About Ball

"John Balle, born about 1263 in Norfolk County, England, is one of the earliest recorded family members with very little surviving information. The "Mad Preacher of Kent", John Ball, is the most recorded following John Balle. Having great disdain for royalty while preaching "equality among men" and believing no man had the right to set himself as master of others, he was beheaded by Richard II, King of England in 1381."
(source: AFT The Families of Pacetti/Cowart/Ball/Putnam)

In Hertfordshire, there is an estate know as "Balls Park" taking its name form John de Ball, who represented Hartford druing the reign of Edward I, 1271-1307.

"The surname Ball, according to the best authorities, dated from Norman times and is a shortened form of Baldwin, which family were for many generations Counts of Flanders. In fact, William the Conqueror married Matilda, daughter of Baldwin VIII, and many of his immediate family came to England. After the Conquest the name appears to have been shortened and was spelt various ways as Balle, Bale, Baell. Bradley points out that Baell corresponds to the Anglo-Saxon Bael, meaning funeral pile; while Ball is only a partial equivalent of the Saxon Bald, meaning bold. Wright gives a plausible explanation that the name Baldwin may mean one who is bold enough in battle to win."
(source: COLONEL WILLIAM BALL of VIRGINA The Great-Grandfather of Washington by Earl L. W. Heck)

Heraldry Definitions
From Pimbley's Dictionary of Heraldry

Argent - (Ar'-jent) White. The silvery color on coats of arms. In the arms of princes it is sometimes called lune, and in those of peers pearl. In engravings it is generally represented by the natural color of the paper. It represents purity, innocence, beauty or gentleness.
"He beareth gules upon his shield, A chevron argent in the field". - Tales of a Wayside Inn.
Used as an adjective: Of the coloring of coats of armor.
"Rinaldo flings As swift as fiery lightning kindled new; His argent eagle with her silver wings, In field of azure, fair Erminia knew." - Fairfax

Chief - The head or upper part of the shield, containing a third of the field, and is divided off by one line, either straight or crenellé (indented). When one chief is borne upon another it is called surmounting.

Crest - Originally the crest was the ornament of the helmet, or headpiece, and also afforded protection against a blow. In the early rolls it was scarcely noticed, but in later armorial grants it came into general use. Crests, like arms, were sometimes allusive. Thus, Grey of Wilton used a gray, or badger, and Lord Wells a bucket and chain. In the early days of the crest it was confined to persons of rank, but in later times it has been included in every grant of arms.

Demi -Said of any charge borne half, as a demi-lion. (Also written deny).

Estoile - (es'-twal) [French] A star with six wavy points.

 Lion - The lion is the most popular beast in heraldry. He appears in the arms of Great Britian, Denmark, Spain, Holland, Bohemia, Saxony and numerous lesser countries. As early as 1127 Henry I used the lion as an ornament on a shield. Of the 918 bannerets of Edward II, 225 bore lions. The lion is drawn in about 30 attitudes, but seldom is he seen in other than rampant or passant.

Mullet - A bearing resembling a five-pointed star [with straight points]. It is sometimes called a spur rowel, but it was in use long before the rowelled spur. When used as a difference it denotes the third son.

Passant - (pas'-sant) Walking; said of any animal, except beasts of the chase, when represented as walking, with the dexter paw raised.

Powdered or Seme - (sem'ay) A field or charge powdered or sprinkled with small charges, such as stars, crosses, etc.

Proper - Represented in its natural color. Said of charges; as, "a lion proper".

Rampant - (ramp'-ant) Said of a beast of prey, as a lion, rising with fore paws in the air, as if attacking. The right fore leg and the right hind leg should be raised higher than the left. Unless otherwise specified, the animal faces dexter.

Sable - The tincture black. In engraving it is represented by perpendicular and horizontal lines crossed.

About Barkham Manor

In the 1240s Barkham Manor, which means 'Birch Tree Home', was owned by a family of that name but because of unlawful acts around this time by some of the family members, the manor was confiscated by the King and Barkham's income helped in part to pay for the building of Windsor Castle. About 1450 William Ball was born and later became Lord of Barkham Manor, Barkham, Berkshire, England. William died about 1480 and a Ball family resided at Barkham until the 1600's.

Barkham Manor as it stands today is a 17th century mansion house on 5 acres of grounds and adjoining land. The original building was enlarged in the 18th and 19th centuries when the Georgian and Victorian elements were added. It is listed as a Grade 2 building of special architectural or historic interest and is mentioned in Sir Nikolaus Pevsner's Buildings of England. The high brick wall of the property flanking Barkham road is a prominent feature of Barkham and dates from the early 19th century. It encloses the former kitchen garden and stable block.

Original images, modified below, are from Barkham.org.uk

Genetic Genealogy
Modified from Ball Surname Y Chromosome DNA Study

19 February 2005

There is a Ball surname Y Chromosome DNA study being conducted and is open to any male named Ball. The project is being coordinated by Mike Ball and Steven C. Perkins. Female relatives can't be included in the study directly but can be tested and participate by getting a male family member involved or by sponsoring someone in the study.

