Notes |
- John Coming Ball (1714-1764). Son of Elias Ball; son-in-law of John
Gendron (1690-1754); father-in-law of Keating Simons, Benjamin Smith
(1735-1790), and Henry Smith (1727-1780); brother-in-law of John Ashby
(1698-1729), George Austin, Philip Dawes, John Gendron (d.1755), Henry
Laurens (1724-1792), and John Vicaridge.
John Coming Ball was born in South Carolina, the younger and favorite
son of Elias Ball by his first wife, Elizabeth Harleston. Following his
mother's death in 1720, he was sent to Charleston for schooling, where he
studied arithmatic under a Mr. Newberry and took dancing lessons. He wed
Catherine Gendron, daughter of John Gendron and Elizabeth Mazyck, in
1742. Four of their six children reached maturity: Elias, Elizabeth (m.
Henry Smith), Catherine (m. Benjamin Smith), and Ann (m. Richard Waring).
Catherine Gendron Ball died 23 September 1755, and 10 months later Ball
married Judith Boisseau, a widow, by whom he had five children. Of these,
only John Coming and Eleanor (m. 1st John Wilson, 2nd Keating Simons),
born six months after her father's death, survived.
Ball inherited 1,270 acres at Three Mile Head and 800 acres in Hell
Hole Swamp from his father, purchased 8,889 acres himself, and obtained a
3,500 acre grant. These lands were located in the parishes of St. James
Santee, St. John Berkely, and St. Stephen in the vicinity of the eastern
branch of the Cooper River and Hell Hole and Wambaw swamps. In addition,
he and his brother-in-law Henry Laurens entered into a plantation
partnership and bought 3,000 acres in Wambaw Swamp.
From Hyde Park, his 600 acre resident plantation on the eastern branch
of the Cooper River, Ball managed his own tremendous holdings, supervised
the operations of the Wambaw partnership, and maintained a close watch on
the actions of the overseer at Laurens' Mepkin. In conjunction with his
planting, he had an interest in two schooners, the WAMBAW and the
SPEEDWELL. Considering the magnitude of his planting responsibilities, it
is understandable that he found little time for public duties. He was
elected to the Commons House in 1751 from St. John Berkely, but as had
his father, he declined to serve. In 1738 he was admitted to the South
Carolina Society.
At the time of his death 4 October 1765 John Coming Ball was a highly
successful planter as indicated by the acreage he owned.
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