Edward Ball (son of Alling Ball and Susan Dorothy Fogill) was born Bet. 1642 - 1644 in Branford Colony, Connecticutt (New Haven), and died Aft. 1724 in Middlebrook, Essex County, New Jersey. He married Abigail Blatchley on 1662 in Branford, New Haven, Connecticutt, daughter of Thomas Blatchley and Susannah Ball.
Notes for Edward Ball: There is a lot of information related to Edward Ball some has been included below in three sections. A background section sets the stage for his life, information from published sources which is specific to Edward is in Section 1, and in Section 2 information is included which was provided by Ball researchers whose sources are unknown to me.
Background.
A. From "American Origins: Antecedents of Cynthia Laidlaw Gordon", by Cynthia Gordon, Easton, PA: Gordon, 1978. Librry of Congress Call No CS71 G66 1976
William Ball of Wiltshlre, England had six sons who came to America: Alling, Francis, John, Samuel, Richard and William. Alling and most of his sons were members of a church which came, in a body, on the ship "Planter" in 1635.
In seventeenth century England, a church was more then a group of people who worshipped together once a week. It was a municipal entity comprising ruling officials, voters, craftsmen and dependents. When a church changed its location, it was as though all the inhabitants of a town, with the governmental structure intact, moved to another place. Alling and his wife Dorothy arrived in Boston with their church. Alling and Dorothy, along with their friends the Tuttles and other families of their church, stayed in Boston about two years, then went to New Haven, Connecticut, still as an intact church body, where each family bought adjoining property. Yale University now owns these tracts. Alling was manager of the East New Haven farm of the Rev. John Davenport from 1640 to 1650. His children were born there. One of his sons was Edward Ball, who was the ancestor of all the Ball family that has flourished in New Jersey from the 1660s onward. (There is some debate as to whether Edward was Alling's son, but most researchers believe that he is Alling's son. Some believe that he is the son of Allen BALL of London. Regardless of whose son he is, his life from 1666 forward is pretty well documented.)
East New Haven and Branford were regarded as one settlement with one Independent or Congregational church, under one pastor, the Rev, Abraham Pierson. About 1665 the colonies of Connecticut and New Haven were united by royal charter. which allowed non-church members the privilege of voting and holding office. Rev. Pierson, along with his congregation and a congregation in nearby Milford, were Puritans who insisted that no one but church members could participate in government. They were alarmed at what they considered the worldliness of allowing others to participate. The Rev. Pierson learned that Governor Clinton and the proprietors of Caeserea, as New Jersey was sometimes called at that time, were eagerly offering concessions of land to attract settlers to the colony. Scouts that they sent to investigate this part of the country returned with favorable reports.
The Rev. Pierson led the emigration of "Friends from Milford and Neighboring Plantations," as they called hemselves. They agreed that "the aforesaid persons from Milford, Guilford and Branford, together with their associates.. do make one township; that through God's blessing with one hand, they may endeavor the carrying on of spiritual concernments and also of civil and town affairs, according to God and a godly government there to be settled by them and their associates; to provide with all care and diligence for the maintenance of the purity of religion." All civil power was carefully restricted to members of the Congregational Church. These articles were called the "Fundamental Agreement," and it was signed October 20, 1666. Edward Ball was one of the signers and his family was one of the thirty families who left Connecticut that year for New Jersey.
They traveled by ship from Boston to the Passaic River under the guidance of Captain Robert Treat, one of the agents who had influenced the choice of the place where they were to settle. The Hackensack and Sagamore Indians at first impeded their progress when they landed. A sale agreement was negotiated with the aged chief Oraton, however, and they disembarked to explore their new homeland,
The original boundaries of the Township of Newark, named by the Rev. Pierson after Newark in England where he had been a pastor, included all the territory that is now Springfield, Livingston, the Oranges, Bloomfield and Caldwell, as well as present-day Newark. For this land the settlers paid Oraton one hundred thirty pounds in New England currency, twelve blankets and twelve guns.