Because the Y chromosome is passed only from father to son it only appears in males. Each individual line of a family has a different Y DNA signature. This makes the Y DNA signature suited for study in surname projects. As the database of test results grows the gathered information may be able to help those who have reached a "brick wall" in their research. By finding your Ball Y DNA signature and then getting into contact with others of the same signature, you will be able to focus your research and be more efficient in finding your ancestry.

Some of the goals of the study are finding out how the various Ball families are related to each other. There are Ball families throughout the English speaking countries. Are they related? Is the family from Ireland or England, Scotland or Wales? Some of these questions may be answered as more people are tested and share their results.

Another goal is to find evidence to support or disprove various Ball families traditions of a relationship to the family of Col. William Ball of Millenbeck, Lancaster Co., Virginia, a maternal Great Grandfather of Gen. George Washington, first President of the United States of America. In order to do so the DNA signature of the documented descendants of Col. William Ball need to be determined.

If participants from the various alleged ancestral Ball families in England (Northamtonshire, Wiltshire, and, London) can be found, an additional goal would be to determine the possible paternal line of Col. William Ball.

Another specific question of interest is concerned with the relationship, if any, among the 17th century Ball immigrants to New Haven, Connecticut, William and Alling Ball; Boston, Massachusetts; Newark, New Jersey, Edward Ball; Delaware; Maryland, Charles Ball; and, Pennsylvania, with those of Virginia, Col. William Ball; John Ball; and, Richard Ball.

This is an exciting project which can answer several vexing questions. It is urged that anyone interested in the study to contact Mike Ball or Steven C. Perkins.

Why You Have A Family Name and What It Means To You
From Bowerman Family Genealogy Website

Primitive personal names doubtless originated soon after the invention of spoken language, although the date of their first use is lost in the darkness of ages preceding recorded history. For thousands of years thereafter, first or given names were the only designations that men and women bore; and in the dawn of historic times, when the world was less crowded than it is today and every man knew his neighbor, on title of address was sufficient. Only gradually, with the passing centuries and the increasing complexity of civilized society, did a need arise for more specific designations. While the roots of our system of family names may be traced back to early civilized times, actually the hereditary surname as we know it today dates from a time scarcely earlier than nine hundred years ago.

A surname is a name added to a baptismal or Christian name for the purposes of making it more specific and of indicating family relationship or descent. Classified according to origin, most surnames fall into four general categories: (1) those formed from the given name of the sire; (2) those arising from bodily or personal characteristics; (3) those derived from locality or place or residence; and (4) those derived from occupation. It is easier to understand the story of the development of our institution of surnames if these classifications are borne in mind.

As early as biblical times certain distinguishing appellations were occasionally employed in addition to the given name, as, for instance, Joshua the son of Nun, Simon the son of Jonas, Judas of Galilee, and Simon the Zealot. In ancient Greece daughters were named after their fathers, as Chryseis, the daughter of Chryses; and sons’ names were usually an enlarged form of the father’s, as Hieronymus, son of Hiero. The Romans, with the rise of their civilization, met the need for hereditary designations by inventing a complex system whereby every patrician traced his descent by taking several names. None of them, however, exactly corresponded to surnames as we know them, for the “clan name”, although hereditary, was given also to slaves and other dependents. This system proved to be but a temporary innovation; the overthrow of the Western Empire by barbarian invaders brought about its end and a reversion to the primitive custom of a single name.

The ancient Scandinavians and for the most part the Germans had only individual names, and there were no family names, strictly speaking, among the Celts. But as family and tribal groups grew in size, individual names became inadequate and the need for supplementary appellations began to be felt. Among the first employed were such terms as “the Strong”, “the Hardy”, “the Stern”, “the Dreadful-in-battle”; and the nations of northern Europe soon adopted the practice of adding the father’s name to the son’s, as Oscar son of Carnuth and Dermid son of Duthno.

True surnames, in the sense of hereditary designations, date in England from about the year 1000. Largely they were introduced from Normandy, although there are records of Saxon surnames prior to the Norman Conquest. Perhaps the oldest known surname in England is that of Hwita Hatte, a keeper of bees, whose daughter was Tate Hatte. During the reign of Edward the Confessor (1042 – 1066) there were Saxon tenants in Suffolk bearing such names as Suert Magno, Stigand Soror, Siuward Rufus, and Leuric Hobbesune (Hobson); and the Domesday record of 1085 – 1086, which exhibits some curious combinations of Saxon forenames with Norman family names, shows surnames in still more general use.

By the end of the twelfth century hereditary names had become common in England. But even by 1465 they were not universal. During the reign of Edward V a law was passed to compel certain Irish outlaws to adopt surnames: “They shall take unto them a Surname, either of some Town, or some Colour, as Blacke or Brown, or some Art of Science, as Smyth or Carpenter, or some Office, as Cooke or Butler.” And as late as the beginning of the nineteenth century a similar decree compelled Jews in Germany and Austria to add a German surname to the single names which they had previously used.

