John Ball (son of William Ball) was born 1580 in Barkham Manor, Barkham, Berkshire, England, and died 01 November 1655 in Concord, Middlesex, MA. He married Johanna King on Abt. 1612 in Wiltshire, England.
Notes for John Ball: JOHN BALL [#1936], b. England, d. Concord, MA 1 Oct 1655, m. Ruth _____.
John Ball was born in England probably about 1585 and came to America between 1630 and 1640. He settled in Watertown where he was made freeman 22 May 1650 and later moved to Concord where he lived with his son Nathaniel until his death in 1655. John Ball is reported to be the son of William Ball of Wiltshire, England, whose six sons emigrated to New England. If this was the case, no proof can be found to support the report. In the scanty records no mention is made of his wife (by some authorities his wife was Joanna King). It is thought that she did not come to this country and had probably died before embarkation. The records show only two children, sons John and Nathaniel, although there may have been others.
The son John Ball later removed to Lancaster, a town on the western frontier at the time of King Phillip's War. It was originally called Nashaway Plantation when Sholan, sachem of the Nashaway Indians, deeded an 8 by 10 mile tract to Henry Symonds and Thomas King. Sholan offered to sell this tract, which is 35 to 40 miles west northwest of Boston, if King and Symonds would build a trucking house on the land and trade with the Indians. The General Court confirmed the deed, and the trucking house was built in 1642 on the southeast side of George Hill.
Three men were sent out to occupy the land and take care of the trucking house. These men were Lawrence Waters, Richard Linton, and John Ball, all three of whom are ancestors of Hattie Bruce. The first two built houses and settled with their families, but John Ball disappeared from the records. He evidently moved back to Watertown and was possibly the John Ball who died in Concord in 1655, although it was more likely his son John.
A petition to incorporate Nashaway Plantation as a town was sent to the General Court. The people wished the place to be called Prescott, after John Prescott who went there in 1647, but the Court gave it the name West Towne. The petitioners were unhappy with the name and petitioned for the name of Lancaster, which was approved. Thus Lancaster became a town in 1653. John Ball's son John was an inhabitant of Lancaster and played a part in its history. For more on Lancaster, see the text on him.
The inventory of John Ball's estate was taken on 6 October 1655 and totaled 30.6.10.[3/1:73]
REF: [1] History of Watertown - Henry Bond, 1860 [2] Descendants of John Ball of Watertown - F.D. Warren, 1932 [3] Middlesex County Probate (First Series Docket 895) [4] Records of Births Marriages and Deaths, First Book - Watertown Records, Vol. 1, 1894 Children:
1. John, b. Eng. abt. 1620, d. Lancaster, MA 10 Feb 1675-6, m(1) Elizabeth Peirce, m(2) Watertown, MA 3 Oct 1665[4/27] Elizabeth Fox, d. Lancaster 10 Feb 1675-6 2. Nathaniel, b. abt. 1625, settled in Concord Chil.: 1) Ebenezer; 2) Eleazer; 3) John; 4) Nathaniel
More About John Ball and Johanna King: Marriage: Abt. 1612, Wiltshire, England.
Children of John Ball and Johanna King are:
+John Ball, b. 1620, Norwich, Norfolk, England, d. 10 September 1675, Lancaster, Worcester, MA.
John Ball (b. 1580, d. 01 November 1655)
Notes for John Ball: