Sunday, August 18, 2002 Obtained at Genealogy.com
Elaborate History and Genealogy of the Ballous
Author: Adin Ballou
ARIEL BALLOU, M. D., AND LATIMER W. BALLOU, LL.D., PROPRIETARY PUBLISHERS.
Call Number: R929.2 B34
This book contains histories and records of the Ballou family in America.
Bibliographic Information: Ballou, Adin. An Elaborate and Genealogy of the Ballous. Press of E.L. Freeman and Son, State Printers. Providence, R.I. 1888.
Pages 3 - 14 (continuation under his wife's notes Pages 14 - 17 -- vlww)
"1. MATURIN BALLOU1 m. Hannah Pike, dr. of Robert and Catherine Pike, prob. in Providence, R. I., between 1646 and 1649. Issue,
2--1. John, b. prob. Providence, 1650; m. Hannah Garrett.
3--2. James, b. prob. Providence, 1652; m. Susanna Whitman, 1683.
4--3. Peter, b. prob. Providence, 1654; m. Barbary (???) (???).
5--4. Hannah, b. prob. Providence, 1656; d. u. m. in advanced maidenhood.
6--5. Nathaniel, b. prob. Providence, 1658; d. in early manhood.
7--6. Samuel, b. prob. Providence, 1660; drowned June 10, 1669.
That the above birth-dates, though somewhat conjectural, cannot be far from the actual ones, is certain; because we have authentic data to warrant our conclusion. 1. Maturin Ballou with Robert Pike and family located in Providence as early at least as January, 1646. 2. Maturin died somewhere between Feb. 24, 1661, and Jan. 31, 1663, and of course all his children were born previous to the latter date. 3. John, his eldest son, was admitted a freeman at Newport May 1, 1671, prob. soon after he was twenty-one years of age. 4. Samuel Ballou, Maturin's youngest son, was drowned while yet a lad, June 10, 1669--as is proven by the following verdict of Inquest by a jury: "We find, according to the evidence given in, that the lad, the widow Belloo her son, named Samuel Belloo, going into the river which runneth to the mill in Providence to wash himself, was by a providence of God drowned." See particulars in a book entitled "Deeds Transcribed" p. 455, City Clerk's office, Providence. The critical reader can calculate for himself and understand the probable proximate correctness of our given birth-dates; which it was deemed proper to place two years apart. The small river in which the lad Samuel was drowned bore the name Moshassuck. John Ballou's admission as a freeman may be found in Colonial Records B. II. under date of May 1, 1671. The death of Maturin Ballou is proximately determined by the following data. 1. He had land laid out to him as late as Feb. 24, 1661; 2, a Receipt from Roger Williams, &c., to his widow, viz.--"Providence 31, 11, '63, (so called) [i. e. Jan. 31, 1663].Rcd. of ye Widow Belleau for her payment toward Mishoasak & ye rest of ye inland inlargments fiftie shillings at six P pr. peny. We say recd at ye appointmt of ye town by us.
Roger Williams,
John Fenner."We find no particulars concerning the death of Maturin1, but presume it must have taken place while yet he was in the prime of middle age, to the great affliction of his wife, children, relatives and friends. Next the family mourned the loss of Samuel, in 1669, by drowning, and next, in youthful manhood, that of Nathaniel, probably not far from 1677 or 78. No record of the precise date has been found, and the only mementoes he left of his existence are two dateless letters--one to a brother, and one to his mother. These are thought too precious to omit. They are as follows:--
"Dear and loving brother,--
My love to thee, and all the rest, and to all that ask after me. Let this give thee to understand that I have received thy lines, and am glad to [know) that thou dost harken to my council, to think of thy latter end. Indeed, that will do the only good that thou canst seek after: and it is my heart's desire that thou mayest so do, and not put that day of salvation far from thee. I shall write no more at present, but rest thy loving brother.
Nathaniel Ballou."
"Dear and loving mother,--My duty is remembered to you, with my love and respects to my grandmother. Remember my love to my brother John, and to my brother James, and to my brother Peter, and to my sister--wishing all their welfare in this life, and if it may be in that which is to come also. Mother, being very weak, I have wrote a few lines to you, desiring you to consider this one thing, that there is no fleeing from the grave. For it is that which I do look for, to put off this earthly tabernacle. And when you shall hear this news, I pray thee, let not this trouble you: for I know this, that I shall have my part in the first resurrection, and shall live forever. So I bid you all farewell, and rest your dutiful son.
Nathaniel Ballou.
Brother James, I pray thee not to forget me."Where Nathaniel was when he wrote these letters, what were his pursuits, and why he was away from the parental home, no hint is left on record, and conjecture is useless. It would seem, from his mentioning his grandmother and not his grandfather, that the latter, Robert Pike, had gone the way of all the earth, probably sometime between 1673 and 1678. His two letters show that he was a deeply religious young man, as well as very affectionate towards his family relatives; and the last one indicates that his death was at hand. Happily he was ready to depart, and his soul anticipated with undoubting confidence a joyful entrance into immortal blessedness. We regret that no more can be told of him.
After the four surviving children came of age, the estates of their father and grandfather were legally divided between them and their mother. The following is the recorded document specifying that division:--
"Whereas it hath pleased God by death to remove Matureene Belloo & Robert Pike, formerly of ye town of Providence in ye collony of Rhode Island & Providence Plantations in New England, and each of them leaving some estate behind them in housing, lands, goods and chattel; and whereas ye said Matureene Belloo & ye said Robert Pike died making no legal instrument or instruments of disposition of their said estates, by reason whereof, if not timely prevented, controverseys may arise amongst their successors concerning the said estates; therefore, for ye preventing of all inconveniency or differences & discord which might at any time arise between ye successors and survivors of ye said Matureene Belloo, Robert Pike & their posterity, it is covenanted, concluded, determined & fully & jointly agreed by Hannah Belloo, widdow & Relique of ye aforesaid deceased Matureene Belloo & daughter of ye said deceased Robert Pike, & by John Belloo, eldest son of ye said Matureene Belloo, and by James Belloo, son of ye said Matureene Belloo, and by Peter Belloo, son of ye said Matureene Belloo, and by Hannah Belloo, daughter of ye said Matureene Belloo, all of ye said town of Providence and collony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in New England: that the house lot, which is in ye aforesaid Providence, the one which belonged to ye said Robert Pike, & also ye house lot which belonged unto ye aforesaid Matureen Belloo with all ye housing on it, & ye share of medow which belonged to ye said Matureene Belloo which lieth at ye great medow, and half ye right of common land yet divisible upon it, reckoning so far west as ye seven mile line(*), which belonged to ye said Robert Pike, and one quarter part ye right which belonged to ye said Matureene Belloo on ye west side of ye seven mile line, with all and every their appertances, three cows & five swine & all ye household goods, shall belong unto ye said Hannah Belloo, widdow, and ye said Hannah Belloo, daughter, of ye said Matureene Belloo, unto them and their heirs and assigns forever. And if any of said estate shall at any time be disposed of, it shall be with both their consents and approbation; and that ye said estate of housing, lands, goods and cattle what shall be & remainders possessed of by ye said two persons shall revert and be unto ye longest lived of said two persons, (namely) ye said Hannah Belloo, widdow, & Hannah Belloo, daughter, of ye said Matureene Belloo, to their heirs and assigns for ever.
(*) This line was establisbed in 1660. It runs north and south from a point supposed to be seven
miles west of Fox Hill, though it actually measures more. It is now the dividing line between
Smithfield, Johnston and Cranston on the east, and Seituate, Glouceater and Burrillville on the
west. It was the western boundary of the early division of Providence town lands. They subsequently
divided the land on the west side of the line.