Edward Ball was about twenty-five years old in May of 1667 when he settled there with his wife, Abigail Blatchley, a three-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter. The territory selected for the City of Newark was laid out in sections. A lot of six acres was assigned to Edward; it is now in the heart of the city, between Broad and Washington Streets.
Edward was a vigorous and influential member of the new settlement and an active church member. In a few years he became high sheriff of Essex County; in 1693 he is mentioned as holding several public positions such as Commissioner of Important Trusts -- a respected and prosperous citizen. The last record of him is in 1724 when he was eighty-two years of age. It is not known in what year he died.
B. From "Historic Newark: A Collection of Facts & Traditions", Newark, NJ, Printed for the Fidelity Trust Co., 1916. Library of Congress Call No F144.N6 F45
The little band, directed by Robert Treat, gathered that May day with ever intention and favorable prospect of settling at once to work in the laying out of land which had been granted them by Philip Carteret. Whatever progress, however, they may have made was peremptorily stopped by the appearance of Hackensack Indians, who virtually said: "You trespass on our land. These shores belong to us. From the Pesayak to Watchung they are ours. In the forests are our game; in the streams, our fish. Our feet for untold moons have trod yonder trails that you behold. No one shall sell this land, the domain of the Hackensacks." Negotiations were opened with the Indians, and a title purchased from them July 11, 1667. Territory extending from the summit of Watchung Mountain, now Orange Mountain, "about seven or eight miles from Pesayak Town," was purchased for "fifty double hands of powder, one hundred barrs of lead, twenty Axes, twenty Coates, ten Guns, twenty pistolls, ten kettles, ten Swords, four blankets, four barrells of beere, ten paire of breeches, fifty knives, twenty bowes, eight hundred and fifty fathem of wampem, two Ankors of Licquers, or something equivalent and three troopers Coates." Tradition says that an illuminated miniature of an English queen played an important part in the purchase. This miniature was sent by the daughter of Micah Tompkins, one of the first settlers, to the squaw of an Indian chief, and it influenced Perro, the Indian, to transfer his land, so rich in game, to the settlers. Other tracts were later bought by the settlers from the Indians. One of these, owned by Winnocksop and Shenoctos, ran west to the foot of the Watchung Mountain. The Indian sold this for "two guns, three coats, and thirteen kans of rum."
C. Additional Background
On October 30, 1666, the following residents of Branford and Milford of the New Haven Colony signed the agreement to form a common township at New-Ark on Pesayack (the number shown is the order in which they signed the document - M=Milford, B=Branford): ALBERS, Hauns (31/M) BALL, Ed. (15/B) BALDWIN, John Jr. (19/M); BALDWIN, John Sr. (18/M); BLATCHLEY, Aaron (20/B) BLATCHLEY, Thomas (5/B); BOND, Stephen (41/M); BROOKS, J.B. (14/his mark/M) BROWNE, John (9/M); BROWNE, John Jr. (36/M); BRUEN, Obadiah (2/M) BURWELL, Ephraim (24/M); BURWELL, Zachariah (27/M); CAMFIELD, Ebenezer (13/B) CAMFIELD, Matthew (3/M) ; CAMPE, William (28/M); CATLING, John (11/B) CRANE, Azariah (38/M); CRANE, Delivered (19/B); CRANE, Jasper (1/B) CRANE, John (17/B); CURTIS, John (23/M); DALGLESH, Robert (30/M) DAVIS, Stephen (11/M); DAY, George (21/M); DENNISON, Robert R. (25/his mark/M) FREEMAN, Stephen (7/M); HARRISON, John (16/B); HARRISON, Richard (12/B)(?) HUNTINGTON, Thomas (18/B); JOHNSON, John (22/B); JOHNSON, Thom. (22/M) KITCHELL, Robert (13/M); KITCHELL, Samuel (4/M); LAWRENCE, Richard (21/B) LINLE, Francis F. (16/his mark/M) ; LYMENS, Robert V. (15/his mark/M) Returned to england (#108) LYON, Henry (8/M); LYON, Samuel (39/M); LYON, Thomas L. (23/his mark/B) MORRIS, Thomas (32/M) ; PECKE, Jeremiah (5/M); PIERSON, Abra (2/B) PIERSON, Thomas (9/B); PENNINGTON, Eph'm (34/M); PLUM, Samuel (6/B) RIGGS, Joseph (40/M); RIGGS, Edward (12/M); ROBERTS, Hugh (33/M) ROGERS, John (10/M); ROSE, Samuel (8/B); SARGEANT, Jona. (37/M) SWAINE, Samuel (3/B)(?); TICHENOR, Daniel (17/M); TICHENOR, Martin (35/M) TOMPKINS, Jona. (20/M); TOMPKINS, Michael (6/M); TREAT, Robert (1/M) WALTERS, Joseph (29/M); WARD, John, Sr. (14/B); WARD, Josiah (7/B) WARD, Lawrence (4/B); WARD, John (10/B); WHEELER, Nathaniel (26/M)
Signers of the Horseneck Purchase In 1701, 13,500 acres west of Newark was purchased for $325 (or about 2.5-cents an acre) from Loantique, Taphow, Manshum and others. The original deed burned in a house fire in 1745. Descendants of the signers of the original deed promptly signed a new document. These deeds were challenged as being unlawful. According to a survey in 1746, only 35 families lived in the area. When Samuel Baldwin was arrested in 1745 for trespassing on his own land, his neighbors armed themselves with clubs, axes and crow-bars and descended on the jail to liberate him. The struggle against the Proprietors continued until 1755. Daniel Lamson and John Condict acted as agents for the Landowner's Committee and pleaded the settlers case to the King in England. ALLING, Sam'll (1 Lot); BALDWIN, Ben (1 Lot); BALDWIN, Daniel (1 Lot); BALDWIN, John Sr. (2 Lot); BALDWIN, Sam'll (1 Lot); BALL, Caleb (1 Lot); BALL, Edward (1 Lot) BALL, Joseph (1 Lot) BECH, Zophar (1 Lot); BRANT, William (3 Lot); BROADBERRY, John (1 Lot); BROWN, Daniel (1 Lot); BROWN, Joseph (1 Lot); BROWN, Thomas (1 Lot); BROWN, Thomas Jr. (1 Lot) ; BROWNE, Stephen (1 Lot); BRUEN, Ele. (1 Lot); BURWELL, John (1 Lot); CAMBEL, Robert (1 Lot); CAMP, Sam'll (1 Lot); CANFIELD, Joseph (2 Lot); CANFIELD, Matthew (1 Lot); CLARK, John (3 Lot); CLIZBE, James (1 Lot); COOPER, John (1 Lot); COOPER, Sam'll (1 Lot); CRANE, Azariah (3 Lot); CRANE, Daniel (1 Lot); CRANE, Jasper (3 Lot) ; CRANE, Jasper Jr. (1 Lot); CRANE, John (1 Lot); CRANE, Joseph (1 Lot); CRISPIN, Squire (1 Lot); CUNDICT, John (1 Lot); CUNDICT, Peter (1 Lot); DAVISS, John (2 Lot); DAY, Paul (1 Lot); DELGLISH, John (1 Lot); DOD, Daniel (1 Lot); DOD, Daniel Jr. (1 Lot); DOD, Sam'll (2 Lot); FREEMAN, Sam'll (1 Lot); GARDNER, John (1 Lot); HAND, Anthony (1 Lot); ARRISON, Benjamin (1 Lot); HARRISON, Daniel (1 Lot); HARRISON, Georg (1 Lot); HARRISON, Joseph (1 Lot); HARRISON, Sam'll (1 Lot); HAYES, Thomas (1 Lot); JOHNSON, Eliphalet (1 Lot); JOHNSON, John (1 Lot); JOHNSON, Joseph (1 Lot); JOHNSON, Tunis (1 Lot); KITCHEL, Sam'll (1 Lot); KITCHELL, Abraham (1 Lot); LAMSON, Elezar (1 Lot); LEE, John (1 Lot); LINDSLEY, Ebenezer (1 Lot); LINSLEY, John (1 Lot); LINSLEY, Jonathan (1 Lot); LINSLEY, Joseph (1 Lot); LUDINGTON, Tho. (1 Lot); LYON, Sam'll (1 Lot); MEDLIS, John (1 Lot); MORRIS, John (2 Lot); MUIR, Wm. (1 Lot); OGDEN, David (1 Lot); OGDEN, Elizabeth (1 Lot); OGDEN, John (1 Lot); OGDEN, Josiah (1 Lot); OLIVE, Antonie (1 Lot); PECK, Joseph (1 Lot); PENINGTON, Judah (1 Lot); PIERSON, Mr. (1 Lot); PLUMB, John (1 Lot); PLUMB, Jose. (1 Lot) ; PROVOST, Cobus (1 Lot); PRUDEN, Mr. John (2 Lot); ROBERTS, Hugh (1 Lot); ROBERTS, Sam'll (1 Lot); ROGERS, James (1 Lot); ROGERS, John (1 Lot); SARGENT, Daniel (1 Lot); SARGINT, Jonathan (1 Lot); SAYERS, Jonathan (1 Lot); SMITH, James (1 Lot); TIKENOR, Daniel (1 Lot); TOMKINS, Elezar (1 Lot); TOMKINS, Seth (1 Lot); TREAT, John (1 Lot); VANGESON (1 Lot); WAKEMAN, Mr. (1 Lot); WARD, Nathaniel, Sr. (1 Lot); WARD, Sam'll (1 Lot); WHELAR, Nath. Jr. (2 Lot); WILLIAMS, Amos (1 Lot); WILLIAMS, Matthew (1 Lot); WILSON, William (1 Lot) WOOD, Joseph (1 Lot); YOUNG, Robert (2 Lot).
The bill of sale was not signed until Jul 11, 1667, when practically all of those who are of right called the founders were on the ground. The original owners of the soil received goods valued at about $700.00 for the greater part of what is now Essex County. The deed of sale was not signed until the following year. The purchase price was assessed upon each family, not only those who first came, but all who arrived in the next year who were entitled to be considered among the "associates", or makers of the original settlement.
SECTION 1.
A. From "Genealogies of Connecticut Families" The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol I, selected and introduced by Gary Boyd Roberts with an index by Judith McGhan, published by Genealogical Publishing Co, Inc, 1983 of Baltimore. Library of Congress Call No F93 G46 1983
Edward Ball, the subject of this sketch, was at Branford, CT, Oct 30, 1666; on which day the heads of families, designing to remove to Newark, NJ signed an agreement, the most noticeable article of which, was not to admit as freemen &c., any but church members. In 1667, he was at Newark, NJ and was assessed in the first list of taxables. Jan 1, 1767, he first appears in public life, as messenger of the town Courts. In Mar 1678, he was one of the Surveyors appointed to run a boundary line of an Indian purchase. In 1683, he was appointed on a Committee to settle certain differences between the settlers and the Lords Proprietors; and was continued on this very important committee, from year to year, for several years, while all his associates were changed., About this time he was appointed Attorney to prosecute offenders against the town ordinances; and in 1693, he received the appointment of High Sheriff of the County. The date of his birth and death is not certainly known, the most reliable information places the former at 1642, and the latter at 1722. His children were I. Caleb; II. Abigail; III. Joseph; IV. Lydia; V. Moses; and VI. Thomas.
B. From "The History of the City of Newark, NJ", published in 1913 by the Lewis Historical Publishing Co., NY. Library of Congress Call No F144.N6 H67
THE NEW HAVEN THEOCRACY The Pilgrim Fathers, the first of the Puritans to migrate, had left England and first went to Holland. They did not want to loose their identity as English and Puritans. For these reasons, the Pilgrim Fathers came to America. The Pilgrims never proposed, however, to separate themselves completely from England and they intended to support the laws of the mother country, actively when they believed in them and passively when they did not. In the New Haven Colony, however, the founders asked for nothing from England. They were to get their laws and ordinances, their whole theory and practical working scheme of government, from the Bible. They chose seven men who, besides having supreme charge of the affairs of the church, had also the highest civic functions. These "seven Pillars" chose the first governor and four deputies to assist him, while they themselves acted as magistrates. There were no juries, because the mosaic law made no mention of any.
