"Colonel Joseph Ball, youngest son of Colonel William Ball, was transported by his father from Maryland to Virginia. By his first marriage he had one son and four daughters: Joseph. born 11 March, 1684, who was educated in England and there wooed and wed Miss Frances Ravenscroft; Elizabeth married Rev. John Carnegie, Hannah married Mr. Rawleigh Travers, Anne married Colonel Edwin Conway, and Easter married Mr. Rawleigh Chinn. He married second Mrs. Mary Johnson, a widow with two children, John and Elizabeth Johnson. She was born in England and was living neighbor to him in Lancaster County, Virginia, at the time of their marriage. Colonel Joseph Ball died at "Epping Forest," Lancaster County, Virginia, in 1711, leaving an only child by this marriage, Mary Ball."' Probably his widow with their daughter, Mary, returned home to visit relatives. She married, as her third husband, Captain Richard Hewes. They were living in St. Stephen's Parish, Northumberland County, Virginia, when he died circa 1713. In her will dated 17 December, 1720, she leaves her daughter, Mary Ball, "under tutelage and government of her friend, Captain George Eskridge, during her minority." She died in 1721 and when her daughter, Mary Ball, was of age most likely she went to England to live.

(a) "The identity of Mary Johnson, widow, whom Col. Joseph Ball made his second wife sometime after Feb. 6th, 1707 and who became the mother of Mary, the mother of Washington in 1707/8 has remained an unsolved riddle but by comparison of the records of Westmoreland Co. compiled by Miss Lucy Beale with the records of Lancaster and Middlesex Counties a reasonable solution is seen.

(b) In 1703, Col. Joseph Ball made a gift deed to his son-in-law Rawleigh Chinn, Gent. of 190 A. "To the westward of the land of the sd Col. Joseph Ball," which afterwards bore the name, "Oakley," and which has never been out of the possession of descendants of Rawleigh and Esther Ball Chinn. This deed was witnessed by "Mary Johnson, her mark."

(c) On Feb. 6th, 1707, Col. Joseph Ball made a gift deed to his five children as follows, "To son Joseph Ball, To Hannah Travers, wife of Mr Rawleigh Travers of Stafford Co. To Ann Conway, wife of Mr. Edwin Conway of Lancaster Co. To Easte-Chinn, wife of Mr Rawleigh Chinn aforesaid each daughters of the aforesaid Col. Joseph Ball and to Joseph Carnegie, son of Elizabeth Carnegie late dec'd, which sd Elizabeth, my daughter and wife of Mr John Carnegie, minister in Northumberland Co." and adds this "If I the sd Col. Joseph Ball should decide to marry,"--evidently having the "Widow Johnson" in mind at that time as he reserves certain dower rights in his estate.

(d) No record of the marriage of Col. Joseph Ball to Mary Johnson has ever been found in court records but in his will dated June 25th, 1711-he leaves to his beloved step daughter Elizabeth Johnson, 100 A. of land for life.

(e) The "Register of Christ Church Parish" Middlesex Co., p. 41, records this marriage -"William Johnson of Norwich and Mary Bennett of West Chester, England was married the 10th. of February 1688/9"

(f) In Middlesex Co., we also find the will of a Capt. George Johnson -9th. Sept. 1701-naming sons, John, William and George also wife, Elizabeth. In this we note the similarity of names.

(g) After Col Balls death in 1711, His widow married Richard Hewes who died in or before 1713. A suit was brought by Joseph Ball against the estate of Richard Hewes, Dec'd in that year. (Lancaster Co.)

(h) Following the death of her third husband, Mary Hewes lived either in Westmoreland Co. near her daughter Elizabeth Johnson who married Samuel Bonam or with her son John Johnson. She died in 1721 and appointed her son John Johnson and well beloved friend, George Eskridge, executors of her will in which she placed her daughter, Mary Ball, "under the tutelage and government of Capt. George Eskridge."

(i) John Johnson died unmarried soon after the death of his mother and bequeathed to his sister, Mary Ball, land which his father-in-law (step-father) Richard Hewes, had willed him and Samuel Bonam, husband of Elizabeth Johnson died in 1726 leaving a son, Samuel Bonam.

(j) As Samuel Bonam the younger was a grandson of Mary Johnson Ball Hewes the following is offered as proof of the fact that her maiden name was Bennett.

(k) Fiduciary Accts. 1742-P,89-Date 1738/9 Westmoreland Co., "Lindsey Opie, Guardian of Samuel Bonam, son of Samuel and Elizabeth Bonam etc., Pay to Mrs Bennett for board 400 lbs of tobacco. Pay to Mrs Chatten for board. Pay to Mrs Kennedy. Paid Mr Bennett. Credit to John Johnson for a wig. To pay Mr Thos. Bennett cash etc. Aunt and Uncle Thomas and Elizabeth Bennett.