Secondly--that the sixty acres of upland in ye 2d division & ye share of medow in ye same division in ye right of ye said Matureene Belloo & one half ye right of common, reckoning so far west from ye town of Providence as ye seven mile line, & a quarter part of ye right beyond ye seven mile line, & one acre of swamp land adjoining to ye aforesaid share of medow, & half a six acre lot lying in ye neck between ye land of John Brown & ye land of Shadrach Manton, it being the west end or west half of said six acres of land, together with all and every of their appertances, to be unto ye said John Belloo, to him & his heirs & assigns for ever.Thirdly--that the sixty acres of land in ye 2d division in ye right of ye said Robert Pike, & ye ten acres of land in ye said division in ye right of ye said Robert Pike in lieu of a share of medow, and a piece of swampy land which was laid out in exchange from ye new field in ye right of ye aforesaid Matureene Belloo, & half of ye right of common reaching from ye town of Providence so far west as ye seven mile line in ye right of ye aforesaid Robert Pike, with what lands are divisible upon it, & one quarter part in ye right of ye aforesaid Matureene Belloo in ye land beyond ye seven mile line, & one quarter part of a six acre lot lying in ye neck betwixt ye land of John Brown and ye land of Shadrach Manton, the which said quarter part of ye said six acre lot is to be at the east end thereof, all the said lands & Common & all and every of their appertances to be unto ye said James Belloo afore named, to his heirs and assigns forever.
Fourthly--that the ten acres of land which was bought of Samuel Whipple lying westward of ye brook called Robbins brook & Southward from Walling's furnace, & eleven acres of swampy land lying in ye great swamp in ye neck, the which is both in ye right of Robert Pike aforesaid, & also of ye aforesaid Matureene Belloo, and half a right of Common reaching from ye town of Providence so far west as ye seven mile line with ye lands yet divisible upon it in ye right of ye said Matureene Belloo, & a quarter part of ye right of ye said Matureene in ye land beyond on ye west side of ye seven mile line, and one quarter part of a six acre lot in ye neck which lyeth between ye land of John Brown & ye land of Shadrach Manton, the which said quarter part is to be between the aforesaid John Belloo his share of ye six acres & ye said James Belloo his share of ye said six acres, to be, all and every part of the said lands & common & all & every of their appertances, unto ye said Peter Belloo to him, his heirs & assigns for ever.
Fifthly--that in case it shall so fall that ye aforesaid Hannah Belloo, widdow, shall stand in need of assistance with maintainance for her relief, then shall the said John Belloo & James Belloo & Peter Belloo each of them and their executors, heirs & administrators, be at equal charges for her maintainance to the end of her natural life.
Sixthly--that four written instruments be made the which shall all correspond & agree each with the other, and that each one of ye aforesaid concerned persons shall sign and set his seal to every one of ye said four written instruments, that any one of ye said four written instruments shall be good to all intents and purposes for each of said persons their heirs, executors, administrators and assigns to hold and maintain their lands and estates by the which are therein contained and mentioned for each one their part, and that this instrument is one of ye said four written instruments.
This being covenant conclusion, determination and full & joint agreement made by ye aforesaid Hannah Belloo, widdow, John Belloo, James Belloo, Peter Belloo & Hannah Belloo, daughter of ye said deceased Matureene Belloo; in witness thereof they do all hereunto set their hands & seals this first day of March, in ye year one thousand six hundred eighty and five, six." See Providence Records B. II. p. 112, &c.
This is certainly a very important instrument, remarkable for its clearness and strength of specification, considering its date, and invaluable for its historic details. It puts us in possession of authentic facts respecting the early circumstances and affairs of Maturin Ballou's family almost indispensable to a fair start of their genealogy. It would seem from its silence concerning Mrs. Catherine Pike, widow of Robert, that she had followed him to the world of spirits--probably sometime between 1680 and 1685. Whether we can infer from the orthography of the name, "Matureene Belloo," anything conclusive as to the early pronunciation of it, is doubtful; though it is probable that the draftsman of the instrument, an evidently legal gentleman, gave nearly its usual phonetic pronunciation. But the scribes and clerks of subsequent date made such incongruous work of writing it and the sur-name generally, that we are only amazed at their multiform whimsicality. We know, however, by the original letters of Nathaniel and John, sons of Maturin, that they spelled their surname as we now do--Ballou.