C. This estimation of Edward's age was given by John R. Burnet in 1850 [B205, B345, J. R. Burnet ms., New Jersey Historical Society]. No record has been found which stated Edward's age. He served on a grand jury in Feb 1709/10. At that time the maximum age for jury service was 70, suggesting he was born no earlier than 1640. He was the defendant in a law suit in Branford in 1665, hence probably at least 21, indicating he was born no later than 1644. He was NOT a s/o Alling (or Allen) BALL of New Haven, CT,-
D. From "First Settlers of Passaic Valley, NJ", by John Littell, Baltimore: Geneal. Pub. Co., 1976. Library of Congress Call No F142 P3 L7 1976
Edward Ball was appointed High Sheriff of Essex County in 1693. (pg. 31)
E. "History of Essex and Hudson Counties, NJ", by William H. Shaw, Philadelphia, Everts and Peck, 1884. Library of Congress Call No F142 E855
1709 - Grand juror in Newark. 1724 - Boundary agreement with Azariah Crane "to prevent any difference hereafter". After 1724 - Died.
SECTION 2.
A. From Mrs. J.H. Frossard, Box 696, Madisonville, TX 77864, a time line of events in Edwards life.
1642/43 - Edward Ball born in New Haven, some say to Alling and Susan Ball. 1644 - Susan Ball, first wife of Alling Ball,dies. Abt 1648 - Alling Ball marries Dorothy Tuttle. abt 1664 - Edward Ball married Abigail Blatchley, daughter of Thomas and Susan (BALL) Blatcheley. 30 Oct 1666 - Edward Ball signed an agreement with people of Branford who were about to move to Newark, NJ, the most noticeable article of which was not to admit any but church members. 20 Jan 1667 - Appears in a New Plantation and Church Covenant of Branford, Connecticut with other inhabitants. 1667 - Was assessed in the first list of Newark, NJ taxables, assigned 6 acres between Broad and Washington Sts. 1667 - Messenger of the Newark town courts. 1669-1680-1686 - Appointed town Attorney. 9 Jan 1674/75 - Letters of administration on estate of John Cox of New Barbados. Also on bond as administrator. 30 Sep 1675 - Patent granted for 78 acres of land. 14 Mar 1676 - Made inventory of estate of John Harrison. Mar 1678 - Surveyor appointed to run a boundary line of an Indian purchase. 1683 - Served on Committee to settle certain differences between the settlers and the Proprietors. Continued on committee for several years. 1683, 1689 - Newark town constable. 1683 - Appointed attorney to prosecute offenders against the town ordinances. 1692 - Overseer of the poor in Newark. 30 Sep 1700 - Served on grand jury at Court of Sessions. 1715 - Signed land agreement.
B. From Joseph & Mary (Ball) P. Scukanec, 3113 Pencombe Place, Flint, MI 48503
Edward surfaced in Branford, Conn, when he appeard in three court cases. Twice being sued - one for running a wagon over a pig.
C. From Unknown
The "Charles Carroll Gardiner Collection"; Gardner's early work, completed before 1911, is on 32 microfilms at the Family History Library. (Also owned by NEHGS). A separate section includes about 30,000 cards that index individuals listed in New Jersey records. Original papers are at New Jersey Historical Society. On 9-20-52, S.H. Conger combed Branford records & the first mention of Edward Ball is 1665 when Ed. Frisbie complained of him about a swine, but Ball won the trial.
More About Edward Ball and Abigail Blatchley: Marriage: 1662, Branford, New Haven, Connecticutt.
Children of Edward Ball and Abigail Blatchley are:
Edward Ball (b. Bet. 1642 - 1644, d. Aft. 1724)
Notes for Edward Ball: