The Ballards of Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina:
A Source Book

Compilation and Comments by John M. Weisner

Please see Origins for an Introduction to this section.

Part Two: Maryland

I. Jarvis Ballard (the Elder) of England, Maryland and Massachusetts (c9/8/1630-c1702)

First Subpart: Introduction

A couple of months ago, I was searching the Mormon genealogical website “www.familysearch.com” for various Ballard names. When I tried “Jarvis” Ballard, I found an entry for a person of that name who reportedly was the father of a Mary who in 1674 married Samuel Lynde of Boston. That much of the entry had also been mentioned in William Ballard Derby, Ballard-Ballord Bits (1978), at p.96 (under B-3). Of particular interest in the website citation, however, was the reference to a specific baptismal date for Mary at a specific church in London: March 26, 1657, at St. Botolph without Aldgate.

Since I knew that some Jarvis Ballard also had connections with Maryland and Virginia and that specific information about English origins was extremely rare in the Ballard family, my interest was immediately aroused. I had seen references to a Jarvis in the 1680’s in York County, Virginia. I was also familiar with the secondary sources stating that Charles Ballard of Somerset County, Maryland had a son by the name of Jarvis, who reportedly died in 1765. See Clayton Torrence, Old Somerset on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, p.435 (Richmond, 1935). Moreover, I knew that another Jarvis Ballard left a will in Boston dated 1719 mentioning his Maryland cousins. See Ballard-Ballord Bits, supra, at 96. I therefore decided to see if I could find out any additional information about this earlier Jarvis, the father of Mary Ballard Lynde, and also if I could double-check the English baptismal record. The results of my research follow. Before proceeding, however, I must include a word of caution: since I did not have ready access to the original records in Maryland or Boston, I have relied chiefly on secondary sources. I hope that others who have better access to the primary source material will correct my errors and provide supplemental information.

Second Subpart: Jarvis Ballard (the Elder) in Maryland

(a) Maryland Source Material

The first thing I did in my search for additional information on the early Jarvis Ballard (whom I will call “the elder”) was to check the library for any collections of seventeenth-century Maryland records. I was surprised to find a book that I had not previously seen which contained records from the County Court of Somerset County from the 1660’s: Proceedings of the County Courts of Kent (1648-1676), Talbot (1662-1674), and Somerset (1665-1668) Counties (Archives of Maryland, Vol. 54, 1937). A short time later, I learned that the entire series (currently 137 volumes) of the Archives of Maryland is now available on the Internet (at “www.mdarchives.state.md.us”). From the library book and the website, I located several references to a Jarvis Ballard in Maryland during the 1660’s, 1670’s and 1680’s. The first references I could find were from the earliest Somerset County records. Among several references in those records to Charles Ballard and his wife Sarah were a few entries mentioning Jarvis. See also Wilmer O. Lankford (compiler), They Lived in Somerset: 17th Century Marylanders (Princess Anne, Md., 1990).

(b) Maryland Records

The following abstracts are taken from the records published in the Archives of Maryland (hereinafter “AoM”):

11/8/1667 — Somerset County — Thomas Poole brought suit against Jarvis Ballard. Court Records, Liber B No.1, p.88;

AoM 54/68611/26/1667 — Somerset County — Thomas Poole withdrew his suit against Jarvis Ballard. Court Records, Liber B No.1, p.93;

AoM 54/69211/8/1671 — Somerset County — Phillip Shapleigh of the County of Dorset, gent., appointed Edward Davis of the County of Somerset his attorney. Witnesses were Jarvis Ballard and Charles Ballard.

AoM 87/31c3/12/1671-2 — Somerset County — Actions and subpoenas entered returnable in March 1671 Court … “Capias vers Tho: Stevens in an accon of the Case in the Sute of Jarvis Ballard.”

AoM 87/731/30/1672-3 — Somerset County — Jarvis Ballard sold to Alexander Jemison his rights to a man-servant by the name of John Chansler. Witnesses were Edward Davis and Jokell (Joseph?) Taylor.

AoM 89/19c11/25/1675 — Provincial Court — Jarvis Ballard v. Richard Bayly (continued until next court). Liber MM, p.602;

AoM 65/626 2/12/1675 — Provincial Court — Gervase Ballard agt Richard Bayly: Richard Bayley, late of Talbott County, was summoned to answer unto Gervase Ballard regarding a debt of 7,081 pounds of tobacco. The said Gervase, by his attorney John Rousby, stated that the said Richard Bayley bound himself for this amount in writing on 3/24/1674. On 2/12/1675, both Gervase Ballard, by counsel, and Richard Bayly appeared in court, and Bayly testified that he could not deny that he owed 3,196 pounds of tobacco. Therefore, the Court ordered that the said Gervase recover that amount. Liber NN, p.52;

AoM 66/81-82 (See also the awarding of witness costs to Guy White of Calvert County mentioned in the 1676 session of the Provincial Court, evidently in connection with this suit.) 2/17/1675 — Provincial Court — Jarvis Ballard, Henry Everard and John Russall were witnesses to a memorandum stating that Richard Bayly signed, sealed and delivered a release to the benefit of William Dare in their presence. Liber NN, p.161;

AoM 66/259-60. (The release mentioned here was dated 2/16/1675 and can be found at Liber NN, p.161; AoM 66/258-59. Richard Bayley stated in it that he was “late of Harvey Towne in Calvert County” but “now Resident in Dorchester County.” There is a notation on the backside of the release that the Sheriff of Calvert County deputized George Masson to arrest Richard Bayly in the suit of William Dare on the Monday after the Provincial Court in February 1675. Bayly was then discharged the following day — evidently after producing the release. Liber NN, p.161;

AoM 66/259-604/11/1676 — Provincial Court — The memorandum of 2/17/1675 was proved in open court by Jarvis Ballard and Henry Everard. Liber NN, p.161;

AoM 66/2604/12/1676 — Provincial Court — Jarvis Ballard was a juror in the case of Charles Calvert, Esq. v. Miles Cooke (Thomas Bland was the attorney for Cooke). Liber NN, pp.164-65;

AoM 66/264-65c4/11/1676 — Provincial Court — Guy White of Calvert County was awarded expenses for being called as a witness by Jarvis Ballard to testify against Richard Bayly at the court session in February 1675 and for being called as a witness also by Richard Bayly. Liber NN, p.173;

AoM 66/281c11/28/1676 — Provincial Court — Jarvis Ballard v. John Hollins and Henry Mitchell (unless defendants appear at next court, the Sheriff of Calvert County “amercied”). Liber NN, p.239;

AoM 66/389c12/9/1676 — Provincial Court — Jarvis Ballard v. Richard Pery. The defendant, by Christopher Rousby his attorney, appeared, and the cause was continued until the next court. Liber NN, p.225;

AoM 66/367c4/26/1677 — Provincial Court — Jarvis Ballard v. John Hollins and Henry Mitchell (cause was agreed). Liber NN, p.275

AoM 66/443c4/26/1677 — Provincial Court — Jarvis Ballard v. Richard Pery (continued until next court). Liber NN, p.277;

AoM 66/445c4/26/1676 — Provincial Court — Jarvis Ballard v. Henry Smith (continued until next court). Liber NN, p.298;

AoM 66/476c6/19/1677 — Provincial Court — Jarvis Ballard v. Richard Pery (continued until next court). Liber NN, p.333;

AoM 67/39c6/20/1677 — Provincial Court — Jarvis Ballard v. Henry Smith (continued until next court). Liber NN, p.325;

AoM 67/27c10/5/1677 — Provincial Court — Jarvis Ballard v. Henry Smith (continued until next court). Liber NN, p.379;

AoM 67/106c10/8/1677 — Provincial Court — Jarvis Ballard v. Richard Pery (continued until next court). Liber NN, p.388;

AoM 67/119c2/21/1677-8 — Provincial Court — Jarvis Ballard v. Henry Smith (continued until the next court). Liber NN, p.422;

AoM 67/1642/22/1677-8 — Provincial Court –Jarvis Ballard v. Richard Perry. Jarvis Ballard, by his attorney Charles Boteler, complained that on 10/25/1675 John Gould, late of Calvert County, deceased, as the factor of Richard Perry purchased several goods from Ballard, i.e. mackerel, tobacco, salt, sugar, molasses, oil, rum, bread and one man-servant. The total cost of the goods was 12,605 pounds of tobacco. Defendant failed to appear in court and defaulted. An award in the amount of 7,790 pounds of tobacco (being the balance of the account) plus 552 pounds of tobacco for the costs of suit were awarded to Ballard. Liber NN, pp.434-35;

AoM 67/178-79c2/19/1677-8 — Provincial Court — John Darnall v. Jarvis Ballard. Command was given to the Sheriff of Calvert County to attach any goods of Jarvis Ballard he could find in his bailiwick up to the value of 33,333 pounds of tobacco. The Sheriff returned a writ stating that he had attached 9,300 pounds of tobacco in the hands of Samuel Holesworth, 4,000 pounds of tobacco in the hands of William Harris, 80 yards of “Duffell” at 800 hundred pounds of tobacco in the hands of Francis Collier, 800 pounds of tobacco in the hands of John Peirce and 4,000 pounds of tobacco in the hands of Christopher Rousby due from Capt. Perry. Liber NN, p.486;

AoM 67/237-384/12/1678 — Provincial Court — John Darnall v. Jarvis Ballard. The Sheriff returned a writ stating that he had attached 9,300 pounds of tobacco in the hands of Samuel Holdsworth, 4,000 pounds in the hands of William Harris, 80 pounds of match-coating in the hands of Francis Collier, 800 pounds of tobacco in the hands of Dr Peirce (sic) and 4,000 pounds of tobacco in the hands of Mr. Rousby due from Capt. Perry. Liber NN, p.496;

AoM 67/249c4/12/1678 — Provincial Court — Jarvis Ballard v. Henry Smith (continued until next court). Liber NN, p.500; AoM 67/2546/15/1678 — Provincial Court — Jarvis Ballard v. Henry Smith. Jarvis Ballard, merchant, by his attorney Christopher Rousby, complained that Henry Smith, late of Manokin in Somerset County, chirurgion, had purchased diverse goods from Ballard on 7/10/1674, but had not paid in full. The court ordered that Jarvis Ballard recover 1,674 pounds of tobacco in damages plus 568 pounds of tobacco for court costs. Liber NN, p.594;

AoM 67/363 (The next case involves Charles Ballard and Henry Smith of Somerset County.)

c6/15/1678 –Provincial Court — John Darnall v. Jarvis Ballard. The persons attached for the debt of Jarvis Ballard were told to appear at the court held 6/11/1678. On 6/12/1678, Holdsworth failed to appear and defaulted. Francis Collyer appeared and stated that he had nothing from the estate of Jarvis Ballard, and Darnall was ordered to pay him 180 pounds of tobacco for his expenses. William Harris appeared and requested a continuance until the next
court. Liber NN, p.673-74;

AoM 67/45610/15/1679 — Provincial Court — John Darnaill v. William Harris. Ordered that if defendant does not appear at the next court and make oath how much he is indebted to Jarvis Ballard, he will be in default and lose the tobacco attached by plaintiff. Liber NN, p.895;

AoM 68/2412/14/1679-80 — Provincial Court — John Darnall v. William Harris. The attachment against William Harris was quashed because it appeared to the court that he had none of the estate of Jarvis Ballard in his hands. Liber WC, p.81;

AoM 69/90c2/19/1679-80 — Provincial Court — Christopher Rousby v. Jarvis Ballard. The Sheriff of Calvert County was commanded to take Jarvis Ballard, late of that county, merchant, into custody if found in his bailiwick and keep him until 2/10/1679-80 to answer the suit of Christopher Rousby, gentleman and attorney. On 2/10/1679-80, Sheriff Richard Ladd stated the Ballard could not be found in his bailiwick. Rousby was then granted an attachment against the goods of Ballard. Liber WC, p.145;

AoM 69/161c5/12/1680 — Provincial Court — Christopher Rousby v. Jarvis Ballard. The Sheriff of Calvert County was commanded to attach the goods of Jarvis Ballard if found in his bailiwick and keep them until Ballard or his attorney appeared at court on 5/11/1680. On 5/11/1680, the Sheriff stated that he had attached 3,765 pounds of tobacco in the hands of Symon Wilmore, who was ordered to appear at the next court to show why the said tobacco should not be condemned. Liber WC, p.208-09;

AoM 69/235-362/23/1680-1 — Provincial Court — Christopher Rousby v. Jarvis Ballard. The 3,765 pounds of tobacco previously attached in the hands of Symon Wilmer were condemned. Liber WC, p.362;

AoM 69/3953/3/1681-2 — Provincial Court — John Darnall v. Simon Wilmer. The Sheriff of Calvert County had been instructed to attach any goods of Jarvis Ballard. In 1678, the Sheriff had attached 4,000 pounds of tobacco in the hands of Mr. Rousby due from Capt. Pery. Symon Wilmer, the attorney and agent for Richard Perry was ordered to appear 10/6/1681 and show why the attached tobacco should not be paid to Darnall. He eventually appeared, and his attorney argued that Darnall had not proven his debt or given sufficient security. Wilmer later defaulted and was ordered to pay Darnall the tobacco. Darnall gave security that he would restore the 4,000 pounds of tobacco if Jarvis Ballard would appear and proceed in the litigation within a year and one day. Liber WC, p.529-30;

AoM 70/165-662/20/1688-9 — Somerset County — In 1688-9, Joseph Thaxter undertook as the attorney for Capt. Henry Smith to receive money owed Smith by Richard Waite and Jarvis Ballard, “both of New England.” Smith alleged that Thaxter fraudulently converted the money unto his own use. The receipt from Thaxter read: “Received of Capt Henry Smith of Somerset County One Bond of Richard Wailes of Charles Town in New England for the sum of sixty four pounds and six shillings starling money of England for the well and true payment of thirty four pounds and Six shillings of the same money and doth promise to be accomptable for what moneys I shall receive of him the said Waile or Jarvis Ballard for the use of the sd Smith first paying my selfe for a Cable: dilivered unto the said Smiths Order … as wittness my hand this 20th ffeby 1688/9[.] [Witnesses:] Miles Grey [and] Samuel Wilson [Signed:] Joseph: Thaxter”.

(c) Results of Maryland Record Survey

The Maryland records abstracted above can be divided mainly into two groups: from 1667 to 1673 involving Somerset County and from 1675 to 1680 involving Calvert County. It appears that the initial focus of Jarvis Ballard in Maryland was in Somerset County, where Charles Ballard was a resident and a leading citizen. These entries were surely too early to refer to the Jarvis Ballard who was the son of Charles. Rather, this early Jarvis was much more likely the brother of Charles Ballard. The fact that Charles and Jarvis appeared as co-witnesses on a 1671 power of attorney (see above) and that Charles later also had a son named Jarvis would seem to confirm some such close relationship.

About 1675, Jarvis Ballard evidently shifted his focus in Maryland to Calvert County, where he was active as a merchant and where he may have had a residence. Unfortunately for genealogists, all of the Calvert County court records were destroyed in 1882. See Charles F. Stein, A History of Calvert County, Maryland, p.ix (Baltimore, 1960). The above-mentioned entries involving Calvert County, therefore, are not taken from the county court records, but rather from the colony-wide Provincial Court, where Jarvis Ballard was occasionally a litigant or juror. If the county records had survived, one can only imagine the abundance of additional information that would have been available.

During the period 1678-1681, there were a number of lawsuits brought against Jarvis Ballard in Calvert County, Maryland, resulting in the attachment of several debts owed to him. It may be because of these financial difficulties that he appears to give up his activities as a merchant there. About the same time, a Jarvis Ballard begins to appear in the court records of York County, Virginia.It might be useful to double-check the reference to “Gerrard” Ballard in The Early Settlers of Maryland, p.21 (Baltimore, 1986) as being transported in 1669 (citing Liber 12, Folio 406) to see if this should rather be “Gervase,” “Gervis” or “Jarvis.”

Shortly before the completion of this installment, I learned from Becky Miller, the Director of the Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture (and a descendant of Charles Ballard), that there is indeed documentary proof that Jarvis and Charles were brothers.  She referred me to an (unpublished) entry that she had located in Maryland Patent Book Vol. 18, at p.43, stating that on 1/11/1671, Jarvis Ballard of Boston assigned certain rights to his “brother” Charles.  A quick trip to the Maryland State Archives in Annapolis confirmed her find.  On p.43 of microfilm SR7359 (a transcription of p.580 of the original Liber MM), it was recorded: “Know all men by these presents that I Jarvis Bollard [sic] merchant in New England Dwelling in Boston doth by these presents assigne over all my right and Title and Interest in these[?] persons named as followeth Andrew Evans, William Pepper and Robert Pinger to my Brother Charles Ballard in Manokin to him his heirs and assigns for ever for a consideration already received for one hundred and fifty acres of Land as Wittness my hand this 11th of January 1671. Witnes Robert Lewen[,] Edward Davis Jarvis Ballard”

While I was at the Archives, I discovered one additional record, this time in the Testamentary Proceedings file. On April 21, 1677, “Jervase Ballard of Boston in new: England merchant” (with Mr. Christopher Rousby as his surety) was appointed the administrator of the estate in Maryland of William Caswell of Boston, mariner, who had died in Maryland. Joseph Edloe and John Evans were instructed to appraise the goods after being sworn by John Griggs of Calvert County. On June 27, 1677, “Jervase” Ballard of Boston returned the inventory. Microfilm “Roll 75-2″ (1677), Book 9, pp.68, 232.

Third Subpart: Jarvis Ballard (the Elder?) in Virginia

In a review of Virginia records, I found the following references to a Jarvis Ballard (from the use of the title “Mr.,” this could very well be Jarvis Ballard, the elder):

10/24/1681 — York County — Mr. Jarvis Ballard sued the estate of Mr. Richard Awborne, deceased, for 12 pounds, 1 shilling, 2 pence sterling on account. York County Record Book (hereinafter “YCRB”) 6/347 (unpublished) (Prior to his death, Awborne was the Clerk of Court for York County.)

12/2/1681 — York County — Judgment to Mr. Jarvis Ballard against Mrs. Elishiba Vaulx for 44 pounds, 10 shillings, 2 pence. YCRB 6/361 (unpublished) (“Elisheba Vaulx was wife of James Vaulx, merchant of London in 1663, justice of York county in Virginia in 1670, and died 1681-2.  His son, Robert, removed to Dorchester county, Md., and his wife married there one John Franke. James Vaulx was brother of Robert, Humphrey, and Thomas Vaulx, whose descendants located in Westmoreland County Va.” William & Mary Quarterly, Series 1, Vol. 3, p.153 (1895)).

3/24/1681-2 — York County — Mr. Jarvis Ballard sued Mr. William Sherwood, Maj. Robert Beverley and Mr. John Buckner, administrators of the estate of Mr. Richard Awborne, deceased, for 12 pounds sterling due upon account, “which ye said Ballard made oath in Court was justly due, to which ye Defendants pleaded that they had fully administred on ye said Estate.”  The administrators were given until the August court to present their accounts. “And Judgment is granted ye said Jarvis Ballard against ye said Awborne Estate for ye said sum of twelve pounds Sterl[ing] with stay of Execution till After ye said August Court, then to bee paid by ye said Administrators (if ye Estate will suffice) according to ye Priority & worthyness thereof & then all just accounts to bee allowed.” YCRB 6/392 (unpublished)

1/24/1682-3 — York County — An Order was granted Mr. Robert Spring against the Sheriff for the nonappearance of Mr. Jarvis Ballard for 10 pounds sterling unless the said Ballard appeared at the next Court. YCRB 6/447(renumbered 445) (unpublished) At the same court session, Spring was given a judgment against William Thomas. YCRB 6/448(renumbered 446) (unpublished)

3/26/1683 — York County — The petition of Mr. Jarvis Ballard was referred until the next court, the administrators of the estate of Mr. Richard Awborne, deceased, promising to bring their account in then. YCRB 6/476 (unpublished)

4/24/1683 — York County — Jarvis Ballard v. the administrators of the estate of Richard Awborne — general reference. YCRB 6/490 (unpublished)

5/24/1683 — York County — Jarvis Ballard appointed Joseph Topping his attorney to appear for him at York County Court in an action depending between him and the Administrators of the Estate of Mr. Richard Awborne, deceased. Phillip May was witness. YCRB 6/542 (unpublished).

Fourth Subpart: Jarvis Ballard (the Elder) in Boston

In my local library I was able to locate a few published sources mentioning this early Jarvis Ballard in Boston. One reference book, J. Savage, A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, Vol. 1, p.108 (Boston, 1862) lists him, but mentions no relatives. It says simply: “Ballard, Jarvis, Boston 1670, merchant, perhaps not perman[ent] resid[ent].”

The collection of the birth, marriage and death records in the Boston Registry Department, published as A Report of the Record Commissioners Containing Boston Births, Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths, 1630-1699 (Records Relating to the Early History of Boston, Vol. 9, 1883) does not mention a Lynde/Ballard marriage. In C.A. Torrey, New England Marriages Prior to 1700, p.480 (Baltimore, 1985), however, it is stated: “LYNDE, Samuel (1653-1721) & 1/wf Mary BALLARD (1657-1 Feb 1697/8); 20 Oct 1674; ?Boston. The exact dates of the marriage, i.e. October 20, 1674, and of Mary Ballard Lynde’s death, i.e. February 1, 1697-8, would seem to lend some reliability to the authenticity of the information. Evidently, Mr. Torrey collected the information contained in the book during years of research at the New England Historical and Genealogical Society. Since (as I am told) the churches in Boston did not keep marriage records at that time and since the record of this marriage does not appear in the official Boston records, the information must come from an unofficial source. Perhaps it comes from a bible or similar document. If that document, whatever it is, did not specify the location of the marriage, that would explain the question mark before “Boston” in the above-mentioned citation. When I called the Historical and Genealogical Society for any supplemental information they might have, I was told that their records showed this entry to be based on books (without exact titles) relating to the Valentine, Noyes/Gilman, Salisbury and Bowdoin families and on something called the “Lynde Chart.”

The first published reference (other than Ballard-Ballord Bits, supra) to Jarvis Ballard being the father of Mary Ballard Lynde that I was able to locate (on the basis of the information from the Historical and Genealogical Society) was contained in T. Prime, Some Account of the Bowdoin Family: With Notes on the Families of Pordage, Lynde, Newgate, Erving (New York, 1894). On page 33 of that book it is stated: “Samuel Lynde, born December 1st 1653; died October 2nd 1721; married Mary daughter of Jervis Ballard; she died December 1697; no issue male.” Soon thereafter, I located a similar reference in Charles Phelps Noyes, Noyes-Gilman Ancestry (New York, 1907), at p.133: “Samuel [Lynde], born Dec. 1, 1653; married (1) Oct. 20, 1674, Mary Ballard, daughter of Jarvis Ballard….” Next, I found a copy of The Diaries of Benjamin Lynde and Benjamin Lynde, Jr., F.E. Oliver, ed. (Boston, 1880), the earliest of the published references, in which it was stated (in a pedigree of the Lynde family at the end of the book) that “Samuel Lynde [married] Mary, dau. of Jervis Ballard, d. Dec., 1697″. Perhaps more importantly, that book also referred to a family bible, but unfortunately, it did not specifically indicate what, if any, of the information in the pedigree came from bible entries. At present, therefore, I still do not know the identity or location of the original record upon which this information is based, but it must give the exact date of the marriage as cited in New England Marriages, supra. Perhaps it is the “Lynde Chart” mentioned by the Historical and Genealogical Society or perhaps the Bible mentioned in the Diaries, supra. Whatever it is, the exact dates cited and the distinctiveness of the name Jarvis Ballard, as well as the circumstantial evidence mentioned below, would seem to make the information relatively trustworthy.

Without having conducted research in Boston, it is difficult to know how intense Jarvis Ballard’s contacts with that city were during the 1670’s. The Genealogical Dictionary, cited above, simply mentions the date “1670″ without any information as to its source, and states that Jarvis may not have been a permanent resident. The marriage of Jarvis Ballard’s daughter reportedly occurred in 1674. On 7/29/1679, he and John Conney appraised the estate of Mrs. Mary Chilton Winslow of Boston (in 1671, her husband John Winslow had purchased a house that fronted on the “Lane going to mr John Jolliffes”). (See the entry relating to the will of Mary Chilton Winslow at http://www.mayflowerfamilies.com.) The Maryland records cited above show that in 1671 and 1677 Jarvis Ballard was referred to as a merchant from Boston in New England, although he was, no doubt, frequently traveling to Maryland and elsewhere in connection with his business. Further research in Boston would surely locate many more records during this time period.

Ballard-Ballord Bits contains a number of additional pieces of information about Jarvis Ballard of Boston. Some “bits” seem well founded, while other “bits” appear to be mere speculation. Evidently belonging to the realm of speculation is the book’s inclusion of an even earlier Jarvis Ballard (“B-1″), who would have been the father of the Jarvis (the “elder”) (“B-3″) and of Charles (“B-5″) of Somerset County, Maryland. Ballard-Ballord Bits also assigns three additional sons to this person, i.e. Isaac (born c1633) (“B-2″), Samuel (born c1637) (“B-4″) and Daniel (born c1645) (“B-6″). It appears that this was simply an attempt to put all early Bostonian Ballards under one hat. See more on the brothers and father of Jarvis Ballard below.

Fifth Subpart: The Family of Samuel Lynde

Samuel Lynde, the husband of Mary Ballard, was a prominent Boston merchant. He was the son of Simon Lynde, who, in turn, was the son of Enoch Lynde of London (who died there April 23, 1636) (son of Nathan Lynde) and Enoch’s wife Elizabeth Digby (daughter and heiress of Everard Digby). Simon Lynde was born in London in June 1624 and married Hannah, the daughter of John Newgate (also Newdigate), on February 22, 1652-3. Simon Lynde had apprenticed to a merchant in London, had been in business in the Netherlands, and came to Boston in 1650. He became one of the Assistant Justices of the Superior Court and acquired large landed possessions in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. See Genealogical Dictionary, supra,, at 136; Some Account of the Bowdoin Family, supra, at pp. 32-33. See also Bernard Bailyn, The New England Merchants in the Seventeenth Century, pp.135, 175, 187-88 (Cambridge, Mass., 1955).Samuel Lynde was a member of the first church in Boston and was admitted to membership in the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company in 1691. See “Genealogy of the Valentine Family,” New-England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 20, pp. 221-22 (1866). The records of the Boston Registry Department show that Samual and Mary Ballard Lynde had three children: (1) Samuel, born on November 27, 1677, (2) Hannah, born on January 1, 1679, and (3) Mary, born on November 16, 1680. Records, supra, at pp.142, 149, 152. The children named Samuel and Hannah may have died young, since the only child mentioned in the will of the elder Samuel Lynde was Mary, who had married John Valentine. “Valentine Family,” supra. Mary Ballard Lynde died in approximately December 1697 or February 1697-8 (see above), and her husband remarried at least twice. See Noyes-Gilman Ancestry, p.133. In his will dated July 20, 1720, Samuel Lynde mentioned his then wife “Mary Ann” and gave his property to his Valentine grandchildren, i.e. his brick house and brick warehouse in Cornhill Street, his pasture and orchard on Cambridge Street in Boston, his three lots in Freetown, his island in Kenebeck River and his 300 acre farm in Kenebeck beyond Groton. “Valentine Family,” supra.

Before leaving the Lynde family, let us take a quick look at some of Samuel’s brothers and sisters. Nathaniel Lynde, born to Simon and Hannah in 1659, married Susannah, the daughter of Deputy Governor Francis Willoughby of Charlestown, Massachusetts. (Willoughby’s aunt Jane Hammond was reportedly of Virginia and had a son Lawrence. Genealogical Dictionary, supra, Vol. 4, p.578-79.) Elizabeth, born 1662, married George Pordage. Benjamin, born 1666, studied at the Middle Temple, became a barrister and was later Chief Justice of Massachusetts. He married Mary, the only daughter of William Browne of Salem, Massachusetts. Hannah, another child of Simon and Hannah, was born 1670; she married (1) John Rigge of London, (2) Jonathan Mitchell of Cambridge, and (3) Edmund Goffe. Sarah, born 1672, married Nathaniel Newgate. See Genealogical Dictionary, supra, at pp. 135-36; Some Account of the Bowdoin Family, supra, at pp. 33-34.

Sixth Subpart: Jarvis Ballard (the Elder?) in the 1680’s and 1690’s and Jarvis Ballard, Jr. in Boston

A Jarvis Ballard evidently began to appear regularly in the published Boston records in about 1685. Records, supra, Vol. 7, pp.180-81. In 1686, a person of that name was included on the tax lists. Records, supra, Vol. 1, p.82. In 1688, a Jarvis Ballard was appointed one of the Constables of Boston, and, in 1690, a Jarvis Ballard was placed on the List of Freemen. Records, supra, Vol. 7, p.195; Genealogical Register, Vol. 3, p.350. (Question: Was the Daniel Ballard who was also a Constable in Boston and who was having children [Abraham and Sarah, born 8/27/1684; Joseph and Benjamin, born 7/16/1688; Bartholl, born 5/6/1691; Sarah, born 9/6/1693] with his wife Sarah a relative of Jarvis? Records, supra, Vol. 7, p. 225; Vol. 9, pp. 162, 178, 195 and 205.) Sometime around the mid-1680’s, Jarvis evidently married Martha Knight (born 1653), the step-daughter of John Joyliffe of Boston and his wife Anna (who had previously been married to Thomas Cromwell and Robert Knight). Joyliffe was an eminent merchant who for many years was a selectman and, in 1691, town recorder. See Historical, Genealogical, and Biographical Account of the Joyliffe Family of Virginia, 1652 to 1893, pp. 34, 39-40 (Philadelphia, 1893). See also Genealogical Dictionary, supra, Vol. 1, p.476 (for Cromwell); Vol. 3, p.39 (for Knight and the 1653 birthdate for Martha Knight); and Vol. 2, p.573 (for Joyliffe). In his will dated February 7, 1699-1700, Joyliffe gave his “mansion house” to his step-daughter Martha and her husband Jarvis Ballard. See “Vickers or Vickery Family,” supra, at 187; “Genealogical Gleanings in England,” Genealogical Register, Vol. 42, pp.62, 69-72. Jarvis and Martha had the following children: (1) Jarvis, born July 10, 1688, (2) Edward, born July 26, 1691, (3) Robert, born October 15, 1693, and (4) Katherine, born April 20, 1697. See Records, supra, Vol. 9, pp. 178, 195, 205 and 231; “Vickers or Vickery Family,” supra, at p.188. This Jarvis Ballard must have died by 1703, when his widow married John Balston. “Vickers or Vickery Family,” supra, at p.188; Ballard-Ballord Bits, supra, at p.96.

Ballard-Ballord Bits lists Jarvis Ballard, the elder (“B-3″), the father of Mary (she was born 1657), as being the one who later married Martha Knight (who was born 1653) and having four children between 1688 and 1697. It is certainly possible that Jarvis Ballard, the elder (“B-3″) could have remarried with a woman approximately 23 years younger and had children as late as 1697, when he would have been approximately 67 years old. It seems to me, however, to be just as likely that Jarvis Ballard “the elder,” in addition to his daughter Mary, had a son “Jarvis” born in the 1650’s or early 1660’s. Since I do not have any proof of such an early born son, I will agree with Ballard-Ballard Bits for now and assume that the Boston records in the1680’s and 1690’s all refer to Jarvis Ballard, the elder. Records in Boston will hopefully clarify this matter.Ballard-Ballord Bits contains a couple of other pieces of information about Jarvis Ballard that I have not found elsewhere. According to that book, Jarvis Ballard conveyed one-half acre at the north end of Boston to Robert Bronson on 1/20/1695-6, and he acted as the executor of John Joyliffe’s estate on 2/5/1701-2.It is reported that Jarvis Ballard, Jr. (born 7/10/1688 – see above) married Judith Pordage on March 15, 1715-6. “Vickers or Vickory Family,” at p.188. This Judith Pordage is likely the daughter by that name of George Pordage and his wife Elizabeth Lynde Pordage, born September 16, 1691. Some Account of the Bowdoin Family, at p.30. (Maybe the marriage record of Jarvis and Judith or some other document would confirm this relationship.) That would make her the niece of Samuel Lynde and his wife Mary Ballard Lynde, and the grand-niece of the earlier Jarvis Ballard. Since Hannah (the other daughter of George and Elizabeth Pordage) in 1714 married James Bowdoin (Senior) (whose brother John settled on the Eastern Shore of Virginia), that would also mean that Jarvis Ballard, Jr., was an uncle of the illustrious James Bowdoin (Junior), who was a Revolutionary leader, President of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention, Governor of Massachusetts (in 1785 and 1786) and co-founder and first President of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Genealogical Dictionary, supra, Vol. 1, p.221; Some Account of the Bowdoin Family, at pp.4-7. Because Jarvis Ballard, Jr. died between April 1722, when he placed an ad in The New England Courant (No. 37) for the sale of lots on Cold Lane (see http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/courant/issue37.htm), and March 29, 1725, when his will was probated, he never knew his famous nephew, who was born in 1726.

In his will dated 3/8/1719 (Suffolk County, Docket No. 5068) Jarvis Ballard, Jr. mentioned his wife Judith, his mother Martha Balston, Mrs. Mary Valentine, wife to John Valentine (see Fifth Subpart above), his “cousin[s]” Capt. Charles Ballard, Jarvis Ballard, Mary King, Margaret Wilson, Rebecca Dent, and Sarah Revell alias Bosman, (these cousins were his Maryland relatives), his “cousin[s]” Elizabeth Lobdell, wife of Joseph Lobdell, Anna Loring, and Rebecca Binney, wife of Samuel Binney (these cousins were the grandchildren of his grandmother Anna Cromwell Knight Joyliffe from her first marriage to Thomas Cromwell) and his friend Joseph Hearne. The witnesses were John Dassatt, Mary Flynt and Mary Alden. For the Massachusetts cousins, see “Vickers or Vickory Family,” supra, at pp. 187-88. According to Old Somerset on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, supra, at p.435, Capt. Charles Ballard and Jarvis Ballard were the children of the first Charles Ballard of Maryland (the brother of Jarvis Ballard, the elder). Mary King, Margaret Wilson and Rebecca Dent were most likely the children of Elizabeth (another child of Charles Ballard), who had been married to John King, Thomas Wilson and Peter Dent. Sarah Revell was the daughter of Randall Revell, Jr. and his wife Sarah Ballard Revell and the granddaughter of Charles Ballard, Sr.; she married William Bozman. See AoM 38/397-98. Henry (born 1666), the other child of Charles, is not mentioned in the will and may have previously died without leaving children (or he may have moved away before Jarvis Ballard, Jr. became acquainted with his Maryland relatives).

Seventh Subpart: Jarvis Ballard (the Elder) in London

Now that we have taken a quick look at some of the Maryland, Virginia and Boston records for two Jarvis Ballards, let us go back to the “www.familysearch.com” notation concerning the birth of Mary, the daughter of the early Jarvis Ballard, in London in 1657. In order to confirm this information, I went to the local Family History Center run by the Mormon Church and was pleased to determine that they could order microfilmed portions of the Parish Registers of St. Botolph Aldgate going back as far as 1558. After about a two-week wait, the microfilms arrived, and I could take a look for myself at the cited entry and check for other relevant entries.

The microfilms with extracts from the correct date range were Nos. 03709227 and 0370929. The first had burials from 1625-1662, and the latter contained baptisms from 1625-1669 and marriages from 1625-1656. I was quickly able to find the date of March 27, 1657, under the baptisms. Not only was the entry there, it actually contained more information than I had anticipated, such as the first name of Jarvis’ wife and the area in London where they lived. It read as follows: “Mary Ballard da to Jarvice Ballard & Mary his wife[,] born & baptised ye 27th[,] tower hill”. We now knew that Mary’s mother’s name was also Mary and that they lived near Tower Hill. A look at a map of London showed that Aldgate was a gate in the old town walls of London on the east side of town just north of the Tower of London and Tower Hill.

