Joseph BALL

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• FamilySearch ID: L52B-66G
• Reference Number: 7537
• _UID: 7BCF1664942948CC9332E95CF5AF0C36852F

Notes:

Joseph Ball (1649-1711) was born in England and came to Virginia sometime before his father's death, making his home at a plantation called Epping Forest. He served as a justice of the county court, a vestryman for his church parish, as a Burgess (in 1698, 1700, and 1702), and as a lieutenant colonel in the county militia. Ball was married twice. From his first marriage to Elizabeth Rogers (or Romney), who died by the early 1700's, he had five children: Anne Ball (later the wife of Colonel Edwin Conway), Elizabeth Ball (later the wife of the Reverend Joseph Carnegie),Esther or Easter Ball (later the wife of Rawleigh Chinn), Hannah Ball (later the wife of Rawleigh Travers, II, and afterwards the wife of Simon Pearson), and Joseph Ball (died 1760).

After the death of his first wife, Joseph Ball married Mary Johnson (died 1721), a widow who had two children from her previous marriage. Together they had one child, a daughter named Mary Ball (1708-1789). Joseph passed away, however, soon after when Mary Ball was only three years old.

Mary Johnson Ball was remarried the following year to a man named Richard Hewes, who left her a widow for the third time in 1713. Her daughter, Mary Ball, was completely orphaned by the age of 12 or 13 and was subsequently raised by a guardian named George Eskridge, a local lawyer, land speculator, and Burgess, whose plantation was called Sandy Point. In 1731, at the age of 23, she married Augustine Washington (1694-1743), a middle-aged widower with three children, who ranged in age from 13 to 9. Their first child, a little boy they named George Washington (1732-1799), was born early the following year.

https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/ball-family/

Joseph married Mary MONTAGUE in 1675. Mary was born in 1665 in Christchurch, King George, Virginia; died on 12 Apr 1743 in Ferry Far, King George, Virginia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Joseph married about Feb 1708. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Mary BENNETT. Mary was born on 12 Mar 1665 in England; was christened on 12 Apr 1668 in Saint Dunstan and All Saints Church, Stepney, Middlesex, England; died in 1721 in Lancaster, Virginia, British Colonial America; was buried in Lancaster, Lancaster, Virginia, British Colonial America. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Joseph married Elizabeth Julia ROMNEY about 1675. Elizabeth (daughter of William ROMNEY and Rebecca TAYLOR) was born about 1648 in Hastings, Sussex, England; died on 6 Feb 1703 in Lancaster County, Virginia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• FamilySearch ID: KNDD-GXQ
• Name: Mary ESKRIDGE

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Mother of George Washington. "The Belle of Epping Forest" was born in 1708 or 1709 in Lancaster County, Virginia to a well-to-do family. Both of her parents had children from prior marriages, but she would be the only child born to Joseph and Mary Ball; her father would die when Mary was only a few years old. At the age of thirteen, her mother died as well. Her early years were spent between the homes of her half-sister Elizabeth and her guardian Colonel George Eskridge, being educated in the "feminine arts" of sewing, cooking, running an estate and etiquette. At the age of twenty, Mary traveled to London to visit her half-brother Joseph and there met Augustine Washington, who also lived in Virginia. They courted for two years before being married in 1731 and settling down at his estate, Pope's Creek, in Westmoreland County. Augustine was much like her father, having three children from a prior marriage and sufficiently successful, owning an ironworks. The following year on February 22, their first son George was born. Six years and four more children later, the family moved to Ferry Farm to be closer to Augustine's ironworks. Mary was left alone with the children often, as her husband did a lot of traveling for his business; it was during these times that she handled the overseeing of the farm and personally educating all of her children in everything from studying the Bible to horsemanship. In April of 1743, Augustine died unexpectedly and left Mary a widow at thirty-five with five children under twelve years old. She threw herself into managing the six hundred acre estate; while women were not allowed to own property at the time, Augustine had left Ferry Farm to George and she was allowed possession until he came of age. Unable to send George to England to be educated as was the custom of the time, she sent him to Mount Vernon to study with his elder half-brother Lawrence. At the age of fourteen, George wanted to enlist in the British Navy, but Mary put her foot down - he was needed at home. To combat his disappointment, she let him have his father's old surveying equipment and hired a tutor to train him; within years he was buying up land with the money he earned as a surveyor. Mary continued to live at Ferry Farm for forty-five years, never remarrying. Her land and her children were her life, there was no room for anything else. As she got older, however, she could not work as often as she liked and came to rely on some support from her children. In 1772, when she was sixty-four, George bought her a house in Fredericksburg a few blocks from Kenmore, the estate of her daughter Betty and her husband Fielding Lewis. The relationship between her and George was more strained than the one she had with the rest of her children, yet he was her main provider in her later years, even buying her a "riding chair" so that she could more easily visit her friends and neighbors. During the War for Independence, she would walk or ride to an outcropping of rock on Betty's estate, now referred to as "Meditation Rock" where she would pray for her son and his success. Mary lived to see her son George not only succeed in his drive to defeat the British in the War, but become the first President of the United States. He last visited her on his way to New York City for his inauguration in April 1789. Four months later, Mary Ball Washington died on August 26, 1789 at the age of eighty-one and was buried a few paces from Meditation Rock. (bio by: Lysa)

