BFHA-RC-000041
GEORGE BALL: William, Jr.; William, Sr. George Ball was probably born in St. Johns Parish, Berkeley County, South Carolina. His mother’s name and the date of his birth is unknown, but he was born prior to or during the year 1729, as his father, William Ball, Jr., died in March of 1729. “MEMORANDUM that on this present fourteenth day of April Anno Dom 1729, personally came and appeared before me, Peter De St. Julien and Samuel Du Bourdieu, being five of the appraisers appointed and by the within warrant of appraisement, were sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God to make a full and perfect inventory and appraisement of all such goods of William Ball, Jun’r, late deceased, as should be shown to them by Hugh Butler, Esqr., Admin. of all and singular, the goods, rights and credits of the said deceased, and to cause due return to be made of the same. (signed) Peter De St Julien. Sworn before me this 14 day of April 1729.
Slaves were: August, Prince of Primus, Codjo or Joe1.” George inherited the 500-acre plantation granted to Richard Ball in 1704 as an heir, as the elder son in the family would have done, and it appeared from this that George might have been a son of Richard. This was not the case, though. It seemed likely that Richard and William, Jr. may have been brothers, and if so, George and Sampson would have been first cousins; but according to the will of George, on page 288, William, Jr. was Sampson’s nephew, which meant that George’s father had to be a brother of Sampson.
George’s father could not have been Bartholomew because George was born not later than 1729, and Bartholomew was not married until 1733. George’s father, therefore, had to be William Ball, Jr. or a brother of Sampson; Bartholomew and William, Jr. yet unknown, which is unlikely. The date of the inheritance of the 500 acres from Richard Ball is unknown, but on 21 December 1750, George signed his last Will and Testament and this property, plus the 300 acres he knew he would inherit some day from his uncle Sampson Ball, was included.
George Ball was named as one of the executors of the will of his uncle Sampson Ball and an administrator of his estates in 1753 3. He and Ann Cook inherited their Uncle Sampson Ball’s estate on the south side of the Santee River, which was 300 acres of land that was granted to their grandfather, William Ball, Jr. in 1711; which their uncle Sampson Ball inherited in 1733, through his right of primogeniture. George Ball married Catherine Little, but the date of the marriage is unknown. If George was born in 1729, he was 21 years old in 1750. He died in April 1754, one year after his uncle Sampson Ball.
George died without issue, and in his will he divided his estate as follows: “one third part of all my moveable estate goods and chattels, rights and credits to be raised in moneys and paid to my aforesaid wife as soon as may be by my executors hereafter to be named and further, it is my will, and I do order that the other two thirds of all my moveable estate be equally divided between my brothers and sisters, to be paid to my brothers at the age of nineteen years, and to my sisters at the age of eighteen or the day of their marriage. And further, I give and bequeath unto my brother, Samuel Little, hundred acres situate being and lying in St. Johns Parish near Strands Spring, and further, I give and bequeath unto my brother, William Little, and his heirs forever, one tract of land containing three hundred acres of land, more or less which tract of land is joining lands of Henry145 Ravenol, which is near Fergusons Swamp in St. Johns Parish …….
In witness thereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty-first day of December Anno Domini one thousand seven hundred and fifty three, the twenty-seventh year of his majesties reign. (signed) George Ball. Recorded 3 May 1754. “A memorial exhibited by Samuel Little, executor of the last will and testament of George Ball, deceased, for and in behalf of Samuel Little, Jr., his son, an infant under the age of twenty-one years, to be registered in the office of his Majesty’s Auditor, pursuant to the directions of an act of the General Assembly in that case made and provided: Of a tract of five hundred acres of land situate and lying and being in St.
John Parish in Berkeley County in the Province of South Carolina, near Strand’s Spring, butting and bounding to the Southwestward on lands belonging to James McKevie, originally, that is to say, on the 15th day of September, Anno Domini 1704 granted unto one Richard Ball, at the quit rent of one shilling current money per one hundred acres, and which descended to George Ball as heir at law to the said Richard Ball, in and by the last will and testament of the said George Ball, duly made and executed, in the presence of three witnesses, was given and decreed to the said Samuel Little, Jr. as in and by the aforesaid last will and testament, having date of the 21st day of December Anno Domini -------1750 ------- in witness thereof the aforesaid Samuel Little executor ---------- on behalf of his said son hath hereto set his hand this 18th day of November Anno Domini 1754.
Pursuant to the directions of the act of the General Assembly in that case made and provided: Of a plantation of tract of three hundred acres of land, more or less, situated lying and being in St. Johns Parish in Berkeley County in the province of South Carolina, joining lands of Henry Ravonal, now called Fegursons Swamp, which said three hundred acres of land is part and parcel of two tracts containing and making 727 acres granted originally to one William Ball at the quit rent of one shilling proclamation per hundred acres.
The Grant of one tract or part thereof for 427 acres being dated the 5th day of May, Anno Domini 1704, and the other grant for 300 acres, also part thereof, being dated the 25th day of July, Anno Domini 1711, and descended from the said William Ball to his son Sampson Ball, and from the said Sampson Ball to the aforesaid George Ball, who in and by his last will and testament, aforesaid, Lord 1750, gave and decreed the aforesaid 300 acres more or less, to the aforesaid William Little, and his heirs and of record in the Secretary’s Office of this province, reference being thereto had, many more fully and at large appear. In Witness thereof the aforesaid Samuel Little, executor as aforesaid and in behalf of his said son, hath hereto set his hand this 18th day of November, Anno Domini 1754. Certified. SIGNED: Samuel Little.”
NOTES AND REFERENCES
1. Ball family history and genealogy and family Bible records of Mrs. Walter Riley Lee, 450 Dunbar Street, Jackson, Mississippi. 2. Book 62A, page 129, Probate Records of Charleston, South Carolina, Letter of Administration, dated 14 April 1729.146 3. The South Carolina Gazette, dated February 5, 1753, South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia, South Carolina. George Ball and James McKelvey are named as executors of Sampson Ball’s will and administrators of his estate.
4. Will Book 1752-1756, pages 170 and 171. Will of George Ball recorded 23 August 1754; inventory of estate of George Ball, pages 287 and 288. Recorded in Probate Records at Charleston. South Carolina. 5. Land Memorial, Vol. 7, pages 76 and 77. 500 Acres issued to Richard Ball. Inherited by George Ball prior to 1750; inherited by Samuel Little, Jr. per George’s will, dated 21 December 1750.147