There is no evidence to suggest that Bessie's ancestors are linked to nobility. Indeed the dearth of non-parish records indicates that before the eighteenth century most of the families were poor. By the late eighteenth century, however, several men were Yeomen - farmers who rented and worked the land.

The names of the first named ancestor in each family is listed in figure 7, along with the parish where the record is made, the wife's name and the date of the record. Overleaf in Figure 8 a map showing the parishes is drawn.

Figure 7 Ancestral Surnames and Parish of Origin

Although twenty three different surnames are listed above it is evident that most of Bessies ancestors came from St.Ervan, St.Merryn, St.Minver, Padstow and the surrounding parishes (which includes Little Petherick) a small area of Cornwall. 

The parishes around Little Petherick are in walking distance of the North Coast of Cornwall. An area of rolling hills where the coast consists of high cliffs, with outcrops of rock and reefs offshore and small sandy bays.   Ancestors not involved in smuggling or wrecking, would certainly have known individuals who were. A ship that broke up on the rocks was, as far as both peasants and some of the gentlemen were concerned, a gift - a means of making life easier providing wood, food, drink and occasionally money. Smuggling was the direct result of high taxation on alcohol and tobacco – not that different in 2000 AD from their descendants who fill their car with bottles of German wine when returning from Europe to avoid paying the high taxes in the UK!

Home Page          Family History            Ball Family Start           Top of Page         Next Page

What is evident is that whilst none of Bessie's ancestors were 'Gentlemen',  men who owned land and leased it to others, many were 'Yeomen', middle class business men, and farmers (the men who leased and worked the gentlemen's land). Sadly, with the exception of families living at Padstow and the parish of St. Minver, information is sparse.

Before the seventeenth century little is known of Bessie's ancestors. For those that were poor, the staple diet would have been fish and potatoes. (Jenkin, 1975, p.30).

The Protestation returns is a particularly useful source of evidence of where individual families lived:

As far as the Ball family name is concerned, the Protestation identified St.Veryan and St.Minver as the parishes nearest to St.Ervan where the Ball’s were living. Disappointingly Bessie’s earliest ‘Ball’ ancestor - Christopher Ball - was not found; though a Christopher Bald signed the protestation at St.Kew (adjacent to St. Minver). This means that Christopher either was less than eighteen years old or living at St.Kew.

Interestingly, Christopher’s name was found in the1660 Hearth tax records at St.Veryan, suggesting he was a relative, if not a descendant, of Nicholas Ball.

Home Page     Family History    Ball Family Start          Return to Historical/Political      Top of Page                 Next Page

1. Parish of PADSTOW: Register commenced in 1599; Bishops Transcripts in 1608.

(Dedicated to St Petroc who traveled from Ireland and founded church and monastery in 520 AD. Padstow originally named Petrocstow)

The harbour at Padstow has been used since pre-historic times and the stone quays were built in 1536. Ships exported slate, tin, lead and agricultural products and imported timber, cloth and coal. Padstow’s importance, in Queen Elizabeth I’s time, is indicated by the fact that it built and provided three ships to fight the Spanish Armada. The first Customs officer was appointed in 1693 "to try to cope with widespread smuggling on the north Cornish coast... Most of the goods brought into Padstow were transported on pack horses... By the end of the eighteenth century, Padstow was an extremely important and busy port which boasted three shipyards and as many as eight ships arriving and leaving on any tide.’ (Sluman, 1992, Coast Lines)

The parish church overlooks the town and is near the Prideaux-Brune mansion where Bessie Ball worked. The building is larger, but less attractive, than most of the village churches.

Figure 7a First Ancestors in Parish of Padstow

Our earliest known ancestors are Niett Doubt and Elizabeth his wife who married in 1603; the year that James the 1st of England was crowned. The couple were born in the reign of Elizabeth I and had five children, see figure 11.

Niett and Elizabeth’s son Philip Doubt, died aged 80 in 1702. From two sources of information it is evident that Philip was well-to-do. According to the Cornwall Poll Tax, Philip had 3 exterior windows. But, the clearest evidence of his wealth is the inventory of his possessions in his will, figure 12.

Figure 12: An Inventory of the Goods and Chattels of Phillip Doubt of the Town of Padstow Lately Deceased. Taken and Appraised by Arthur Merrett & Daniell Gummow this 19th day of March 170½ as followeth: (Note: Bessie's direct ancestors are Philip and John Doubt.)

Philip owned shares in two ships, ‘Unity of Padstow’ and ‘Tallent’ and two salt works. He had loaned over £100 and had ten sets of clothes, he can only be described as a successful business man. The reason for part shares in two ships and two salt works is that it is a much safer investment to spread one’s money than to place all one’s eggs in the same basket. Ships made high profits, but they also sank and there was no insurance to provide against losses. Philip was very much the traditional father figure (see Figure 13). He had loaned £10 to his son Philip and asks that the debt and outstanding interest should be forgotten. Philip arranges that Hugh, who already has some of his furniture, should keep it and be able to pay back the £20 loan he had received from his brother Niot. Most of Philip’s money was left to Niot (clearly named after Philip’s father) but John, our direct ancestor, obtained the second largest share. Surprisingly, no long term arrangements were made for Philip’s wife Elizabeth.

Figure 13 The Last Will and Testament of Phillip Doubt of Padstow. 12.1.1702

Sadly, John Doubt did not survive his father long. From the inventory of his goods (Figure 14), John must have sold the ‘Salt’ business, though he still has a share in a ship. One of the valuers is Hugh Doubt, Mary’s uncle.  Joan (our ancestress) received nothing, but she had inherited money from her grandfather and had been married ten years.

Figure 14: John Doubt’s Estate - Dated: 20 April 1719 in the Reign of King Charles II

Mary Doubt ### Adm                                   ) Not very
Rob: Lov do ########## John Truscott      ) readable!

Any Guesses?
Bollinotol Skillett Kriv
Pabell boards teanthers?

Sadly, because our more immediate ancestors were the younger sons and daughters of the Doubt family, little money passed to them. In a will dated 1770, Catherine widowed wife of a later Nyot Doubt, left £500 to her daughters. Interestingly, their memorial stone, standing near the side door of Padstow Church repeatedly mentions that this Nyott was a shipwright (ship builder or carpenter).

Little is known about the occupations and wealth of Bessie’s other Padstow ancestor apart from the inclusion of two family names in the Padstow 1660-64 Poll tax: William Symons (Symmonds) has five exterior windows and Richard Lobb, Bessies Great(5)Grandfather, has three - having prudently blocked in the fourth! The implication is that they, like Phillip Doubt, were relatively well off. On gravestones, the Lobb’s and an Osborne are farmers; a second Osborne is a ‘Master Mariner’.

Henry, the son of Richard Lobb, married Joan Doubt in 1683. Henry and Joan had three sons and a daughter but the youngest, also named Henry, died when he was just seven. John Lobb married Ann Hawkin from St.Eval in 1746. Henry, their eldest was born in 1748. Initially there was some problems in identifying whether this Henry was Bessies GreatGrandfather because he was born in Little Petherick. However the search of the parish records showed that whilst one of Henry’s brothers was christened at Little Petherick, the three younger children were all christened at Padstow. Henry married Elizabeth Gliddon (see later section on St.Minver parishes) in 1774.

b) Parish of St.Veryan 1683, Bishops Transcripts 1602

Irritatingly the church records for this parish are very sparse. The evidence that Christopher lived here, before moving to St.Ervan, is two-fold; the christening of his daughter Blanch in 1664 and his being taxed for 3 Hearths, 1 being blocked up; thus Christopher would have paid tax on three fire hearths: 3 * 2/- = 6/- (1661 Hearth Tax.). It should be noted that very few individuals are recorded as having fire hearths, they being an indication of wealth. How the poor kept warm without fire hearths is not recorded!

