BFHA-RC-000045
ANN COOK: William, Jr., William, Sr. Nothing is known of Ann Cook, except she was the niece of Sampson Ball and she shared equally with Sampson’s nephew, George Ball, in the inheritance of a plantation south of the Santee River in St. Johns Parish, Berkeley County, South Carolina, that Sampson owned at the time of his death in 1753. “The above inventory is the proper and absolute estate of George Ball, and the following inventory is a legacy left to the aforesaid George Ball and Ann Cook by their uncle and not yet divided.”1
Ann being a niece, had to be the daughter of either a brother, and in this case, William Ball, Jr. and she had married a man named John Cook. Or, she was the daughter of a sister of Sampson Ball who had married a man named John Cook. On the 16th and 17th of May, 1733, Sampson Ball sold to a John Cook of St. Johns Parish, Berkeley County, a tract of land containing 500 acre for 2000 butting and bounding on lands belonging to James Child and Rene Raveno1.2
The sale of this land took place two days before Sampson gained possession of the 727 acres he inherited from his father 19 May 1733. The location of the 500 acres Sampson sold to John Cook appears to be about in the same location as land owned by Sampson according to the Land Memorial exhibited by Sampson in acquiring his father’s land. The acreage that Sampson owned at this location is not known and a grant or bill of sale issuing this land to Sampson cannot be found to determine the acreage owned by him, but it appears that Sampson may have sold John Cook his acreage that he owned two days before acquiring an additional 727 acres. Sampson may have sold John Cook 500 acres of the 727 acres he inherited from his father. George Ball inherited land was granted to William Ball as “300 acres”. If Sampson did sell to John Cook 500 acres of the 727 acres, that would leave 227 of the original 300 acres.3
On 9 October 1741, Sampson Ball applied for and was granted 250 acres of land in St. Johns Parish, Berkeley County which he immediately sold to John Cook.4 The reason for Sampson doing this is not clear. Perhaps John Cook had been unsuccessful in obtaining this land and Sampson was able to get it for him. Perhaps it was a “choice corner” and Sampson saw a chance to make a quick profit. Were Sampson Ball and John Cook related? Could John Cook be the husband, father or father-inlaw of Ann Cook, Sampson Ball’s niece?
NOTES AND REFERENCES
1. Inventory of estate of George Ball, Will Book 1752 – 1756, pages 287 and 288; recorded 23 August 1754.152 2. Indenture of Lease and Release. Sampson sold 500 acres to John Cook 16th and 17th May 1733. South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia, South Carolina. 3. South Carolina Auditor General, Memorials, Vol. 3, page 107, South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia, South Carolina. 4. Sampson granted 250 acres of land, Office of the Secretary of the State, Land Grants, Colonial Series, Royal Grants, Vol. 3, page 513; South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia, South Carolina.153