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Family history

ball

The only known ancestor of this Ball family line is our 7^th great-grandmother Martha Ball. Martha was probably born in Scotland around 1685. She married James Kerr about 1704. This event probably occurred in Scotland or Northern Ireland. Martha produced at least nine known off-spring between 1705 and 1737. Martha and James as well as their eldest child John Kerr made the ocean voyage to America around 1707 and most likely arrived at the port of Philadelphia in the Province of Pennsylvania. By 1722 the Kerr family soon moved on to Donegal Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Around 1738 Martha and her family removed from Lancaster County to Augusta County, Virginia. They traveled south over the “Warrior’s Path” in search of cheaper land in Virginia. The Kerr’s eventually settled, in Virginia, at a choice spot at the juncture of Christian's Creek, Long Meadow Run, and Middle River. Martha most likely worshipped at the Augusta Stone Church, as well as the Tinkling Springs Church as the Kerr surname appears in records of both churches. She lived her for the remainder of her life in her log home at Beverly Manor in Augusta County and died there in 1771.

We are descended through Martha’s daughter, our 6^th great-grandmother, Letticia Kerr. Lettica was born 1723 in Pennsylvania. In 1748 she married William Robertson, son of James Robertson, both of Beverly Manor in Augusta County.

Origins of the surname

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An Introduction to the Surname

Source/Meaning of the Surname

History of

the Surname

Immigrants to North America

More About Surnames

An Introduction to the Surname

The practice of inherited family surnames began in England and France during the late part of the 11^th century. With the passing of generations and the movement of families from place to place many of the original identifying names were altered into some of the versions that we are familiar with today. Over the centuries, most of our European ancestors accepted their surname as an unchangeable part of their lives. Thus people rarely changed their surname. Variations of most surnames were usually the result of an involuntary act such as when a government official wrote a name phonetically or made an error in transcription. Research into the record of this Ball family line indicates that the variations, meanings and history of this surname are most likely linked to that area of Europe where English, linguistic traditions are commonly found.

Source(s) & Meaning(s) of the Surname

Most of the modern family names throughout Europe have originated from with of the following circumstances: patronym or matronym, names based on the name of one's father, mother or ancestor, (Johnson, Wilson, Tiffany, Megson). Each is a means of conveying lineage; occupation (i.e., Carpenter, Cooper, Brewer, Mason); habitational (Middleton, Sidney, or Ireland) or topographical (i.e. Hill, Brook, Forrest, Dale); nicknames (i.e., Moody Freeholder, Wise, Armstrong); status (i.e. Freeman, Bond, Knight); and acquired ornamental names that were simply made up.

The surname of Ball has several diverse meanings as follows: (1) It is an English nickname for a short, fat person, from Middle English bal(le) ‘ball’ (Old English ball, Old Norse b{o,}llr); (2) is is an English topographic name for someone who lived on or by a knoll or rounded hill, from the same Middle English word, bal(le), used in this sense; (3) an English name from the Old Norse personal name Balle, derived either from ballr ‘dangerous’ or b{o,}llr ‘ball’; (4) a South German name derived from Middle High German bal ‘ball’, possibly applied as a metonymic occupational name for a juggler, or a habitational name from a place so named in the Rhine area; and (5) a Dutch and German short form of any of various Germanic personal names formed with the element bald (see Bald); and a baptismal name - the son of Baldwin, a popular font name during the 12th century.

History of the Surname

Surnames as we know them today were first assumed in Europe from the 11th to the 15th century. They were not in use in England or Scotland, before the Norman Conquest of 1066, and were first found in the Domesday Book of 1086. The employment in the use of a second name was a custom that was first introduced from the Normans who had adopted the custom just prior to this time. Soon thereafter it became a mark of a generally higher socio-economic status and thus seen as disgraceful for a well-bred man to have only one name. It was not until the middle of the 14^th century that surnames became general practice among all people in the British Isles.