Christopher’s parents and grandparents are not identified. But, in the 1641 Protestation list (figure 9 above) eight Ball’s are named. When this evidence, the parish records and the will of Nicholas Ball, who died in 1643, are combined the following relationships appear likely:

The relationship of Christopher Ball to Ball’s @ St.Veryan is unknown - but, he is possibly Nicholas’s grandson, John the elder’s son (the John, who died at St.Ervan, is probably Christopher’s son or father.) - certainly he is likely to be related to them

In the name of God Amen the fourth day of December 1648 I Nicholas Ball in the parish of Veryan in the County of Cornwall yeoman being sick in body but of sound mind and memory laud and prayse be given to almighty God do make and ordayne this my last will and testament in manner and form following, First I bequeath my soul to almighty God and my body to Christian burial, Item wheras I have given unto John Ball my eldest son the one half of my goods in Marryage the other half of my goods with I am now possess ** I do give and bequeath unto Pentecost Ball my son, And I do also ***ary and do give unto Pentecost Ball my son all such terms title & Laynt? And interest which I laynt? And hold in the **** or tenament I now dwell in. ** ***** *** *** ***** number of years yet to be determine ****, To have and to hold unto ** ******* Pentecost Ball and his offspring During the number of years yet to be determine and ***, paying all ***ments as is, and shall be ** in payable *** ** same******* ** Payed & owing.. Item I give and bequeath unto H**is Ball my daughter sixteen pounds lawful money of England, ** to pay Six pounds at the end of one year next after my death, and the other Ten pounds at the end of Two years, which said ten pounds my will is shall be paid *** by Pentecost Ball my son. Item my will is *** I also bequeath And ****** unto John Ball my son all such rights terms title and interest, which I laym* and now hold Quenira & B*i*I ***** ******** the mortgage **** Francis Robins to have and to hold unto ** ** John Ball and his offspring during the number of years yet to be determined and

The remainder of my goods not given and bequeathed unto John Ball my son, whom I make my Sole and only Executor of this my last will and testament and have put my hand and fixed my ***** in the presence of Stephen Thomas and Robert *****.

An itemised list of goods followed.

c) Parishes of ST.ERVAN & ST.EVAL:
St Ervan 1674, Bishops Transcripts 1602; St Eval 1695, Bishops Transcripts 1612.

Figure 7c First Ancestors in Parishes of St.Ervan & St.Eval:

Annoyingly, St.Ervan’s records start late and both the Parish and Bishops Transcripts are relatively illegible. Sadly, much of the first 71 years of St Ervan’s records are missing.

St. Ervan is only two miles from the coast but the church is more difficult to find than the nearby church at St.Eval. St. Ervan is situated, in a secluded spot, surrounded by fields, on a slope above a stream and stands by an ancient Holy Well. It was built in the thirteenth century and is cruciform in shape with thick stone walls. Anybody living there almost certainly worked on the land. St.Eval, by contrast stands isolated on a high plateau surrounded by the runways of RAF St Eval; the village was pulled down in 1938. The air station played a significant part in the battle against the U boats.

None of the surnames (Figure 7b) are included in the Cornwall Poll Tax of 1660-64; a tax based on the number of windows in each house, indicating that their accommodation was too poor to have been worth taxing.

Whilst a large number of ancestors lived in these parishes, the late date of the records mean that only a few entries involve a Ball: It is assumed that Christopher Ball is the Christopher who had a daughter Blanch in St Veryan Parish in 1664. There is no record of when Christopher married Bridget but the couple had at least three children at St. Ervan- Bridget (1677), Christopher (1680) and Ann (1683). Heartbreakingly, both parents died before 1687 leaving at least three children, the eldest of whom was only ten.

One Ball marriage and one Ball death are recorded at St.Ervan. William Tallam (a widower) married a Mary Ball in 1683. The fact that the vicar first wrote down Bridget’s name, before crossing it out and replacing it by Mary’s suggests that Mary could have been Bridget’s daughter. Certainly, Christopher Ball had at least one daughter of marital age (Blanch Ball, christened May 29 1664 @ St. Veryan).

The Protestation evidence suggests that the John Ball who died in 1684 almost certainly moved from St.Veryan to St.Ervan with Christopher and was logically, therefore, his son or father.

Since there is no evidence of other Ball’s living at St.Ervan or Little Petherick it is probable that Christopher and Bridget’s children were brought up by female relatives - Mary Tallam? At his wedding, Christopher (1680) names Little Petherick as his parish. Since there are no tombstones in the St.Ervan Churchyard to any Ball it appears that the family only lived there en passant.