As stated above, family names may be divided into four general classes according to their origin. One of the largest of these classes is that comprising surnames derived from the given name of the father. Such names were formed by means of an added prefix or suffix denoting either “son of” or a diminutive. English names terminating in son, ing, and kin are of this type, as are also the innumerable names prefixed with the Gaelic Mac, the Norman Fitz, the Welsh ap, and the Irish O’. Thus John’s sons became Johnsons; William’s sons, Williamsons or Wilsons; Richard’s sons, Richardsons or Richardses (the final “s” of “Richards” being a contraction of “son”); Neill’s sons, MacNeills; Herbert;s sons, FitzHerberts; Thomas’s sons ap Thomases (ap had been dropped from many names of which it was formerly a part); and Reilly’s sons, O’Reillys.

Another class of surnames, those arising from some bodily of personal characteristic of their first bearer, apparently grew out of what were in the first instance nicknames. Thus Peter the strong became Peter Strong, Roger of Small stature became Roger Little of Roger Small, and black-haired William or blond Alfred became William Black or Alfred White. From among the many names of this type, only a few need be mentioned: Long, Short, Hardy, Wise, Good, Gladman, Lover, and Youngman.

A third class of family names, and perhaps the largest of all, is that comprising local surnames – names derived from and originally designation the place of residence of the bearer. Such names were popular in France at an early date and were introduced into England by the Normans, many of whom were known by the titles of their estates. The surnames adopted by the nobility were mainly of this type, being used with the particles de, de la, or del (meaning “of” or “of the”). The Saxon equivalent was the word atte (“at the”), employed in such names as John atte Brook, Edmund atte Lane, Godwin atte Brigg, and William atte Bourne. A vestige of this usage survives in the names Atwell, Atwood and Atwater; in other cases the Norman de was substituted; and in still others, such as Wood, Briggs, and Lane, the particle was dropped. The surnames of some of the Pilgrim fathers illustrate place designations: for instance, Winthrop means “from the friendly village”; Endicott, “an end cottage”; Bradford, “at the broad ford”; and Standish, “a stony park”. The suffixes “ford”, “ham”, “ley”, and “ton”, denoting locality, are of frequent occurrence in such names as Ashford, Bingham, Burley, and Norton.

While England enjoyed a period of comparative peace under Edward the Confessor, a fourth class of surnames arose – names derived from occupation. The earliest of these seem to have been official names, such as Bishop, Mayor, Fawcett (judge), Alderman, Reeve, Sheriff, Chamberlain, Chancellor, Chaplain, Deacon, Latimer (interpreter), Marshall, Sumner (summoner), and Parker (park-keeper). Trade and craft names, although of the same general type, were of somewhat later origin. Currier was a dresser of skins, Webster a weaver, Wainwright a wagon builder, and Baxter a baker. Such names a Smith, Taylor, Barber, Shepherd, Carter, Mason, and Miller are self-explanatory.

Many surnames of today which seem to defy classification or explanation are corruptions of ancient forms which have become disguised almost beyond recognition. Lonfellow, for instance, was originally Longueville, Longshanks was Longchamps, Troublefield was Tuberville, Wrinch was Renshaw, Diggles was Douglas, and Snooks was Sevenoaks. Such corruptions of family names, resulting from ignorance of spelling, variations in pronunciation, or merely from the preference of the bearer, tend to baffle both the genealogist and the etymologist. Shakespeare’s name is found in some twenty-seven different forms, and the majority of English and Angle-American surnames have, in their history, appeared is four to a dozen or more variant spellings.

In America a greater variety of family names exists than anywhere else in the world. Surnames of every race and nation are represented. While the greater number are of English, Scotch, Irish, or Welsh origin, brought to this country by scions of families which had borne these names for generations prior to emigration, many others, from central and southern Europe and from the Slavic countries, where the use of surnames if generally a more recently established practice, present considerable difficulty to the student of etymology and family history.

Those Americans who possess old and honored names – who trace the history of their surnames back to sturdy immigrant ancestors, or even beyond, across the seas, and into the dim mists of antiquity – may be rightfully proud of their heritage. While the name, in its origin, may seem ingenious, humble, surprising, or matter-of –fact, its significance today lies not in a literal interpretation of its original meaning but in the many things that have happened to it since it first came into use. In the beginning it was only a word, a convenient label to distinguish one John from his neighbor John who lived across the field. But soon it established itself as a part of the bearer’s individuality; and as it passed to his children, his children’s children, and their children, it became the symbol not of one man but of a family and all that that family stood for. Handed down from generation to generation, it grew inseparably associated with the achievement, the tradition, and the prestige of the family. Like the coat of arms – that vivid symbolization of the name which warrior ancestors bore in battle – the name itself, borne through every event of a man’s life and through the lives of scores of his progenitors; became the badge of family honor – the “good name” to be proud of, to protect, and to fight for is need be. As the worthy deed so the marching generations have given it dignity and splendor, it has become an institution, a family rallying cry, and the most treasured possession of those who bear it.