Mary Ball's father

Not to be confused with Peter Montague

A tradition has existed for fifty years or more, that George Washington was of Montague descent, through his mother Mary Ball. It probably originated from the fact that William Montague married, 1727, a dau. of Capt. Richard Ball, who was Mary Ball's cousin [their fathers were brothers]. This subject has been thoroughly investigated by Rev. Horace E. Hayden in his Va. Genealogies, published Wilkes-Barre, Pa., 1891. The compiler also has made a thorough search, and left no means untried to obtain the truth.

The result is, that the only place where such descent could be possible, was through Mary Ball's mother who was, before Col. Ball married her, a Mrs. Mary Johnson, a widow, of Lancaster Co., Va. A tradition exists in the Ball family that Mrs. Mary Johnson was born in England. This tradition has been traced to Mrs. Ann Shearman, whose mother was Esther Ball, the half sister of Mary Ball. If it is true, that she was born in England, then - any descent from Peter Montague was impossible. No record has been found to show the maiden name of Mrs. Mary Johnson, or who she was before her marriage to Johnson. If she was a Miss Montague, she would have to be a daughter of one of the sons of the emigrant Peter Montague. One of his sons did have a daughter whose name was Mary Montague, but church records prove that she married, Oct. 24, 1682, Thomas Payne, and no record exists to show that she ever afterward married any one else. Records of that time and locality are lost, and the maiden name of Mrs. Mary Johnson [Washington's grandmother] will probably never be known.

1713-1749 Northumberland County, Virginia Wills-Admin; [Lewis & Booker]; Page 177
Hewes, Mary, of St. Stephen's Parish
W. W. 17 December 1720---W. P. 19 July 1721
Daughter Mary Ball-one negro woman to be purchased for her out of my estate by my executors, and to be delivered to her at the age of eighteen years. If the said Mary Ball should die with-out lawfull issue, the said negro to return to my son John Johnson.
Daughter Mary Ball-two gold rings, one being a large hoop and the other a stone ring, and one young mare(' formerly gave her the said mare by word of mouth). I also give her sufficient furniture for the bed her father Joseph Ball left her vizt: one suit of good curtains and vallens, one rugg, one quilt, one pair blankets, also two Diaper table cloths marked M.B.,one dozen of Diaper napkins, two towells, six plates, two pewter dishes, two basons, one large iron pott, one frying pan, one old trunk, one young Paceing horse, and a good silk plush side saddle to be purchased by my executors.
Daughter Elizabeth Bonam-one suit of white and black callicoe, being part of my own wearing apparrel.
Rest of my wearing apparrel to my daughter Mary Ball, and she to be under the tutlidge of Capt. George Eskridge during her minority.

1713-1749 Northumberland County, Virginia Wills-Admin; [Lewis & Booker]; Page 177a
Johnson, John of St. Stephen's Parish
W.W. 1 October 1720---W.P. 19 July 1721
Sister Mary Ball-all my land in Stafford County which my father in law Richard Hewes gave me, to her and the lawfully begott heirs of her body, and for want of such issue to my mother Mary Hewes and her her and assigns.
Mother Mary Hewes-the rest of my estate, and she to be my sole executrix,
Witness: Benjamin Bussel, Margaret Mattocks, and David Straughan
Administration granted George Eskridge, the executrix being dead

https://www.colonial-settlers-md-va.us/getperson.php?personID=I2475...

"Mary Johnson, Second Wife of Col. Joseph Ball", by Elizabeth Combs Pierce ("Genealogies of Virginia Families" from William & Mary Quarterly, Page 194-95)

(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 Anne 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 County, Page 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 County, 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 County, "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.

Conclusion

Based on the body of evidence compiled here, the only factual statements are: (1) Mary Montague, b. abt 1664, is the dau. of Peter Montague and Mary Minor; and (2) she m. 24 Oct 1682, Thomas Paine (or Payne) inMiddlesex County, Virginia. What follows is my interpretation of what the indirect evidence suggests:

Mary Montague probably d. in 1686/7 as Mary Payne--probably while giving birth to her first child, Thomas Paine Jr. This supposition is enhanced further by the fact that Mary (Montague) does not appear in the record after 1687. It is not insignificant, for example, that Mary is not mentioned with her siblings in the settling of her father's estate in 1695. Furthermore, her husband Thomas appears to have remarried, as the few extant records containing Thomas Paine show he had a father-in-law named Ellett or Elliott. Thomas Paine apparently did not leave a will when his estate was being settled in 1694/5, but there is no record of a widow or other court orders against his estate as one might expect were there any surviving family. On the other hand, the evidence supporting Mary Bennett as grandmother of George Washington is far more convincing, if not actually proven.