The Ball name was originally from the Low countries, where for some centuries it was commonly utilized. It was introduced early into Ireland, now mainly in Ulster. Ireland was one of the earliest countries to evolve a system of hereditary surnames. They came into being fairly generally in the 11th century, and indeed a few were formed before the year 1000. In England the Ball surname was first found in Cheshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest in 1066. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Godwin Balle, which was dated 1137, in the "Early London Personal Names", by E. Ekwall. Other early recordings of the name include: Robert le Bal (1296, Sussex); Henry atte Balle (1327), Somerset); and Norman Balle (1183, Northamptonshire). Isabella Ball of Yorkshire was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379. John Ball, an English priest, who died in 1381, was one of the leaders of Wat Tyler's rebellion, for which he was executed.

Early Immigrants to North America

During the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th centuries hundreds of thousands of Europeans made the perilous ocean voyage to America. For many it was an escape from economic hardship and religious persecution. For most it was an opportunity to start over, own their own land, and make a better future for their descendents. Immigration records show a number of people bearing the name of Ball, or one of its variants, as arriving in North America between the 17^th and 20^th centuries. Some of these immigrants were: Robart Ball a very early emigrant to the American colonies; he is recorded as resident in Virginia in 1624, having arrived in the "London Merchant" in 1619; George Ball who settled in St. Christopher in 1635; Goodwife Ball settled in Virginia in 1623; Allen Ball settled in New Haven Conn. in 1630; and Eliza Ball who came to Virginia in 1651.

Use the following links to find more early immigrants with this surname:

$ Search Ancestry.com Immigration Records; or Free Ship’s Passenger lists at OliveTreeGenealogy.com

More About Surname Meanings & Origins

English Surnames

Although the Domesday Book compiled by William the Conqueror required surnames, the use of them in the British Isles did not become fixed until the time period between 1250 and 1450. The broad range of ethnic and linguistic roots for British surnames reflects the history of Britain as an oft-invaded land. These roots include, but are not limited to, Old English, Middle English, Old French, Old Norse, Irish, Gaelic, Celtic, Pictish, Welsh, Gaulish, Germanic, Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Throughout the British Isles, there are basically five types of native surnames. Some surnames were derived from a man's occupation (Carpenter, Taylor, Brewer, Mason), a practice that was commonplace by the end of the 14th century. Place names reflected a location of residence and were also commonly used (Hill, Brook, Forrest, Dale) as a basis for the surname, for reasons that can be easily understood. Nicknames that stuck also became surnames. About one-third of all surnames in the United Kingdom are patronymic in origin, and identified the first bearer of the name by his father (or grandfather in the case of some Irish names). When the coast of England was invaded by William The Conqueror in the year 1066, the Normans brought with them a store of French personal names, which soon, more or less, entirely replaced the traditional more varied Old English personal names, at least among the upper and middle classes. A century of so later, given names of the principal saints of the Christian church began to be used. It is from these two types of given name that the majority of the English patronymic surnames are derived and used to this day. Acquired ornamental names were simply made up, and had no specific reflection on the first who bore the name. They simply sounded nice, or were made up as a means of identification, generally much later than most surnames were adopted. Source: http://www.obcgs.com/LASTNAMES.htm

Variations of the surname

Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to unfold and expand often leading to an overwhelming number of variants. As such one can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames because in early times, spelling in general and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized. Later on spellings would change with the branching and movement of families. Spelling variations of this family name include: Ball, Balle, Balls, Balders and many others.

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Coat of arms

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In the Middle Ages heraldry came into use as a practical matter. It originated in the devices used to distinguish the armored warriors in tournament and war, and was also placed on seals as marks of identity. As far as records show, true heraldry began in the middle of the 12th century, and appeared almost simultaneously in several countries of Western Europe. In the British Isles the College of Arms (founded in 1483) is the Royal corporation of heralds who record proved pedigrees and grant armorial bearings.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

ARMORIAL BEARINGS

There are at least 13 known associated armorial bearings for Ball and close variant spellings recorded in Reitstap’s Armorial General or Sir Bernard Burke’s General Armory. The following additional information has been found regarding the coats-of-arms shown at the left:

Figure 1: coat-of-arms granted to a Ball of Cheshire, in North West England these arms show a silver shield with a black lion rising holding in the right paw a fireball. The crest features a bent mail covered arm and hand holding a fireball;

Figure 2: armorial bearings granted to a Ball of Scotto in Norfolk county, England;

Figure 3: has been attributed to a Ball of France. It features a white shield with three ermine spots;

Figure 4: the shield design that was granted in 1618 to a Ball from Northamptonshire, England.

