that the said John Daws hath fled from Justice: I have therefore thought fit with the advice of the Council fo State, to issue this proclamation, hereby offering a reward of two hundred dollars to any person or persons, who shall apprehend and conduct before some justice of the peace for the said county of Mecklenburg, the said John Daws, that he may be dealt with as the law directs.  And I do moreover enjoin all officers, civil and military, and exhort the good people of the commonwealth, to use their best endeavors to apprehend and carry before some Justice of the peace for the county aforesaid, the said John Daws, that such proceedings may be had thereupon as are prescribed by law.

Given under my hand, with the Seal of the Commonwealth annexed, at Richmond, this 19th day of August 1808.  Signed, Alexr. McRae.

6. Marriage License Bonds of Mecklenburg Co. Va., 1765-1810. Surety was Francis Ballard.