Mary Ball Washington had one step-sister named Elizabeth, and one step-brother named John. They were the 2 children of a young widow, Mrs. Mary Johnson who married Joseph Ball (Mary's father) after her unknown mother died. There does not appear to be more children. John Johnson died around the same time as his mother, leaving only Mary and Elizabeth. Mary continued to live with Elizabeth after she married.

Mary married Augustine WASHINGTON on 6 Mar 1730 in Lancaster, Virginia, British Colonial America. Augustine (son of Capt. Lawrence WASHINGTON and Mildred WARNER) was born on 12 Nov 1694 in Bridges Creek, Westmoreland, Virginia, British Colonial America; died on 12 Apr 1743 in Ferry Farm, King George, Virginia, British Colonial America; was buried in Apr 1743 in George Washington Birthplace National Monument, Latanes, Westmoreland, Virginia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• FamilySearch ID: LY9W-RNJ

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• Military: ; Revolutionary War
• TitleOfNobility: ; 1st president
• Name: George Eskridge WASHINGTON
• Name: George WASHINGTON
• Name: HIS COUNTRY"
• Occupation: ; Soldier, Commander, President
• Religion: ; Episcopalian
• Occupation: 1749; Surveyor
• MilitaryService: Between 1752 and 1758, Virginia, British Colonial America; General
• Elected: Between 1759 and 1774; Member of the Virginia House of Burgesses
• Elected: 1774; Member of the Continental Congress
• MilitaryService: 15 Jun 1775, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
• MilitaryService: 25 Jul 1775, British Colonial America
• Occupation: Between 1789 and 1797; President of the United States
• Will: Jul 1799, Mount Vernon, Fairfax, Virginia
• Residence: 1810, Westmoreland, Virginia

Notes:

George Washington life sketch:
"George Washington (1732-99) was commander in chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War (1775-83) and served two terms as the first U.S. president, from 1789 to 1797. The son of a prosperous planter, Washington was raised in colonial Virginia. As a young man, he worked as a surveyor then fought in the French and Indian War (1754-63). During the American Revolution, he led the colonial forces to victory over the British and became a national hero. In 1787, he was elected president of the convention that wrote the U.S. Constitution. Two years later, Washington became America's first president. Realizing that the way he handled the job would impact how future presidents approached the position, he handed down a legacy of strength, integrity and national purpose. Less than three years after leaving office, he died at his Virginia plantation, Mount Vernon, at age 67."