MOTTOES

The most prominent of mottos chosen by Ball is “Fulcrum dlgnitatis virtus,” which is translated as “Virtue is the support of dignity”. This motto is arrtibuted to Ball of Ballsgrove, near Drogheda, Northern Ireland and is most probably used by several others with this same surname.

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

A Coat of Arms is defined as a group of emblems and figures (heraldic bearings) usually arranged on and around a shield and serving as the special insignia of some person, family, or institution. Except for a few cases, there is really no such thing as a standard "coat of arms" for a surname. A coat of arms, more properly called an armorial achievement, armorial bearings or often just arms for short, is a design usually granted only to a single person not to an entire family or to a particular surname. Coats of arms are inheritable property, and they generally descend to male lineal descendents of the original arms grantee. The rules and traditions regarding Coats of Arms vary from country to country. Therefore a Coat of Arms for an English family would differ from that of a German family even when the surname is the same. The art of designing, displaying, describing, and recording arms is called heraldry. The use of coats of arms by countries, states, provinces, towns and villages is called civic heraldry. Some of the more prominent elements incorporated into a coat of arms are :

Crest - The word crest is often mistakenly applied to a coat of arms. The crest was a later development arising from the love of pageantry. Initially the crest consisted of charges painted onto a ridge on top of the helmet.

Wreath or Torse – The torse is a twist of cloth or wreath underneath and part of a crest. Always shown as six twists, the first tincture being the tincture of the field, the second the tincture of the metal, and so on.

Mantling – The mantling is a drapery tied to the helmet above the shield. It forms a backdrop for the shield.

Helm or Helmet - The helmet or helm is situated above the shield and bears the torse and crest. The style of helmet displayed varies according to rank and social status, and these styles developed over time, in step with the development of actual military helmets.

Shield or Arms - The basis of all coats of arms. At their simplest, arms consist of a shield with a plain field on which appears a geometrical shape or object. The items appearing on the shield are known as charges.

Motto - The motto was originally a war cry, but later mottoes often expressed some worthy sentiment. It may appear at the top or bottom of a family coat of arms.

Direct ancestors

Descendant Register

Generation 1

Martha Ball-1 was born on Abt. 1685 in Scotland. She died in 1771 at Staunton, Augusta, Virginia, USA. She married James Kerr. He was born on Abt. 1685 in Scotland or Ireland. He died in 1770 at Augusta County, Virginia.

Children of Martha Ball and James Kerr are:

John Kerr, B: Abt. 1705 in Scotland, D: 12 Sep 1772 in Augusta County, Virginia, 27 Mar 1730 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; Chester.

Elizabeth Kerr, B: Abt. 1707 in Pennsylvania, D: Bet. 1746-1752 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, M: 1735 in Pennsylvania.

Samuel Kerr, B: Bet. 1715-1723.

William Kerr, B: Bet. 1716-1722, D: Aft. 1782 in Rowan County, North Carolina?, Bef. 1740.

Andrew Kerr, B: Bet. 1718-1722, D: 1782 in Rowan County, North Carolina, M: Abt. 1740 in Augusta County, Virginia?.

David Kerr, B: 1719 in Chester County, Pennsylvania, D: Mar 1804 in Guilford County, North Carolina, M: Bef. 1745.

Eleanor Kerr, B: Abt. 1720, D: Abt. 1781 in South Carolina?, M: 1738 in Pennsylvania.

Lettica Kerr, B: 07 Jan 1724 in Donegal Twp., Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania, D: 15 Jul 1773 in Staunton, Augusta Co., Virginia, M: 14 Jan 1749 in Augusta County, Virginia.

James Kerr, B: Abt. 1737 in Pennsylvania, D: Dec 1811 in Augusta County, Virginia, M: 13 Jan 1762 in Augusta County, Virginia.

Additional information about our DIRECT ANCESTORS as well as a complete listing of individuals with this surname may be reviewed by clicking on the following LINK.