Then began the tedious task of going through the records one by one looking for additional relevant entries (an old index went only as far as 1640). An entry in the death records revealed that the couple had also been the parents of a child who died within the first month (see the definition of “chrisom” in the Oxford Dictionary). This entry, under the date May 4, 1658, stated: “Crezum da to Jarvis Ballard & Mary his wife[,] tower hill”. Of greatest interest, however, was the entry for May 27, 1656, in the marriage records: “Jarvis Ballard & Mary Lee[,] [married by Justice] Andrews”. Although this entry did not contain any information as to the origins of the couple, it did provide us with the maiden name of Mary, i.e. “Lee.” I was unable to find any more entries regarding Jarvis and Mary Ballard or their children.The church records do not reveal exactly when this family left for America. We only know that Jarvis Ballard was in Maryland by 1667. Nor do they reveal the reason why they left. We do know that London at the time had serious problems: “Seventeenth-century London had a population of 460,000 packed into decaying, wooden houses and narrow streets…. Since all the houses had coal fires, it was also a smokey, dirty city. John Evelyn wrote in 1661 in a pamphlet: ‘This horrid smoke obscures our churches and makes our palaces look old. It fouls our clothes and corrupts the waters, so that the very rain and refreshing dews that fall in the several seasons precipitate this impure vapour, which with its black and tenacious quality, spots and contaminates whatever is exposed to it.’” L.W. Cowie, Plague and Fire: London 1665-66, p.11 (New York, 1970). Even these squalid living conditions were nothing compared to the two catastrophes that were about to befall the city. In early 1665, the plague broke out in London and claimed approximately 100,000 lives before it subsided about a year later. Evidently, the area around Aldgate was so severely hit that a great pit was dug there to serve as a mass grave. See Plague and Fire, supra, at pp.40, 56. As if one disaster were not enough, the Great Fire of London destroyed much of the city in September 1666. No doubt, as harsh as conditions were in the American colonies, Jarvis and Mary must have felt great relief at having avoided or survived the disastrous years of 1665 and 1666 in London.

Eighth Subpart: The Lee Connection

Armed with the new information about the wife of Jarvis Ballard, I then went back to the records I had collected on early Ballards in Boston. I remembered that I had seen something about a Ballard/Lee connection. In Volume 6 of the Genealogical Register, supra, at p.73, was an entry from “Samuel Sewal’s Diary” for March 15, 1686-7: “Mrs. Ballard, Mr. Lee’s sister, dies suddenly.”  From the date and location, this could certainly be a reference to Mary, the wife of Jarvis. The title “Mrs.,” as used in those days, implied someone with a high social rank, as would have been true for the merchant Jarvis and his wife and their connections through the marriage of their daughter into the influential Lynde family. Although official Boston death records are incomplete and evidently do not show the death of any Ballard in 1687, I believe the circumstances cited above (as well as some confirming facts cited below) are sufficient to justify the conclusion that this entry does indeed refer to Mary Lee Ballard, the wife of Jarvis Ballard.

The next question, of course, has to do with the identity of the brother “Mr. Lee” mentioned in the diary entry. Once again, the title “Mr.,” as used in those days, implied someone who enjoyed an elevated social status. The compiler of the extracts from Samuel Sewall’s diary apparently simplified our search, for on the same published page that contains the entry about Mrs. Ballard’s death in 1686-7 is an earlier entry for August 22, 1686: “Mr. Lee the minister arrives from England.”According to Genealogical Dictionary, supra, at p. 73, the minister mentioned in Sewall’s diary in 1686 must be Samuel Lee, since it states that that minister had been born in 1623, educated at Magdalen College, Oxford, and arrived in Boston on August 22, 1686. Just as importantly, it does not mention any other candidate who would clearly fit the description of “Mr. Lee” in Boston in 1686-7. It appears from what we know, therefore, that the most reasonable interpretation of the entries is that the minister Samuel Lee was the brother of Mary Lee Ballard, the wife of Jarvis Ballard.

Additional information on Samuel Lee can be found in L. Stephen & S. Lee, eds., The Dictionary of National Biography, Vol. 11, pp. 818-19 (London, 1937-1938). It is stated there that he was a “puritan divine, born in 1625 … the only son of Samuel Lee, haberdasher of small wares in Fish Street Hill, London. He was probably connected with the Lees of Cheshire, for which county he entertained ‘an exuberant and natural love’ …. He was educated at St. Paul’s School under Dr Gill, entered Magdalen Hall, Oxford, in 1647, and was created M.A. by the parliamentary visitors on 14 April 1648. He was elected fellow of Wadham College on 3 Oct. 1648 … proctor for 1651 … bursar of his college in 1648, 1650, and 1654, sub-warden in 1652, and dean in 1653…. In July 1655 he was made minister of St. Botolph’s, Bishopsgate, by Cromwell…. After the Restoration he … preached in various London churches, and occasionally resided on an estate he possessed at Bignal, near Bicester in Oxfordshire. [Later,] he became joint pastor with Theophilus Gale … in Baker’s Court, Holborn; but … on Gale’s death, removed to Newington Green, where he was minister of an independent congregation till 1686. He migrated to New England in 1686, and on the formation of a church in Bristol in Rhode Island was chosen minister on 8 May 1687, but after the revolution he decided to return to England…. His ship was seized by a French privateer and taken to St. Malo. His wife and daughter were separated from him and, unknown to him, were sent to England. Overcome with grief, he died at St. Malo of a fever about Christmas 1691, and was buried obscurely outside the town…. Lee was a good scholar, speaking Latin fluently, and being well acquainted with chemistry and physic. Cotton Mather considered that ‘hardly ever a more universally learned person trod the American strand’ (Magnalia, edit.1853, i.602).”In his will, which he had written in 1685 in Abbots Langley in Hertfordshire, he left land, money and books to his wife Martha and his four daughters, Rebecca, Anna, Lydia and Elizabeth. Rebecca married John Saffin of Boston; Anna married Henry Wyrley of New Bristol; and Lydia married John George, a Boston merchant, and, after his death, became, on July 5, 1715, the third wife of Cotton Mather. Thus, the niece of Jarvis Ballard and of his wife Mary became the third and last wife of the renowned author and preacher Cotton Mather. Lydia Lee George Mather died on January 22, 1733-4, thereby surviving her famous husband by several years. See Dictionary of National Biography, supra, at 818; “Genealogical Gleanings in England,” Genealogical Register, supra, Vol. 44, pp.393-94. Using the published biographical information on Samuel Lee as a guide, I then attempted to locate his London birth record by means of a computer search of the information available at “www.familysearch.com”.

From the information quoted above, I knew that he was reportedly the son of another Samuel Lee who resided in London, possibly near Fish Street Hill (which is the name of a street near the north end of London Bridge), and that he was born in approximately 1623 or 1625. Although the year of baptism was two years more recent than even the later of the two published dates of birth, I was able to locate one very good candidate: a Samuel Lee, son of Samuel Lee, baptized on August 29, 1627, at the church of Saint Leonard Eastcheap, London. This church was located in the right area: at the corner of Fish Street Hill and Eastcheap. When I further checked to see if he had a sister named Mary, I found an entry for Mary Lee, daughter of Samuel Lee, baptized on November 18, 1636, at St. Leonard Eastcheap, London. From age and location, this could certainly be the Mary Lee who in 1656 married Jarvis Ballard.

Ninth Subpart: Possible Connections to Other Massachusetts Ballards

I have not seriously begun to investigate possible connections to the other Ballard families in Massachusetts. I have read that in 1635 William Ballard (age 32) and his wife Elizabeth (age 26) and their children Hester (age 2) and John (age 1) left England on board the James. This family evidently settled in Lynn, Massachusetts, where William died in 1639. Elizabeth married, secondly, William Knight of Salem and, thirdly, Allen Breed. See, e.g., “William Ballard of Lynn,” The Essex Genealogist, Vol. 16, p.71 (1996). Some sources suggest that Elizabeth’s maiden name was “Lee.” See, e.g., New England Marriages, supra, at 38: “BALLARD, William (1603-1639/41) & 2/wf? Elizabeth [Lee] (1609-) (1/wf Mary?), m/2 William KNIGHT, m/3 Allen BREED 1656; b 1632; Lynn”.  Interestingly, the above-cited article on the family of William Ballard in The Essex Genealogist does not mention a possible maiden name for Elizabeth; and a similar article on the Knight family suggests that she may have been born a “Potter.” See “William Knight of Lynn,” The Essex Genealogist, Vol. 18, pp.71, 73 (1998). I have not yet had a chance to review a third article in the same publication on the Breed family for suggestions as to Elizabeth’s origins. The Breed article is published in Vol. 11, No. 4; Vol. 12, Nos. 1-4; Vol. 13, Nos. 1-3.On the basis of these few pieces of information, two possibilities for a connection to the Jarvis Ballards of Boston are suggested: the “Knight” family and the “Lee” family. Since these two names were not uncommon in the British Isles or Massachusetts, the names alone are not sufficient to establish a connection. More details are certainly needed. In the case of the “Knights,” we have references to two persons, one in Salem (William Knight) and the other in Boston (Robert Knight). My quick review of the published sources did not reveal any more specific connection.