What next occurred in the experience of the family? It is probable, if not certain, that the widow Hannah Ballou and her daughter Hannah resided for several years on the original homestead in the northerly section of Providence. Meantime the three brothers, John, James and Peter, settled within a short distance of each other on their respective divisions of inherited common land in a locality then called Loquasquissuck, but now Louisquiset. This tract was then in its wilderness state, but had several attractive open meadows, created by the ancient beavers, yielding annually large crops of nutritious grasses, much needed in those days for the sustenance of cattle. It was situated only a few miles northwest of the parental homestead, in what is now the westerly part of Lincoln, between the villages of Manville on the north and Lime Rock on the south. This locality was originally in the town of Providence and included in the tract of common territory called the Outlands of Providence. In 1730 those Outlands were divided into three towns, viz.: Smithfield, Gloucester and Scituate. Thenceforth the Ballou locality of the second generation was in Smithfield. In 1871 Smithfield was subdivided so as to constitute wholly or in part four towns, viz.: Smithfield, North Smithfield, Woonsocket and Lincoln. Burrillville was set off from Gloucester in 1806. The ancient James Ballou homestead lies about half a mile westward from the village of Albion. A portion of it continues in possession of their descendants to this day.
At length the mother and daughter began to stand in need of special care from one or more of the sons. They preferred that of James, and entered into the following Agreement with him, Oct. 22, 1707:
"Whereas there are two house lots or home shares of land, each lot containing about four acres of land be it more or less, the which are situate lying and being in the town of Providence, in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in the Naragansett Bay in New England--lieing and being in the row of house lots whereon the town is seated, and towards the northern part of the town--the which said lots of land, one of them formerly belonged unto Robert Pike formerly of said Providence but now deceased, the other of them formerly belonged to Matureene Belloo formerly of said Providence but now deceased--The which said two house lots or home shares of land do now belong to us, Hannah Belloo, formerly wife of the sd Matureene Belloo but now his widow, and Hannah Belloo, daughter of the aforesaid Matureene Belloo, both of ye aforesaid town of Providence, and are our proper estates, both the said lots: And whereas we, the sd Hannah Belloo, widdow of the aforesaid Matureene Belloo, and Hannah Belloo, daughter of the aforesaid Matureen Belloo, are now fallen into the care and providing for of James Belloo, of the aforesaid town of Providence, son of the aforesaid deceased Matureene Belloo and of the said Hannah Belloo, widow of the aforesaid deceased Matureene Belloo: And whereas it is requisite that the said James Belloo should be considered as with respect to his care and charges as to our providing for and maintainance so far as we are capable, and if it shall so fall out at any time with us or with either of us, that we or either of us may not be in a capasity to answer the said James Belloo as to his care, charges and disbursements concerning us or either of us, the sd two lots of land shall be under such circumstances as to make restitution unto the said James Belloo or his heirs for what he hath or may yet expend upon us or on the longest lived of us. And if at any time that any of us two persons to whom the said two lots of land do belong shall see cause to make sale of the same, the said James Belloo or his heirs shall have the first offer and refusal, he or they allowing as much for the same as any other person will give.
In witness of the premises we, the said Hannah Belloo widdow and Hannah Belloo daughter, do hereunto set our hands and seals the twenty and second day of October, in the year one thousand seven hundred and seven.
Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of
The mark of 7 Hannah Belloo, widow; Tho. Olney, sen.; Hannah Belloo, daughter; John Inman, Junr,
Recorded Feb. 10th, 1717-18. Per me Richard Waterman, Clerk."It furthermore appears that the mother and daughter made a deed bearing this same date of October 22, 1707, whereby they conveyed to James Belloo all their right, title and interest to lands on the west side of the seven mile line, as specified in the divisional agreement hereinbefore copied. This deed, which is still extant in its original form, purports to have been recorded in "Providence Records," Book II. pp. 195 and 196, June 13, 1711, by Thomas Olney, Clerk.
Under date of Jan. 28, 1711-12, Hannah Ballou, the widowed mother, executed a deed whereby she conveyed to her son James "my two six acre lots situate and being within ye Town of Providence & lying between land of James Brown on ye south & the land of John Arnold on the North, and butting on ye Town street on the west--one of which sd lots did formerly belong unto my well beloved husband, Matureene Belou deceased, the other did formerly belong to my much honored father, Robert Pike deceased--as also one half Right of common on ye east side of ye seven mile line. And also fourteen acres of land laid out unto me adjoining to the lands of my said son, James Beleu, together with all my household stuf and other moveable Estate of what kind and nature soever." Providence Records, Book III. p. 90.
At this same date James bound himself in the penal sum of œ40 to his mother "to find for and allow unto her meat, drink, washing, lodging, appariel and tendance, with all things else needful and necessary respecting both her age and times of sickness," during her whole life. Providence Records, B. III. p. 90.
Thus we find James Ballou in legal possession of all the property that had belonged to his mother and to his sister Hannah--he giving bonds as aforesaid. As his sister is not mentioned in either of these two instruments bearing date Jan. 28, 1711-12, she had undoubtedly deceased. This determines her death to have taken place some time between Oct. 22, 1707, and Jan. 28, 1711-12, which is the nearest approximation we are able to make to the date of that event.(*)
The foregoing arrangement appears to have been quite unsatisfactory to John Ballou, the eldest son of Maturin and Hannah (Pike) Ballou. It seemed to him that his brother James had inveigled himself into an undue share of his mother's estate, and he complained of it. He died some little time before his mother, and left his grievance to be cherished by his eldest son, John Ballou, Jr. When his grandmother had passed away, this son insisted that his uncle James should hand over to him a share of the estate, pleading that the three sons and their heirs had all been bound for the old lady's maintenance, and ought to share her property. His uncle James contended that he had borne all the care and expense of her maintenance, and that the entire estate made over to him would hardly make him whole. But John, Jr.,
(*) Aug. 20, 1885. Our friend John O. Austin, an expert Rhode Island genealogist, has recently
discovered and communicated in part a record of the testimony given on trial of the case between
John Ballon3 and his uncle, James Ballou2, in 1718, which reports Peter Ballou2 as declaring that
his sister Hannah "died fore part of January 1712." This seems to settle the date almost to a day.brought suit against his uncle, which was tried before the "General Court of Trials" at Newport in Sept., 1718. It seems that the plaintiff lost his case. There are some peculiar and quaint papers extant relating to this case, which we cannot afford to have buried out of sight. They will repay preservation, and, as curiosities, if nothing more, demand a place in these pages. The first of these documents is a Release or discharge made by James, the uncle, to John, his nephew.
"Whereas my brother John Ballou did oblige himself and heirs to be at equal part of the expense of maintaining my mother and sister, now deceased, with me and my brother Peter, I do now therefore discharge John Ballou, son and heir of the said John Ballou now deceased, from all costs and charges which have occurred for the support of my mother & sister.
James Ballou.
Feb. 7, 1717-18."This is only an extract from the instrument, containing the pith of its substance, but is sufficient for our purpose. It looks as if uncle James executed it to foreclose any plea on the part of nephew John, that he and others might be held liable to pay charges for the maintenance of his grandmother and aunt. But it is chiefly interesting as showing that the uncle intended to insist on no unjust claims, and more especially to us of this generation, as indicating proximately the death-dates of his mother and brother John. Another recorded document, discovered by Frederick M. Ballou, Esq., after the foregoing was written, shows that John had deceased previously to "March 4, 1714-15." Hence it is somewhat probable that the mother and her eldest son died not far apart--he during the year 1714, she early in 1715. These instruments are our only dependence for fixing their death dates. We have, however, two much more curious documents relating to this family controversy. Here is a
DEPOSITION BY DEPUTY GOV. JOSEPH JENKS.
