Henry Ballard, of Southwell

Henry Ballard

• Baptized: 4 Mar 1564 St. Mary, Southwall, Nottingham, England
• Died before 14 Jan 1622 at about age 57 in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England
• Father: William BALLARD b: 1557 in of, Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England
• Mother: Anne LUNN b: ABT 1558 in of, Welby, Nottingham, England
• Marriage 1 Elizabeth TOWNSEND Born about 1572 in Testerton, Norfolk, England (daughter of Thomas Townsend) - Married: 1599 in England

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Biography

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ballard-57

Prepared on 4 May 2013 by Paul J Ballard FBCS who asserts his right to be identified as researcher and author

Henry Ballard appeared before Sir Richard St. George, Norroy King of Arms, at the fourth Visitation of Nottinghamshire in 1614 and presented his pedigree in support of his claim to use the arms "Sable a griffin sergeant ermine with the crest of a demi griffin". The original copy of that is still held by the College of Arms (MS. C.9) although it has since been replicated several times in various publications such as the Harleian Society Volume 4 for 1871 edited by George William Marshall, LL.M.. There had not been a Visitation in Nottinghamshire since 1569 when Henry was just 5 years old. His father, William, cannot have been using the arms that Henry laid claim to or he would have been called to account for their use.

Wealthy new Merchants, Guildsmen and others were eager to prove their gentility and be granted arms. Only persons of gentry class or higher could bear arms so anyone with arms was by definition gentle (the period Latin word for gentleman was "armigero" i.e. one who bears arms) so the heralds were effectively the gatekeepers to the gentry class. This was of course a great money-making opportunity. Many spurious pedigrees were produced for a fee and heralds were on occasion censured or even imprisoned for granting arms to " base-born" individuals. William Dethick was criticized for making grants to persons who were thought to be too inferior, including Stratford glover John Shakespeare (whose son William had worked with Dethick to obtain the grant for his father and thus become born of gentry).

So we must bear this in mind when looking at the pedigree presented by Henry & ask ourselves how much is reliable and what might he have changed to hide unfavourable aspects from the heralds? Using the pedigree as a "guide" rather than a set of facts & recognising that relevant information closer to the date of the Visitation are more likely to be true given that local gentry could be called upon to verify it we then find and analyse any primary records to prove or disprove whatever is shown. The first step is to find a candidate Henry Ballard of Southwell who had a son Thomas aged 14 in 1614 - these being the most dependable facts in the pedigree - and we soon discover a series of baptisms in the Southwell parish registers that confirm some of the information in the visitation pedigree.

Children:

1. Thomas was baptised on 8 July 1600 and his siblings
2. Catherine (31st December 1605),
3. Anne (17 November 1608),
4. William (9 June 1603),
5. Philip (14 August 1604),
6. Elizabeth (18 November 1601) &
7. two not shown on the pedigree probably because they died before 1614, a daughter Frances (14 January 1598os) and
8. a son Frauncis (8 August 1613).

Finding the baptism of a Henry son of William in Southwell is not difficult (4 March 1563os) and we also find siblings William (23 March 1564), Anne (6 April 1566) and John (14 December 1568). It is clear that, other than Henry, there are entries only for individuals we later discover to be his nieces and nephews or siblings. There is just one Ballard branch in Southwell at that time.

From Henry's baptism it is then easy to see that the Henry Ballard of Southwell who was admitted to Gray's Inn on 13th November 1583 must be one and the same and this in turn gives us valuable background on his life and family. Firstly he must have been tutored and very probably attended The Minster School and secondly his father William was affluent enough to pay for his education and for his time at Grays Inn. Whether or not he practised we cannot be entirely sure but we next hear of him when he is thirty and carrying out a very significant transaction when he pays £1,300 to Bassett (preumabley John who is later mentioned in land deals in ful) for land & farms in the Lordship of Solelaye on 9 December 1594. This was recorded on a paper Terrier {English legal history a register or survey of land}.

It would seem that the Bassetts were in need of more funds because on 22 December 1594 a document was signed in Chancery by James Husbandes declaring that John Bassett of Fledborough, esq. owed to Henry Ballard £2,200, at the Purification 35 Elizabeth I (2 February 1593), secured on his Manor and lands. A similar document was also drawn up in the same amount referring to a Benjamin Ballard who may well have been Henry's uncle (he is not a sibling from what I can ascertain). This would be the first step in a process by which land was sold and conveyed. Henry took possession of Saxilby Manor, Saxilby, Lincolnshire in Oct 1595 as we know from a Final concord, right hand indenture in which Henry Ballard, gent. is cited as the plaintiff & John Bassett, esq., Henry Bassett, gent., Clinton Bassett, gent., Edward Bassett, gent., Elizabeth Bassett, widow were deforceants. The extent of the property was significant as along with the Manor of Saxelby (also known as Bassites Manor), there were five messuages, five cottages, 140 acres arable, 140 acres meadow, 380 acres pasture, 30 acres wood for which Henry paid £440.5