MMPS Surname Locator

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Ancestral locations

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Researching the locations where our ancestors lived has provided us with valuable evidence needed to fill-in the gaps in our family trees. It has also led us to many interesting facts that enhance the overall picture of each family group. The names of states and counties on the following list were derived from the known places where the persons in the “Direct Ancestors” list (see above) were born, married, and / or died.

COUNTRY

STATE

COUNTY / SUBDIVISION

UNITED KINGDOM

SCOTLAND?

NORTHERN IRELAND?

UNITED STATES

VIRGINIA

Augusta County

Use this LINK to find out more about the locations listed above.

ANCESTRAL LOCATIONS

Where in the World
are My Ancestors?

Resources which enhance our knowledge of the places inhabited by our ancestors are almost as important as their names. The LINK to the right will take you to Maps, Gazetteers, and other helpful resources

that will assist in discovering Ancestral Locations. These web sites comprise only a small portion of what is available for researchers interested in learning more about where their ancestors lived.

Click on the LINK to the right to see more information about the World distribution of this surname. You can

get greater detail for any of the following maps by clicking on the area, i.e state, county that you are interested in.

Migration routes

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Tracing our own family’s paths of migration can prove crucial in identifying previous generations and eventually, figuring out where and how they arrived in the “New World” as well as where they eventually settled. Knowing the network of trails American pioneers traveled can help you guess where to start looking. The trail map(s) provided below may assist you in understanding the routes that our direct ancestors of this family may have taken to find new homes and opportunities in the vast area now encompassed by the United States.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Paxton Township, Pennsylvania c.1707 – c.1737

James Kerr his wife Martha Ball and son John Kerr made the ocean voyage to America around 1707 and most likely arrived at the port of Philadelphia in Colony of Pennsylvania. From here they moved west along the “Philadelphia Wagon Road” into Chester County and settled in the locality of what is now East Donegal Township, in Lancaster County. They lived at this location until around 1737. Encouraged by fellow emigrants, they first went westward form Lancaster County along the “Great Wagon Road” to Paxton Township, near the later town of Harrisburg.

Paxton Township, Pennsylvania to Augusta County, Virginia, 1737 - 1739

The journey of the Kerr-Ball family from here to Augusta County, Virginia began around 1738 when they pulled up stakes, loaded their horses with family goods, and crossed the Susquehanna River then started south over the “The Great Warrior & Trading Path” toward the cheaper lands in Virginia. Crossing the Potomac River by Williams’ or Watkins Ferry, near the later site of Williamsport, they followed the narrow footpath along the Shenandoah River. Past occasional clearings in the forest of the Valley of Virginia, they came after many days’ journey to a gap in an earlier trail, named Buffalo Gap. There, seventeen miles southwest of the valley near a way station that would eventually grow into the town of Staunton, and later the county seat of Augusta county, Virginia. The Kerr family settled at a choice spot at the juncture of Christian's Creek, Long Meadow Run, and Middle River. Here they cleared land built a log house and began to develop a farm.

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Look in the “Source Documents” gallery of this surname as we may have additional detailed maps showing these migration routes.

Source documents

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The documents contained within the “Source Documents Archives” have been located during my research of this family, and used as evidence to prove many of the facts contained within the database of this family’s record.

Most of these documents can be considered as primary or secondary evidence. Primary evidence is usually defined as the best available to prove the fact in question, usually in an original document or record. Secondary evidence is in essence all that evidence which is inferior in its origin to primary evidence. That does not mean secondary evidence is always in error, but there is a greater chance of error. Examples of this type of evidence would be a copy of an original record, or oral testimony of a record’s contents. Published genealogies and family histories are also secondary evidence.

Classifying evidence as either primary or secondary does not tell anything about its accuracy or ultimate value. This is especially true of secondary evidence. Thus it is always a good idea to ask the following questions: (1) How far removed from the original is it, (when it is a copy)?; (2) What was the reason for the creation of the source which contains this evidence?; and (3) Who was responsible for creating this secondary evidence and what interest did they have in its accuracy?

SOURCE: Greenwood, Val D., The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy, 2^nd edition, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD 21202, 1990, pgs. 62-63

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SOURCE DOCUMENTS

Web resources

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Contact information

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Fred
889 Dante Ct.
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