Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/675

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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ceived in 1627, Virginia, patent No. 85, being six acres at Buck Roe, Elizabeth City, ad- joining the land of David Poole, Frenchman. There were other Balls in New England, though it is apparent that there was neces- sarily no relation between them all. The arms of the leading Ball family of Virginia are thus heraldically described in "Hayden's \'irgiiiia Genealogies :" "Arg. a lion passant sa. on a chief of the second three mullets of the first." Crest : "Out of the clouds ppr. a demi-lion rampant sa. powdered with estoiles arg. holding a globe or." Motto: "Coelumque tueri."

Colonel William Ball had three sons, Richard, William and Joseph. He himself may have been born in Virginia as a son of one of the early settlers, certainty cannot be obtained on that point. It is probable that William Ball named his first son, Rich- ard, after his own father. He first appears in \^irginia records as plain "William Ball." His business was that of a merchant, and later a planter. His title of "colonel" did not exist till 1672. Colonel William Ball was born about 1615. and died at "Millenbeck," Lancaster county, Virginia, Novemljer, 1680. His will was dated October 15, 1680, and proved in Lancaster county, in Novem- ber, 1680. The probable name of his wife was Hannah Atherall, though there has been discussion on the subject. It has been a long accepted tradition in the various lines of the family that William Ball came to Vir- ginia with his wife and three children about 1650. It appears that he did not immediate- ly obtain land. He is named in the North- umberland county records in 1661 as "Wil- liam Ball, merchant." He was engaged in merchandising when he died in 1680. As his will shows no grant of land appears in his name until January 18, 1663, when he re- ceived three hundred acres on Narrow Neck creek, Lancaster county.

His son. Colonel Joseph Ball, was born May 24, 1649, and came to Virginia in his infancy, dying in June, 171 1. Of Colonel Joseph Ball little is known, despite the fact that he was the grandfather of General Washington. However he was a man of prominence in his county and parish, a lieu- tenant-colonel, and a vestryman. He re- ceived a grant of land in 1704. He married (first) Elizabeth Rogers, and (second) Mary Johnson, having by this second marriage Mary, who married Augustine Washington

and became the mother of the immortal father of his country. The great-grandfather of James William Ball was a cousin of Mary Ball, and was connected with the same state and county.

James William Ball was educated in the Richmond public schools, including the high school, and then entered Richmond College, leaving it, however, without graduating. He took up the study of the la-w in the office of the Hon. Charles T. O'Ferrall, leading at- torney and ex-governor of Virginia, remain- ing so engaged for a period of two years. He then entered commercial life and was secretary for four years to Charles W. Tan- ner, a banker of Richmond, Virginia. Later he came to New York and was for three vears financial reporter on the "New York Commercial." He then established the bank- ing and brokerage firm of James William Ball & Company, of which he is the head, and which he has conducted with much suc- cess. Mr. Ball is a member of the New "^'ork Press Club, the Southern Society of N^ew York City, and other societies and fra- ternities. In politics he is a Democrat, and in religion he is a liberal. He is fond of outdoor sports, particularly of horseback riding, and he rides like a cavalryman. He married, in 1901, Mabel Grace, daughter of Jonas R. Price, having one child that died in infancy.

The brothers and sisters of Mr. Ball are : Edward Walker Ball, born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1861, now a wdiolesale dealer in hardware, at Newport News, Virginia, married Rosa Phillips ; Annie Virginia, died 1902; Otway Walter, born in Richmond 1865, married Fidelia Nunally ; Harvey Grif- fith, born 1871. married Sadie Crump, and has children : Elsie Lee and Stuart Franklin.

John Zollikoffer Lowe, Sr. John Zolli- koff'er Lowe, Sr., bears in his veins the blood of many of the oldest families of England and America. The family was very conspic- uous during the Revolutionary period in North Carolina, Georgia, Maryland, Vir- ginia and Massachusetts, and was also active in governmental affairs of Maryland during the administration of Lord Baltimore. In fact, Jane Lowe, sister of Colonel Henry Lowe, married the second Lord Baltimore.

The arms of the Lowe family of county Derby : Azure, a hart, trippant, argent. Crest: A wolf, passant, argent. Motto: In-