-Direct quote from www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/george-washington

George married Martha DANDRIDGE on 6 Jan 1759 in New Kent, Virginia, British Colonial America. Martha (daughter of Col. John DANDRIDGE and Frances Orlando JONES) was born on 2 Jun 1731 in New Kent, Virginia, British Colonial America; died on 22 May 1802 in Mount Vernon, Fairfax, Virginia; was buried on 22 May 1802 in Mount Vernon, Fairfax, Virginia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• FamilySearch ID: LH6W-DZ7
• Name: Betsy WASHINGTON
• Name: Betty Ball WASHINGTON
• Name: Betty Elizabeth WASHINGTON
• Residence: 1770, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Virginia, British Colonial America; Kenmore House

Notes:

Betty Washington Lewis was more than just the only sister of George Washington to survive to adulthood; she was also a patriot. Lewis and her husband, Fielding, contributed a considerable amount of their personal wealth and time toward the American Revolution. Their devotion and loyalty to the wartime effort and to its leader, George Washington, inadvertently led them to financial hardship.

Born on June 20, 1733, Betty Washington was the second child and only surviving daughter of Augustine and Mary Ball Washington. Christened as Elizabeth, Betty was most likely named after her mother's beloved half-sister, Elizabeth Johnson Bonhum. Along with her eventually famous older brother George, Betty had three other brothers, Samuel, John (Jack), and Charles, and a sister, Mildred, who died in infancy. From her father's first marriage, she also had three half-brothers, Butler, Lawrence, and Augustine, only two (Lawrence and Augustine) of whom survived to adulthood, and a half-sister, Jane, who died when a child.1

Betty Washington was born at the family estate on Pope's Creek in Westmoreland County. In 1735, the Washingtons moved to a property on the Upper Potomac, known at the time as Little Hunting Creek but eventually renamed Mount Vernon. In 1740, the family moved to Ferry Farm, overlooking the Rappahannock River, across from the town of Fredericksburg.2

Like many Virginia girls among the gentry, young Betty Washington no doubt received some practical and ornamental education. She learned to ride a horse at an early age and most likely became an expert horsewoman. Like all young Virginians, she must have learned to dance. Her mother taught her the domestic arts, such as sewing, knitting, and embroidery. Along with her four brothers, Betty attended a school taught by Reverend James Marye, a scholarly Huguenot. Betty and her family regularly attended Falmouth Church in Brunswick Parish, which contributed to her lasting faith and regular attendance at services in St. George's Parish in the latter part of her life.3

Betty Washington was sixteen when she married the widower Fielding Lewis, who was eight years her senior, on May 7, 1750. The couple not only shared the same acquaintances and circulated in the same social circles, they were also second cousins through their maternal grandmothers, who were sisters. Marriage between kin was common in eighteenth-century Virginia. Fielding Lewis' first wife, Catharine Washington, was also a cousin. Betty Washington's marriage settlement of ?400 and two female slaves, left to her in her father's will, along with Fielding Lewis' wealth, enabled the newly married couple to live comfortably.4

In 1752, Fielding Lewis purchased 1,300 acres on the outskirts of Fredericksburg and asked his brother-in-law, George Washington, to survey the 861-acre portion that would be the site of Kenmore, the Lewises' exquisite house.5 Together, Betty and Fielding Lewis had a total of eleven children, six of whom survived to adulthood. Betty Lewis also had two stepchildren, from Fielding's first marriage. It was at Kenmore where Betty and Fielding Lewis resided and raised their family during their thirty-one years of married life.6

Kenmore was a Georgian-style two story home that consisted of eight rooms, a full cellar, twelve-foot high ceilings, and 4,000 square feet of living space.7 Many people lived and worked at Kenmore, including eighty slaves, whose quarters were among the many outbuildings on the estate. Records indicate it took several years to build the house, in part because the disruption of trade during the imperial crisis prevented the Lewsises from obtaining necessary supplies from England. Decorative plasterwork on the ceilings and mantles were added as late as 1775.8

Fielding Lewis was often away from Kenmore due to his involvement in public life. He was a vestryman of St. George's Church, a colonel in the Spotsylvania County militia, and from 1760 to 1768 served as a member of the House of Burgesses. In 1773, he joined Virginia's pre-revolutionary Committee of Correspondence.9 Fielding's absence left Betty in charge of running and maintaining their estate. Although she had many slaves to do manual tasks, like other plantation mistresses, she supervised their work. She also oversaw the management of her gardens, spent much of her time attending to her children, offered hospitality to guests, and hosted various social gatherings. Betty's brother George was one of Kenmore's many frequent visitors.10

Betty and Fielding Lewis were strong supporters of the Revolution, and their loyalty to the cause cost them financially. The Lewises owned a store, which originally belonged to Fielding's father. During the war, Fielding supplied salt, flour, bacon, and clothing to patriot forces. Herbs and other produce from Betty's gardens became teas and ointments that Fielding also supplied to the army. In July 1775, the Virginia assembly passed an ordinance providing for a "Manufactory of Small Arms in Fredericksburg, Va." and named Fielding Lewis and four other men as its Commissioners. Appropriations of ?25,000 were distributed and land was secured near Hunter's Forge for the construction and operation of the gunnery. However, the appropriations ran out, and Betty and Fielding Lewis used ?7,000 from their personal accounts to maintain the gunnery. They later borrowed between ?30,000 and ?40,000 to provide saltpeter, sulfur, gunpowder, and lead for the manufacture of ammunition during the war. Kenmore was heavily mortgaged to meet the costs of these patriotic endeavors.11

Betty Lewis handled family affairs for her brother George, while Fielding managed many of his financial concerns. Fielding collected outstanding debts for George, and he also handled several land transactions for his brother-in-law.12 Meanwhile, when George and Betty's mother, Mary Ball Washington, died in 1789, shortly after he had left for New York to assume the presidency, George asked his sister to take care of their mother's estate, providing her with detailed instructions, which she followed.13 In 1790, at George's request, Betty cared for their niece Harriot Washington, the daughter of their deceased brother Samuel. Harriot resided at Mount Vernon, and her uncle George was her guardian. Beginning in October 1792, due to the responsibilities of the presidency in Philadelphia, there were no women living at Mount Vernon to watch over her, so George Washington instructed Betty Lewis to move Harriot to Kenmore, which she did.14

When Fielding Lewis died December 1781, just two months after the American victory at Yorktown, the Commonwealth of Virginia still owed the Lewises some ?7,000. In widowhood at age 49, Betty struggled financially and sometimes hired out her slaves to raise money. She also tried running a small boarding school at Kenmore, though she had to sell land in order to keep the school and Kenmore afloat.15 Betty Lewis remained at Kenmore fourteen years before she went to live with her daughter, Betty Carter, in Culpepper County. On March 31, 1797, she died at her daughter's home, Western View, and was buried on the property.16 Eighteen days after she died, Kenmore and its contents were sold. The Lewis descendants were never compensated for Betty and Fielding Lewis' enormous expenditures in support of the revolutionary cause.

To read more see http://www.mountvernon.org/digital-encyclopedia/article/betty-washington-lewis/

Betty married General Fielding LEWIS on 7 May 1750 in Mount Vernon, Fairfax, Virginia, British Colonial America. Fielding (son of John LEWIS, IV and Frances FIELDING) was born on 7 Jul 1725 in Gloucester, Virginia, British Colonial America; was christened on 16 Jul 1725 in Abingdon Parish, Gloucester, Virginia; died on 19 Oct 1781 in Fredericksburg, Virginia; was buried in Oct 1781 in Saint Georges Episcopal Church Graveyard, Fredericksburg, Virginia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• Obit: 13 Jan 1823, Mason, Virginia; Enquirer News Paper

Howell married Ellen Hackley POLLARD on 26 Sep 1795 in Richmond, Henrico County, Virginia. Ellen (daughter of Robert POLLARD and Jael UNDERWOOD) was born on 7 Dec 1776 in Culpeper, Virginia; died on 15 Jan 1855 in Marietta City, Washington, Ohio; was buried in Jan 1855 in Mound Cemetery, Marietta, Washington, Ohio. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]