At some stage Henry, according to the submitted pedigree, married Elizabeth Townshend of Testerton (who is referred to in Norfolk Harleian Ms 1400). I believe that she is the daughter of Thomas Townshend and Elizabeth Calybut, but so far I can find no marriage.6 From Henry's Will we know that Elizabeth had brothers named Thomas & Roger Townshend. They probably married in 1596 or 1597 and no doubt the purchase of a significant estate in lands preceded their marriage and formed part of the Marriage Settlement and Elizabeth's jointure. Their first child, Henry, does not seem to have had his baptism recorded but he did not live long and was buried in Southwell Minster 4 February 1598os. Henry & Elizabeth lost two other children as previously recounted but did have 5 who made it to adulthood but young William lived only until 1619 (buried in Southwell Minster 28 June 1619) & is not mentioned in his fathers' Will unlike the five surviving children.

When Henry's father died in 1605 he received all the residue of his goods and chattels and was also appointed sole executor when the Will was probated on 8 Oct 1605.7 Henry continued to prosper and we know that he held The Parsonage at Kilnsea, Holderness in Lincolnshire, because on 2 Feb 1611 a Memorandum was recorded that Henry Ballard of Southwell, Nottinghamshire attended in the North Porch of Southwell Minster, to collect half year's rent of parsonage of Kylnesley in Houlderness [Kilnsea, in Holderness] from John Newton and William Byrde who did not appear to pay. This was witnessed by his brother William Ballard jnr., Peter Blyth and George Taylor.8

In 1619 Edward was involved in litigation concerning the bill of complaint of Edmund Clay, Citizen and Merchant Taylor of London and Dionise, his wife, one of the daughters of Anthony Burgis, deceased. It recites that John Page was seized in fee simple of premises in the town and county of Nottingham. He lawfully conveyed the same to Anthony Samon, Gent, one of his heirs, who conveyed the same to John Samon, the younger son of Anthony, who conveyed the same to Anthony Burgis, who shortly afterwards died, and the lands descended to Dionese and her sister Mary, now the wife of John Shore. Edmund Clay entered the premises and is rightfully owner of one half. The Shores sold their half to Richard and Robert Parker who, about two years ago, conveyed it to Clay. Their title is being challenged by Henry Ballard of Southwell, as descending to him from Edward Samons who is preventing the plaintiffs from seeing the deeds which would prove their title. They have asked him in a friendly manner to deliver them. Ask he be ordered to answer the charges. Henry replied on 5 January 1619os to ssay that about 33 years ago William Ballard, now deceased, the plaintiff's father, by several deeds, purchased, at several times, various messuages and tenements in the Town of Nottingham and in the County of Nottingham from Edward Samon Esq. William died about 14 years ago and the land descended to the defendant as his son and heir. He denied that he had ever had deeds etc. relating to the property of the plaintiffs sometimes in the hands of John Page or Anthony Burgess.10

Henry's Will is dated 4 Nov 1620 and he was buried on 14 Jan 1622 at Southwell, Nottinghamshire.1 An Inquisition Port Mortem was held for him on 21 Nov 1622 at Swinstead, Lincolnshire from which we learn that Henry died on 14 January 1622 and that Thomas Ballard was son and next heir and aged 21 years or more.,11

Old list of children

• 1. Anne BALLARD b: CAL 1610 in Southwell Nottingham England
• 2. WILLIAM BALLARD b: 12 Aug 1603 in Sanford Priors, Warwickshire, England [???]
• 3. Phillip BALLARD b: 1597 in England, Nottinghamshire, England, Great Britain
• 4. Elizabeth BALLARD b: 1599 in England, Nottinghamshire, England, Great Britain
• 5. Philip BALLARD b: ABT 1609 in of Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England, Great Britain
• 6. Elizabeth BALLARD b: 1638 in of Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England, Great Britain
• 7. Thomas BALLARD b: 1600 in of, Southwell, Nottingham, England
• 8. Catharine BALLARD b: 1602 in of, Southwell, Nottingham, England
• 9. Ann BALLARD b: 1604 in of, Southwell, Nottingham, England

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The Visitation of the County of Nottingham in 1569 & 1614 (Ballard pedigree)

References

1. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ballard-57
   1. Biography Prepared on 4 May 2013 by Paul J Ballard FBCS who asserts his right to be identified as researcher and author
2. The visitations of the county of Nottingham in the years 1569 and 1614. Page 104. “Ballard.” < Archive.Org >