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tline3open  wev - Another William Ball Silversmith?

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Author Topic:   wev - Another William Ball Silversmith?
Tad Hale

Posts: 120
Registered: Jul 2005

iconnumber posted 12-19-2008 02:35 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Tad Hale     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I was searching some family history when I came across this William Ball in Va. who was married to Hannah Heale, a descendant of mine. This William Ball is earlier than the other ones and are probably related in some way. This William Ball is related to George Washington. Here is a link to his inventory in the Silversmiths shop.
http://chnm.gmu.edu/probateinventory/pdfs/ballwm42.pdf

Tad Hale

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argentum1

Posts: 602
Registered: Apr 2004

iconnumber posted 12-19-2008 10:13 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for argentum1     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
A plausible explanation.

Ball appears to be a common name found throughout the colonies. As this gentleman
appears to have been an owner of a Plantation in Virginia, the working arrangements need to be discussed. On large plantations labor was divided by specialties and one of these specialties was Silversmithg. As retail stores were not within close proximety and having purchases shipped from Europe took months to arrive, many needed items were made on the plantation by slaves. It is known that quite a few slaves were Silversmiths. Note the listing of items by specialty i.e. Joyner shop, Dary, silversmith shop. It is entirely possible that this William Ball was the Plantation owner who owned slaves trained in Silversmithing, Cabinetmaking and whatever else was required to furnish whatever was needed. I am not saying William Ball was not a Silversmith but just suggesting an alternate possibility.

[This message has been edited by argentum1 (edited 12-19-2008).]

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argentum1

Posts: 602
Registered: Apr 2004

iconnumber posted 12-20-2008 05:35 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for argentum1     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Come on somebody else. I am dying to know if I am on the right track or whether I skidded off the track. Certainly one of our knowledgble geneology people could offer some insight.

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FWG

Posts: 845
Registered: Aug 2005

iconnumber posted 12-20-2008 06:10 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for FWG     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Sorry, I thought it was clear that you were correct about it being a plantation workshop, whether staffed by slaves or not. As you note, the number and variety of shops point to a plantation, as do the external properties inventoried ("forest quarter, mill, Corotoman quarter). Note too the minimal equipment in the "silver smith's shop" - barely sufficient for simple repairs or alterations, whatever might've been in the "small parcel of silversmith's tools". Doesn't read at all like the inventories of "real" silversmiths.

That's not to say it's not significant information, just that there's no reason to read from that inventory that this Ball was a silversmith.

My colonial Virginia library is all packed up, but as I recall William Ball is a reasonably well known figure. But this is a century later than most of my research in Virginia.

(later addition): It occurs to me that given the limitations of written communication I should make very clear that I meant here a sincere "Sorry...", not facetious.

[This message has been edited by FWG (edited 12-20-2008).]

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wev
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Posts: 4121
Registered: Apr 99

iconnumber posted 12-20-2008 06:39 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for wev     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I agree with the previous posts. I do note that the William Ball of the inventory is not the William Ball who married Hannah Heale, rather it is his son, who died 9 Apr 1742. Willam senior died 14 Aug 1744.

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Tad Hale

Posts: 120
Registered: Jul 2005

iconnumber posted 12-20-2008 09:30 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Tad Hale     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thank you for your replies. I also wondered if he could have been a silversmith, when I saw the reference to the "silversmiths shop", that is why I put a question mark next to the title of this thread. I guess I was kind of hoping that this William Ball could have been related to the Baltimore maker by the same name. After further research it seems that everyone in the Ball families named one of their son's William.

Thanks again, Tad

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