A possible connection through the “Lee” family is even more difficult for me to research, since I do not know the source for the contention that the maiden name of Elizabeth was “Lee.”  Since several members of one family often intermarried with several members of another family, such a commonality of maiden names, if it could be shown, would be at least a strong suggestion of a connection. Without knowing more, however, my worry is that someone has taken the above-cited passage from “Samuel Sewal’s Diary” about the sudden death in 1686-7 in Boston of a “Mrs. Ballard” who was the sister of “Mr. Lee” and used that as a basis for concluding that Elizabeth Ballard’s maiden name was Lee. Such a conclusion might be more understandable if we did not know that the maiden name of the wife of Jarvis Ballard was “Lee.” Even without this knowledge, however, it would not make sense to interpret the passage in such a way. For instance, Elizabeth remarried twice after her marriage to William Ballard; in 1686-7, if she were still alive, she would not be known as “Mrs. Ballard.” If someone knows of another source for the contention that Elizabeth was born a “Lee,” I would be most interested to learn more about it.

A third possible connection, this time through the Lynde/Valentine families, is mentioned in Ballard-Ballord Bits. According to that book, John Valentine and Mary Lynde Valentine (the daughter of Samuel Lynde and Mary Ballard Lynde, and the granddaughter of Jarvis Ballard, the elder) had seven children, the fourth of whom was Colonel Thomas Valentine (born 8/3/1713), who moved in about 1730 to Hopkinton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and who was Vice-Governor of Port Royal. On 7/17/1735, he married Elizabeth Gooch, and they later had eleven children. Reportedly, Elizabeth Valentine, the third child (born 5/18/1739) lived in Vermont and married Zaccheus Ballard; and Mary Valentine, the ninth child (born 11/14/1747) lived in Oxford, Worcester County, Massachusetts, and married Joseph Ballard.

Zaccheus and Joseph Ballard were said to be brothers and descendents of William Ballard of Lynn, Massachusetts through Nathaniel (born c1636 in Lynn) and William Ballard (born 4/23/1686 in Lynn, removed to Framingham). I have not double-checked the records that support this connection. If accurate, though, it would certainly imply a possible relationship between William Ballard of Lynn and Jarvis Ballard of Maryland and Boston.

Tenth Subpart: English Connections of Jarvis Ballard (the Elder)

Although we were able to trace Jarvis Ballard and his wife Mary back to England, we could not yet connect him to a specific Ballard family there. Since London drew people from all over the British Isles and even from the Continent, it is nearly impossible to use a residence there, by itself, as a lead to earlier origins. Nevertheless, Jarvis Ballard’s social status, London neighbors and relatively unusual first name offer some clues. We know that Jarvis Ballard was a merchant who was active during his lifetime in at least Maryland, Boston and Virginia. He was obviously well connected in all three locations. He and his immediate descendants married into merchant families who provided community leaders at the highest level: ministers, judges and political officials. Since Jarvis lived in an era when social mobility was restricted, we can assume that his immediate ancestors, at least, also enjoyed a higher social status.

As seen above, we further know that Jarvis was the brother of Charles Ballard of Somerset County, Maryland. Of course, he may also have been related to Colonel Thomas Ballard of Virginia. They enjoyed a similar social status, and Jarvis chose York County as his Virginia location, where Thomas had been Clerk of the Court and where Thomas Jr. had inherited an historic plantation (and probably was just moving in about the time of Jarvis’ arrival). In fact, the primary focus of Jarvis’ legal activities in Virginia was a lawsuit against Richard Awborne, who was a successor of Thomas Ballard, Sr. as Clerk of the York County Court. (For possible connections to the other Massachusetts Ballards, see above.)

Of course, one place to look for clues to the origin of Jarvis Ballard would be the neighborhood where we know he lived in London, i.e. the parish of St. Botolph without Aldgate. Were there other Ballards there and would any be candidates as relatives? The answer to both of these questions is “yes.”

From the parish records, it can be determined that, besides Jarvis Ballard and Mary, there were at least three other Ballard families having children in the parish during the 1650’s: Henry and Alice, Stephen and Isabell and Thomas and Ann.

If the Henry Ballard is the one who died 2/20/1657, he was described as a “laborer,” which would seemingly eliminate him as a close relative. We do not know much about Stephen Ballard, except that he was living in Dock Alley (see entry for the death of his daughter 11/17/1653). The Thomas who was married to Ann was described as a “vintner” and lived in the “Minores,” a street that ran between Aldgate and the Tower of London. The fact that he was a vintner or wine-merchant meant that he was engaged in a respected trade. The fact that he lived in the Minores meant that he was not far from Tower Hill, where Jarvis and Mary Ballard resided. In other words, this Thomas could indeed have been a relative. And, as I knew from elsewhere, this Thomas Ballard, fortunately, had left a will. See Index of Wills Proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Vol. VIII (1657-1660), p.36 (referencing 1659/436)(The Index Library, Vol. 61, 1936).

Before moving on, however, just a few more words about what the parish records tell us about this Thomas Ballard and Ann. They had several children in or near the 1650’s, i.e., Thomas (baptized 3/1/1651-2, where his mother was said to be “Mary,” and died 1/10/1653, where his mother was said to be Ann), Edward (baptized 7/13/1653 and died 6/11/1656), Thomas (born 1/25/1654-5), Ann (she was born 12/31/1657, and, when she died 9/22/1664, was said to be the step-daughter of Mr. Gerbert) and Richard Ballard (died 8/14/1656). Thomas Ballard, vintner from the Minores, died 8/10/1659. After his death, his widow Ann evidently married Timothy Gerbert and had a daughter named Jane baptized on 3/31/1664 and a son named Benjamin baptized on 6/21/1667 (at which time Timothy Gerbert was said to be deceased). In view of the high mortality rate during this era, as demonstrated by the family of this Thomas Ballard, it is no wonder that many Englishmen decided to brave the pioneer life of America. (Note: I took notes on all Ballards who were mentioned in the records of St. Botolph, but have mentioned only a few here. I will, however, provide a complete list in a later installment.)

I had earlier found another Ballard connection to St. Botolph without Aldgate. In a reference to the will of Ellen Ballard of Southwell in Nottinghamshire (proved 1657), it was mentioned that she was a widow and that she had lately resided in the parish of St. Botolph without Aldgate in London. Index of Wills Proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Vol. VIII (1657-1660), supra, p.35 (referencing 1657/372). I also found a reference to the will (proved 1654) of Edward Ballard of Southwell, who died a few years earlier. Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Vol. VII (1653-1656), p.30 (referencing 1654/73) (The Index Library, Vol. 54, 1925). Since the Ballards of Southwell had often been mentioned as possible ancestors of the Ballards in America, I was, of course, very interested if the St. Botolph church records mentioned Ellen Ballard at all and whether they made a connection between her and any other Ballard. I was therefore gratified to locate an entry for her burial dated 9/8/1657. More importantly, the entry in the burial register stated that she was a “widow from Mr. Ballards in ye Minores.” As seen above, we knew that Thomas Ballard, the vintner, was living in the Minores. The “Mr. Ballard” from the entry was probably that Thomas, whom I deduced may have been a son with whom she was living after the death of her husband in Southwell. I therefore made arrangements to obtain copies of the above-mentioned wills of Thomas, Ellen and Edward Ballard.

A few weeks later, these wills arrived from the Public Record Office in England. When I first started to read them, I realized that they contained the link for which I had been searching. Since this installment is already so long, I will just give a summary of them here.

The will of Edward Ballard of Southwell was dated 9/26/1653, and was proved 8/28/1654. See PROB11/234/fol.178v. Edward requested that he be buried in the Collegiate Church of Southwell next to his father (unnamed). He gave the benefit of property located in Southwell, Easthorpe, Westhorpe, Upton and Hallam in the County of Nottingham to his wife Ellen during her lifetime. He named his children as follows: Edward (eldest son), Thomas (second son), Jarvase, Robert, Elizabeth, Flora, Alice, Katherine and Charles (youngest son). The witnesses were Martyn Ballard, Minister and James Keay.

The will of Ellen Ballard of Southwell was dated 5/9/1656, and proved 10/12/1657. See PROB11/268/fol.108r. She named her children: Edward, Thomas (and his sons Edward and Thomas), Gervase, Robert, Charles, Elizabeth (married to Bayley), Flora, Alice and Katherine. Edward Ballard was her late husband. Thomas Rippon and Martin Ballard were witnesses. A codicil was witnessed by William Clay and John Kendrick.

The will of Thomas Ballard of the Minores in the Parish of “Buttolph Algate” in London, Vintner, Citizen and Haberdasher was dated 7/4/1659, and proved 8/24/1659. See PROB11/394/fol.28v. Thomas requested that he be buried in the South yard of the Church of “Buttolph Algate” near his deceased mother and his children. He named his brother and sisters: Edward Ballard, Elizabeth Baylie, Flora Ballard, Jarvis Ballard, Alice Morehouse, Robert Ballard, Charles Ballard and Katherine Ballard. He also named his children: Thomas and Ann. His wife Ann was made executrix. The witnesses were John Butler and John Bullock his servant.

In connection with the other facts mentioned above, these wills offer (in my opinion) convincing proof that the parents of Jarvis Ballard of Maryland and Boston and of his brother Charles Ballard of Maryland were Edward and Ellen Ballard of Southwell in Nottinghamshire. The Southwell Ballards were listed in the Visitation of Nottinghamshire in 1614, although an Edward was not mentioned. (See below.) See The Visitations of the County of Nottingham in the Years 1569 and 1614, p.104 (Publications of the Harleian Society, Vol. 4, 1871). It is probable that the eldest son, Edward Ballard, Jr., who inherited the bulk of the property belonging to his father, remained in Southwell. In the Nottinghamshire hearth tax of 1674, the only Ballard listed in Southwell was Edward Ballard, who was taxed for four hearths. Nottinghamshire Hearth Tax 1664 : 1674, p.100 (Thoroton Society Record Series, Vol. 37, 1988).

As seen above, the second oldest son Thomas Ballard moved to London and died there in 1659. It is not known from the records located so far what became of the son Robert Ballard (baptized 9/3/1635 — see below). Possibly, he was the Robert Ballard of St. Mary’s, White Chapel (the area just to the east of Aldgate) who on 11/30/1663 at the age of about 27 (the son of Edward by that name would have just turned 28) obtained a license to marry Anne Page of St. Michael’s, Cornhill, London at Trinity, Minories, London. See Allegations for Marriage Licenses by the Vicar-General of the Archbishop of Canterbury, 1660 to 1668, G. Armytage, ed., p.118 (Publications of the Harleian Society, Vol. 33, 1892). About two years later, on October 12, 1665 (during the plague), a Robert Ballard from White Chapel was buried at St. Botolph without Aldgate (perhaps near his mother and brother).

Although the above-mentioned wills demonstrate that Daniel Ballard, Isaac Ballard, Samuel Ballard and the William Ballards of Massachusetts and Colonel Thomas Ballard of Virginia were not the brothers of Jarvis and Charles Ballard, these records should, nevertheless, provide further clues in the search for their ancestors.  Even if not brothers, they may be otherwise closely related.

Eleventh Subpart: The Family and Ancestors of Edward Ballard of Southwell, Nottinghamshire

Because the parents of Jarvis Ballard, the elder, were from Southwell in Nottinghamshire, I next decided to see what church records were still available for that city. I was not very optimistic, however, since I had read that most of the records had been destroyed in the English Civil War. See, e.g., Historical Manuscript Commission, Manuscripts of the Duke of Beaufort K.G., the Earl of Donoughmore, and Others, p.539 (London, 1891): “The records of the Minster of Southwell, which are preserved in the Library … are extremely scanty. It is said that most of the muniments were formerly kept in the adjoining palace of the archbishops of York, and that they perished when that building was rifled and unroofed after the Civil War by Parliamentary soldiers.” I was therefore surprised to see that the Morman Family History Center supposedly had a transcript of the parish registers of Southwell for baptisms and burials from 1559 to 1837, with an index. I immediately ordered the microfilm (No. 1526414) and, when it arrived, was happy to confirm that is was true. I also discovered that the Southwell marriages for this time period were published in Volume 16 of the Nottinghamshire Parish Registers, Marriages, pp.1-121 (London, 1912). (The original registers are apparently not available on microfilm at the Family History Centers.) (I will include a list of all entries from the transcript and published marriage records relating to the Ballards from Southwell in an installment to follow shortly.)

The parish transcripts made it easy to determine the exact dates of the baptisms of the children of Edward and Ellen Ballard:(1) 8/4/1622 Edward(2) 12/8/1623 Elizabeth(3) 7/14/1626 Thomas(4) 2/8/1628 Flora(5) 9/8/1630 Gervase(6) 9/16/1632 Alice(7) 9/3/1635 Robert(8) 2/15/1637 Charles(9) 8/8/1640 Katherine

These records show that Jarvis was probably born on or shortly before 9/8/1630, the date he was baptized.  Ellen, the wife of Edward Ballard and the mother of Jarvis Ballard, was nearly certainly the “Hellen” (“Ellen” and “Helen” were evidently interchangeable) who was listed as the daughter of Thomas Grant of Allington in Lincolnshire and Agnes Robinson his wife in the Lincolnshire Pedigrees. Lincolnshire Pedigrees, Vol. II, p.420 (Publications of the Harleian Society, Vol. 51, 1903). That Hellen was said to have been unmarried on 8/9/1617 and to have later married an Edward Ballard. That her husband was the Edward Ballard of Southwell is made almost certain by the fact that Edward Ballard’s mother’s family owned land in Allington (see below). The Grant Pedigree states that Ellen’s father Thomas Grant was the son of Thomas Grant, who was the son of Thomas Grant, who was the son of Robert Grant of Allington.

Since there is no baptismal record for Edward Ballard in the Southwell parish registers, other records needed to be used to determine his parents. According to a Public Records Office publication, a “request” was made by “Alice, widow of Wm., and Edward her son (Not.)” sometime between 1603 and 1625. Public Record Office, London, Proceedings in the Court of Requests, Vol. 4 (James I), p.19 (referencing Bundle 296, No. 5) (Lists and Indexes: Supplementary Series, No. VII, Millwood, N.Y., 1974). Two other published references to William Ballard and his wife Alice were located: In Abstracts of Nottinghamshire Marriage Licences, Vol. I, p.582 (The Index Library, Vol. 58, 1930), the following marriage license was listed: “Nov. 18, 1589. William Ballard, the younger, of Southwell, gent., & Alice Martyn, of Newark. (William Ballarde, of Southwell, senior, is bondsman with the above William. Marriage recorded Southwell registers, 19th Nov., 1589.)” See also Nottingham Parish Registers, Marriages, supra, at Vol. 16, p.12. In another volume of the Public Records Office publications on Chancery Proceeding before Bridges’ Division, it was recorded that William Ballard and Alice his wife, plaintiffs, had sued Margaret Martyn, widow, and others in 1614 concerning land in East and West Allington and Gonerby in Lincolnshire. Public Record Office, Index of Chancery Proceedings Bridges’ Division, 1613-1714 Preserved in the Public Record Office, Vol. I. A-C, p.253 (Lists and Indexes, No. XXXIX, New York, 1963)

During a recent trip passing through London, I spent a few hours at the Public Record Office. My two top priorities were the Court of Requests and Court of Chancery proceedings mentioned above. Even though my time was short, I was able to take a brief look at both files. The Court of Requests file (REQ 2/295/5) consisted of three pages. It concerned land within the Parish of Southwell. According to testimony of Edward Ballard, a George Malyn conveyed land to Edward’s grandfather William Ballard, gent., who a year or two later conveyed the land as an inheritance to Edward’s father William Ballard. In May 1616, his late father made a will and gave Edward the said lands, and shortly afterwards departed this life. The Chancery records (C5/589/68) consist of one document, dated 7/9/1614. That document mentioned William Ballard of Southwell, gent. and Alice his wife, the sole daughter and heir of John Martyn (also spelled “Martin”) late of East Allington in the County of Lincoln, yeoman. Martyn agreed to convey lands in East Allington, West Allington and Gonerby to William and Alice Ballard and their heirs to become their property after the death of himself and his then wife Isabell. He then, in fact, conveyed the land as promised to Martin Ballard, one of the sons of William and Alice. Later, Isabell died and John Martyn married Margaret Leake, sister of Richard Leake, who, after the death of John Martyn, allegedly combined with Symon Buttree to disinherit the Ballards. The Martin Ballard mentioned here, who must have been a brother of Edward, was most likely the minister who acted as a witness to the wills of both Edward and Ellen (see above). From these documents, we can see that Edward Ballard, the father of Jarvis, was the son of William Ballard (Junior) (who died in 1616) and his wife Alice Martyn, and that he was the grandson of an earlier William Ballard (Senior).The Southwell church registers show that William Ballard (Junior), the father of Edward was baptized on 3/23/1564 and was buried 7/24/1616. As mentioned above, he married Alice Martyn on 11/19/1589.

The baptism of only one child of theirs was mentioned in the Southwell parish registers: a daughter Frances, baptized 4/18/1603 (who was buried in nearby Edingley on 8/22/1604). The other children, including their sons Edward, Martin and probably William, must have been born elsewhere. According to his son Edward’s testimony (see above), he left a will, a copy of which I have not yet been able to locate.William Ballard (Senior), the father of William (Junior), would be the one shown in the Visitation of Nottinghamshire of 1614 as having married Anne, the daughter of Lunn of Welley in Nottinghamshire. See The Visitation of the County of Nottingham, supra, p.104. There are, however, some problems with this marriage information. First of all, there does not appear to be a “Welley” in Nottinghamshire, although that name has evidently been used as an alternative to “Wellow” (see Heinrich Mutschmann, The Place-Names of Nottinghamshire, p.148 (Cambridge, 1913). Secondly, the parish registers show that William married Agnes Robertson on November 23, 1562. See Nottingham Parish Registers, Marriages, supra, at Vol. 16, p.5. Since an Agnes Ballard is mentioned as a godmother on 11/8/1565, 7/29/1570, 1/27/1570, 8/30/1572, 11/22/1572 and 4/12/1573, she would appear to be still alive (and thus the mother) when the two sons of William Ballard (Senior) who survived into adulthood, Henry and William, were born (see below).

Complicating the matter, however, is the appearance of an Anne Ballard as a godmother on 5/31/1567, 6/3/1570, 10/15/1572, 12/20/1573, 5/9/1574 and 11/27/1574. On 10/21/1596, an Anne Ballard was buried, who was said to be the wife of William Bullard (sic). (There was evidently no marriage recorded in Southwell between William and an “Anne,” and no burial recorded for an “Agnes” Ballard.) Although not a clean solution from a genealogical point of view, perhaps William’s wife was known both as “Agnes” and “Anne.” Even if that were true, however, the question of her maiden name would remain. Because of the questionable accuracy of the printed Visitation and the second-hand nature of the parish register information, it is difficult to know which version is correct. Perhaps a review of the Visitation documents and the original parish registers would help to clarify this discrepancy.

The parish registers further show that William Ballard (Senior) had the following children:(1) 3/4/1563-4 Henry (most of Henry’s children were named in the Visitation) (buried 1/14/1621-2)(2) 3/23/1564-5 William(3) 4/6/1566 Anne (buried 11/22/1573)(4) 12/14/1568 John (buried 1/4/1568-9).William’s burial does not seem to be included in the transcript of the parish registers, but it must have occurred sometime between 12/9/1596, when his will (PROB11/106/68) was written, and 1605, when it was probated. In it, he mentions his sons William Ballard (Junior) and Henry Ballard and his nephew William Ballard.

According to the Visitation of Nottinghamshire, the father of William Ballard (Senior) was Phillip Ballard of Greenwich in the County of Kent (now part of Greater London), who married Joane, the daughter of Edward Fitzwilliams. Although this may be true, I have not yet had a chance to confirm it with other records. I do note, however, that several generations of Ballards were to be found in Nottinghamshire during the late fourteenth, fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. See, for example, Abstracts of the Inquisitiones Post Mortem relating to Nottinghamshire, Vol. I (Henry VII and Henry VIII, 1485 to 1546), pp.101, 129, 142, 170, 183, 193, 205 and 211 (Thoroton Society. Record Series, Vol. 3, 1905); Abstracts of the Inquisitiones Post Mortem relating to Nottinghamshire 1350-1436, pp.134, 147, 151, 162, 169, 189 and 192 (Thoroton Society. Record Series, Vol. 12, 1949); Inquisitiones Post Mortem Relating to Nottinghamshire 1437-1485, pp.4, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16, 26, 34, 40, 41, 80, 82 (Thoroton Society. Record Series, Vol. 17, 1956). Many of these earlier Ballards may be connected with the Ballards of Wymeswold, Leicestershire, who owned land in the southern part of Nottinghamshire.  I mention them here only to show that there are possible alternatives to the ancestor given in the Visitation.

Twelfth Subpart: Later Jarvis Ballards in Boston and North Carolina

The records from Somerset County, Maryland show that the name Jarvis Ballard survived well into the eighteenth century in that area. Since it may have genealogical significance when it appears elsewhere, I mention here two instances where Jarvis Ballards are found outside of Maryland or Boston in the first half of the eighteenth century (with the exception of Jarvis and Jarvis, Jr. in Boston). In 1722 and 1723, a “Jarvis Ballard” witnessed a deed in Chowan Precinct, Albemarle County, North Carolina and then acknowledged his signature a month and a half later: “#1543 pg. 347 Robert Fewox of Chowan Prect., Cooper and Martha his wife to John Worley of the Prect. Afrsd., Esquire 4 Feb. 1722 18 L sterling Money acres (not given), joining Samuel Spruill and John Davenport which sd. Land was formerly known to be William Hardy’s Island Wit.: Thomas Everanden, Jarvis Ballard Ack. 27 Mar. 1723 by Jarvis Ballard before me, C. Gale, Ch. Just. Reg. 6 Apr. 1723″. Margaret Hofmann, Chowan Precinct North Carolina 1696 to 1723: Genealogical Abstracts of Deed Books, p.192 (Welden, N.C., 1972). Charles Barham, the author of Some Notes on the Ballard, Sumner, Baker and Norsworthy (Nosworthy) Families of Virginia and North Carolina, (Chattanooga, 1995) made reference to the appearance of Jarvis as a witness to this deed in his list of early North Carolina Ballards (p.5). On the basis of the various records that he located (evidently including only this one on Jarvis), the author then attempted to put all listed Ballards into one family: “The probable solution of this family tangle, and the one which satisfies me, fitting as it does all the evidence, is that the John Ballard, mentioned as of 1701-02, whose wife was Margaret, had four sons; first, John, who died in 1736 and whose wife was Mary; second, Joseph, who died in 1729 and whose children were, sons Elias and Elisha, daughters Susannah and Hester; third, Jarvis, and fourth, Ralph, who will hereafter be mentioned as the father of Abraham Ballard.” (P.6) Although no document was cited that tied Jarvis Ballard to the family of John Ballard other than the one just mentioned, showing only that Jarvis was briefly in the same area, the ascription seems to have stuck. At least some of the currently circulating lists of John Ballard’s children still include a “Jarvis.” If no better documentary or circumstantial evidence can be found, I believe this Jarvis Ballard should, rather, be put into an “unknown” category.

Ballard-Ballord Bits speculated that the Jarvis Ballard of Chowan Precinct, North Carolina was “perhaps” the son of Charles Ballard of Maryland (see above), and it cited the above-mentioned record after his entry. See pp.98 and185. More research might clarify this matter. The other witness to the Chowan Precinct deed, Thomas “Everanden,” might offer a clue. The records from Somerset County, Maryland show that a Thomas “Everton” was born to Thomas and Jane Everton on 8/15/1697. Ruth T. Dryden, Parish of Somerset: Records of Somerset County Maryland, p.3 (San Diego, c1987). About the same time, the Somerset records also refer to a Thomas “Everden,” sometimes written “Evernden” or “Everenden.” They Lived In Somerset: 17th Century Marylanders, supra, at p.35.

Another reference to a Jarvis Ballard outside of Maryland is contained in a bill of sale from York, York County, Massachusetts (now Maine) dated 11/3/1742 that is now in the manuscript collection of the Virginia Historical Society. In it, Joseph Willson and Jarvis Ballard are witnesses to the sale of the sloop “May Flower” by Nathan Adams, mariner, to John Snow of Boston, mariner. Mss 2, Ad193, al. In the sprawling signature of Jarvis Ballard, the “Jarvis” is somewhat difficult to read, but the VHS has (apparently correctly) interpreted the writing as spelling “Jarvis” and has so entered it into the card catalog. On the back of the bill of sale is a receipt dated 12/3/1742 from John Snow to Ebenezer Prout, evidently issued in return for the payment of a first installment on the purchase of the entire ship by Prout. Although unlikely, one has to wonder if there is any connection between the “John Snow” of Boston who purchased the ship and the “John Snow” of Louisa County, Virginia who a few months later, on 3/23-24/1742-3 sold land in Orange County, Virginia to Thomas Ballard. Orange County Deed Book 7, pp.209-11; Orange County, Virginia Deed Books 5, 6, 7 and 8 (1741-1743), p.52 (Washington, D.C., 1971).

Addendum to the Report on Jarvis Ballard

While I was looking through Ballard-Ballord Bits (1978) in connection with the report on the Southwell Ballards, I came across a reference that I had read before but did not fully understand until now. On page 1, discussing William Ballard of Lynn, Massachusetts, that book states the following with respect to his wife: “WILLIAM BALLARD m (2) as her first husband Elizabeth Lee who was b[orn] c1607 in England (p 45), d[ied] suddenly Mar 15, 1687, in Mass (p 73)….” I now realize that Ballard-Ballord Bits was citing here the quote from “Samuel Sewal’s Diary” (New-England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 6, p.73 (1852)) as the basis for its conclusion that the maiden name of Elizabeth was Lee. See the Ninth Subpart of my report on Jarvis Ballard. This is the exactly the worry I expressed in that Subpart. Since we now know that the “Mrs. Ballard, Mr. Lee’s sister” of the diary was in all probability Mary the wife of Jarvis Ballard, and not Elizabeth, serious doubt is cast on the conclusion that Elizabeth’s maiden name was Lee. All the other references to her maiden name being Lee (that I have seen) postdate 1978, the publication date of Ballard-Ballord Bits, and are likely based on the faulty conclusion contained in that book. Unless someone else has another basis for the same conclusion, I do not believe that there is sufficient evidence to support the assertion that the maiden name of Elizabeth was Lee.

As mentioned in the Ninth Subpart of the Jarvis Ballard report, an argument is made in an article concerning Elizabeth’s second husband William Knight that her maiden name may have been “Potter.” See “William Knight of Lynn,” The Essex Genealogist, Vol. 18, pp.71-73 (1998). The basis for the argument is a reference in William Knight’s will to “our brother Nicholas Potter.” The relevant segment reads: “I make my wife Elizabeth my lawful Executor. I likewise make our brother Nicholas Potter and George Keaser and John Witt to be overseers of this my last will.” According to the article, there is documentation that eliminates the possibility that Nicholas Potter was married to Knight’s sister: “Some researchers have claimed that William Knight had a sister Emma who married in England Nicholas Potter, and that is why William Knight, in his will, called Nicholas Potter, ‘brother.’  However, the Newport-Pagnell Register in Aylesbury (Buckinghamshire) England, gives the marriage of Nicholas Potter to Eme Carter, on 22 April 1628 (Aylesbury Parish Register).”  A transcript of the Newport Pagnell marriages, including the one just mentioned between Nicholas Potter and Eme Carter, can also be found in Buckingham Parish Registers, Marriages, Vol. 9, p.20 (London, 1923). Determining Elizabeth’s correct maiden name and place of origin should provide an important clue in the search for the parents and birthplace of her first husband William Ballard, since they were already married before coming to America.

July 7, 2000