BFHA-RC-000032
Research record and source registry for William Robert Ball. This archive entry preserves the corresponding publication section for website research review.
Publication excerpt:
WILLIAM ROBERT BALL: Sampson, Bartholomew; William, Sr. William Robert Ball, son of Sampson Ball and wife Margaret (Shields) Laurens was born about 1796 in St. Peters Parish, Beaufort County, South Carolina. William married, date unknown, Margaret Sarah Mulligan, born in 1804 in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Sarah’s parents were John Mulligan, 1776-1840, born in Ireland and Catherine Merry, 1786-1876, born in Massachusetts. There were three children born to William and Margaret, a son, Edward Ball, born in 1823; and two daughters, Louisa Ball, born in 1827, and Lavina Ball born in 1830; all were born in South Carolina. William Ball’s occupation is not known, but he was born and raised on a large plantation, so it stands to reason that he was schooled in agriculture and he did own considerable amount of land. William Ball evidently was well known and respected in Randolph County, Georgia, where they moved to after 1830. His wealth is not known, but he did have money. In 1839, he agreed to post bond for a man named Raspberry, accused of murder. Raspberry fled the country but was caught and jailed in Mississippi. It was William Ball’s responsibility to go after Raspberry and bring him back. On the return trip, Raspberry somehow got possession of William Ball’s hand gun and shot and killed him. His body was returned to Cuthbert where he was buried. Edward Ball was 16 years of age when his father died, Louisa was 12 years old and Lavina was 9 years of age. They were provided for and cared for. They apparently lived with relatives in Barbour County, Alabama because there are Probate records and census records on them there. In 1833, Jane Shields of Beaufort County, South Carolina, an unmarried sister of their grandmother, Margaret (Shields) Laurens Ball, deeded her estate to the children, and on 27 December 1839, prior to his illfated trip to Mississippi, their father made a deed of trust to William B. DeLoach, trustee for the three minor children.