"I Joseph Jenks, being of Lawful age, Do testify & Say, that Som years ago I was Desired by James Beleu to write a Deed of Some percils of Land, which he told me his mother was minded he should have in Satisfaction for ye Charge which he had already been at for her maintainance, As also for her further maintainance During her life, he also desired me, that when I had writ Sd Deed I would bring it up to his house & Se it Executed, & accordingly when I had writ the Deed I carried it to his house, & when I came there he Sent for his brother Peter Beleu to come to his house to See the Executing of Sd Deed, he also Sent for Some persons for witnesses; & whilst the messengers were gon (which I suppose was about an hour) I fell into Discourse with the Ancient woman, James Beleu's mother, & asked her Several questions--& to my thinking She answered very Rationally to them all, & as Rationally as She could have done at any time, for many years past: & amongest other discourse, I asked her if She could Remember her age. She Replied She could not, but told me that Thomas Olney had kept her age Ever Since She came to Live at Providence: for, said she, when I first came into this Town, we had discourse about our ages, & found that we were both born in one year: & he has kept my age Ever Since. So after Some Time the Messengers Returned; & Thomas Hopkins & Valentine Inman Came for to be witnesses to Sd Deed; but Peter Beleu Came not--he having business which Detained him, as was said; but John Beleu came & Seemed very angery, Saying that he thought he ought to have part of the Land. James Beleu Replied, I do not Covet the Land, do you pay me what Charge I have been at, in keeping my mother, & Hannah, & take my mother & Look after her as Long as She lives, provided She be willing to goe with you, & Do you take the Land. John Beleu Replied he would take her; but She made Answer, I won't go with you, John, what will you do with me? you can't Look after me, or to that Effect. So She proceeded to Sign the deed, being Dim Sighted She asked where She must Sign, & I guided her hand to the place & She Signed the Deed, but John Beleu forbid the witnesses Signing, but they proceeded & Signed as witnesses: & I heard not one word, neither from him nor them, of the old woman's being Childish, or Incopassitated for such a business. So I took her acknowledgement of the Deed, & drew a bond wherein James Beleu became bound to his mother for her maintainance During her Life, & So Returned hom: & never heard any more Stir about it untill about Six or Eight months ago: & then I heard that John Beleu was Intended to Sue for the Land Contained in the fore Sd Deed, & had procured witnesses to prove that his grandmother was Childish & not Capeable of making a conveyance at the time when she sined the afore Sd Deed, & that those men which were witnesses to the Deed had given Such a Testimony: the which I much admired at; but I Remembering what discourse I had with the woman about her age, thought I would ask Mr. Olney about it, & accordingly I did, & he told me that when She came first to providence, her father, and mother, her husband and Shee kept Some Time at his father's house, in which time they had Discourse about their age, & found they were both born in one year, & he was then Eighteen years of age: So that Mr. Olney confirming the Truth of what the woman had told me at the time of her Signing the Deed, was a good Confirmation to me that I was not mistaken in Judging her to be of sound memory at that Time: & this I declare to be truth, as witness my hand this 2d of October: 1718.Joseph Jencks.
Taken upon Engagent this 27th day of March 1719: before me
Richard Browne, Justice of peace." "Continued under his wife's notes: vlww
Parents of Hannah were Robert & Catherine Pike. vlww
Sunday, August 18, 2002 Obtained at Genealogy.com
Elaborate History and Genealogy of the Ballous
Author: Adin Ballou
ARIEL BALLOU, M. D., AND LATIMER W. BALLOU, LL.D., PROPRIETARY PUBLISHERS.
Call Number: R929.2 B34
This book contains histories and records of the Ballou family in America.
Bibliographic Information: Ballou, Adin. An Elaborate and Genealogy of the Ballous. Press of E.L. Freeman and Son, State Printers. Providence, R.I. 1888.
Pages 14 - 17 (this is a continuation of notes under her husbands note section - vlww)
"The foregoing has been copied literally from a time-yellowed but well preserved original paper, handed down among other valuable documents to the descendants of James Ballou inheriting the ancient homestead. It appears to be in the hand writing of Richard Browne, Esq., who swore the deponent, excepting only the signature, Joseph Jencks, which is probably his own, as it is spelled with a c in it before the k, unlike "Jenks" at the beginning, and shows a lighter use of the pen. Joseph Jenks was a distinguished man and official functionary among the early Rhode Islanders. The deed and bond to which he refers, as having assisted to execute, bear date January 28, 1711-12; which has been shown on a preceding page. The deponent is understood to refer first to "John Beleu," the elder brother of James, and last to "John Beleu," the nephew. He makes neither of these Johns appear to very good advantage in comparison with James, who seems to have been a high minded, fair and just person. Hannah Ballou, the aged widow of Maturin, is shown to have been a discriminating, shrewd woman, with downright common sense and a positive will. She was not to be trifled with. This deposition gives us our best indications concerning Hannah (Pike) Ballou's age, yet is not desirably definite. Mr. Olney and she were born the same year. They were eighteen years of age when she first came to Providence. But when was that? Her parents, she and her husband dwelt for a time with Mr. Olney's father. Was she then already married to Maturin Ballou at the age of eighteen? Or is it only meant that he who became her husband lived in Pike's family? There is constructive room for conjecture; and it is a reasonable conjecture, that the Pike family, with Maturin Ballou, may have come to Providence as early as 1644, though their land grant is dated in Jan., 1646. We have no means of settling these points. We shall assume, however, that they were living at Mr. Olney's in 1644, that Hannah Pike had not then been married, was at that time eighteen years old, and was probably married two or three years later. If so, she was eighty-five years of age or thereabouts in 1712, when she executed the deed to her son James, which Joseph Jencks wrote and took her acknowledgment of. And if so, she must have been eighty-seven or over at her death, which probably took place not far from 1714. If we have not mistaken facts in assuming that the deponent spoke first of John Ballou, Sen., and afterwards of John Ballou, Jr., then it would seem that John Ballou, Sen., must have died perhaps before his mother: i. e. during 1714, and she early in 1715, as already conjectured. This point must be left in some obscurity and uncertainty, for want of requisite explicit data.ANOTHER KINDRED DOCUMENT
now demands consideration. It explains itself, and is literally as follows:--"Whereas there hath been: and yet is a Contention betwixt John Ballou, and his uncle James Ballou, both of Providence in the Colony of Rhode Island &c: Concerning certain Lands lying within the Township of Providence aforesaid, the which said Lands the said James Ballou purchased of his mother, Hannah Ballou, as by two deeds of Sale under her hand & seal may appear, nevertheless the said John Ballou, sence the decease of his Grandmother the sd Hannah Ballou, layeth Claim unto said land as being heir unto it: and their strife about the same is risen to such a height that they have had one tryal at the last General Court of tryals held at Newport in September last past, and design to have another at the next General Court of tryals there; and inasmuch as neither of the said deeds of sale do so exactly and plainly declare how much money the sd James Ballou gave for the said Lands, as they might have done, therefore some persons have taken the groundless advantage as to say the sd James Ballou obtained the aforesaid Lands of his said mother for a very small sum, if any thing, or at least nothing near the true worth thereof: Therefore the said James Ballou Earnestly desired us whose names are here under written, to give our Judgment as to the true worth of the said Lands: and also to Examine the books of the accounts of the dealing between his said mother and himself; that so it may be known for the future whether there was any wrong done in that affair or not. Now as to the aforesaid Lands our Judgment is, that at the times when said deeds were signed, all the Lands that said James Ballou holds by virtue of said two deeds, was not worth more than one hundred pounds of money: and having Examined the said books of accounts and according to the account that the said James Ballou brought and showed to us, it appeared that the said Hannah Ballou was indebted to the said James Ballou, not long before her death, one hundred & ten pounds two shillings & three pence, and if the said accounts which he showed us be really true, which we know nothing at present to the Contrary, then we reckon that the said James Ballou gave ten pounds two shillings and three pence more than said Lands were worth at that time, for he told us he gave all the debt. Signed at Providence this 26th of March 1719 by usWilliam Harris
Richard Browne.
Providence, March 26th 1719; Then taken upon Engagement
before me Joseph Jencks, Dept. Govr."
Whether this unique document was ever used at any trial of the controversy to which it relates, we do not know. Its procurement by James Ballou seems to have been mainly designed to satisfy candid inquirers into the case, that he had done no wrong in the obtainment of his mother's lands, nor given any just cause of complaint to his contentious nephew in the matter. This was creditable to his self respect, as well as to his sense of justice. He was evidently an upright, prudent and honorable man. If his nephew was wanting in any of these qualities, for any reason, he was no exception to multitudes of kindred minds in our world. And if the Ballous of this generation take no pride in this feud of their progenitors, they may draw useful lessons from it in avoiding what is censurable on one side, and imitating what was commendable on the other. They can see that human nature was active in their ancestors, as in themselves, and treasure up the admonitions of wisdom.Here we may close all that need be said of Maturin Ballou, his widow, Hannah (Pike) Ballou, and the three of their children who died unmarried. Maturin Ballou1, our patriarch, died not far from 1661, and was buried probably in the oldest Providence Grave Yard. No lettered stone marks the spot. Samuel, his youngest son, was drowned June 10, 1669, a mere lad, and buried near his father. Nathaniel, next older than Samuel, died and was buried away from the family home; but where no record yet found informs us, perhaps about the year 1678. Hannah, the only daughter, was never married, and spent her last years with her venerable mother at the residence of her brother James Ballou, on his homestead about half a mile west of the village called Albion, in then Providence, afterwards Smithfield, and now Lincoln. She died between 1707 and 1712, the precise date unascertained. Her remains were undoubtedly buried in that brother's family cemetery. Hannah, the widow of Maturin1, styled by Deputy Gov. Jencks "the ancient woman," died, as we have assumed, on the same premises, aged not far from eighty-eight years, and her ashes repose in the same humble cemetery. It was located only a short distance from the original home-site. There rests the dust of James Ballou2, of his wife, mother, sister, and a portion of his posterity. No sculptured marble distinguishes the oldest graves from each other. It ought to be a hallowed depository to the descendants of James2, and may hereafter be fitly honored with some deserved monument of commemoration.
ARRANGEMENT OF THIS GENEALOGY.
The proper construction and arrangement of this work has been a subject of considerable solicitude with the author. At first he was disposed to present its details in three General Parts, quite distinct from each other, so as to treat separately of John Ballou2 and his descendants, of James Ballou2 and his descendants, and of Peter Ballou2 and his descendants. But on finding that the descendants of Peter2 were so few as to be very disproportionate in number to those of his two elder brothers, he concluded to carry the whole along together in the order of their generations. On the advice of an experienced genealogist, he thought, for awhile, of placing the female branches of descent, wherever they forked off from the male lineage, with full family records in a compact series together from case to case. But after mature reflection, he decided to avoid such broad blocks of eccentric specification, out of the regular chronological line as this must occasion, and to let both male and female branches of descent flow along in their natural order. He has proceeded accordingly, and the reader will please seek both for male or female descendants in the regular range of successive generations; care being taken on his part to guard against obscurity and mistake. So we come next to Maturin Ballou's descendants of the Second and Third Generations - "