By contrast Hawken’s, Hicks, Saundry’s and to a lesser extent Lobb christenings and memorials etc are well represented. There is even one large tombstone to a Nicholas Leverton of Perose a ‘Gentleman who died the 28th day of August 1758 in the 59th year of his age’. Though this tombstone rather sadly records that he had just two daughters and both died when they were very young (Jane aged three and Joan aged two). The farm Perose (or Penrose) which Nicholas farmed and presumably leased was subsequently leased/owned(?) by the Hawken family. (N.B. the gravestones in the churchyard, as in most churches, are arranged in ‘family’ groups.)

The mother of Samuel Sandry’s wife, Mary Hicks (married 1724) was Candace Sandry. Whilst it is highly likely that the two ‘Saundry’ lines are related, the names of the children of the two lines differ, suggesting that Thomas and William were not brothers. The point of separation being before 1650. The Sandry’s moved regularly, which suggests they were labourers:

Betsy Sandry, and her father Edward, was christened at Little Petherick

Edward Sandry’s eldest brother was christened at St.Ervan.

Edward Sandry’s father Samuel was christened at the adjacent parish of Mawgyn, whilst

Samuel Sandry’s eldest brothers and father were, once again christened at St.Ervan.

Richard Hawkin (Bessies GreatGreatGrandfather) married Sarah Leverton in 1709 and had six sons (one of whom died as a baby) and two daughters in the neighbouring parish of St.Eval. Their daughter, Ann, married John Lobb @ Padstow in 1746. Richard was probably just a year or two older than Christopher Ball, the younger, and hence the discovery of his date of birth and ancestry will also have to await a search of the Bishops Transcripts of the two parishes. The Hawkes/Hawken’s who continued to live at St.Ervan at the end of the eighteenth and in the nineteenth centuries also seemed to have prospered:- At least one bought a farm lease (James Hawken born 1778 @ Penrose) others had expensive memorial stones: John and Elizabeth Hawke had the following inscription placed above their son’s grave who died in 1790, aged just 30, - ‘Weep readers weep and view my silent tomb. And with reflection think what God has done. For he so sudden summons me from here That I might dwell with Angels and with Saints. My full belief and trust is in the Lord. To save my soul and raise me by his word. Then why my friends should you lament. Since God for me (in his good time) has sent. We know our End must be but not how soon. Tho brisk in the morning we may die ere at noon.’

As far as the roots of the Hawken’s are concerned, the only reference found so far is in the 1569 Cornwall Muster Roll - a roll which classifies all the mature men in a Parish, John Hawke is recorded as having a bow and 6 arrows – (fascinating information, just 6 arrows for a soldier!).

A poem by John Betjeman who visited St Ervan in the 1920’s entitled Summoned by Bells, was sent to me by Christine Sandry, a distant relative, who my cousin Peter Nichols met in the Church @ St.Ervan. Christine’s comment on the poem was:

I was living in the parish then and remember an Aunt of mine who lived at Glebe Farm close to the Church and Rectory saying that a young poet had been there. It wasn’t of much interest to me then, but very much in after years. I often wished he had paid another visit. The bearded Rector was the Rev. W. R. Johnson, Rector from 1915 until his death aged 81 in 1954. The Church tower was in a ruinous state when Sir John saw it. His description of the parish Priest, Church and Rectory a true picture.

Christine also told me that Ball, Lobb, Leverton, Hawken, Hicks, Pearce, Osborn, House, Gatley, Rundle, Profitt are surnames of people living in this district.

d. Parish of ST.MERRYN: Parish Register 1688, Bishops Transcripts 1616.

Figure 7d First Ancestors in Parish of St.Merryn

St.Merryn is surrounded by St.Eval, St.Ervan, Padstow and the sea. One beach being named ‘Mother Ivey’s Bay’. Near the attractive old, Church lie the vicarage, two cottages and a public house. Whilst the parents of Stephen Ivey and Kathryn Stribley are not known, their families have had a long association with the parish. Whilst several of the gravestones have been moved and now form a path around the Church (some being placed face downwards!), two proved that Stephen and Kathryn’s descendants lived in the area 100 years later. Inscribed on the gravestone is the information that a Stephen & Susan Ivey lost 4 daughters in a period of just five years - Jenny aged 19 & Catherine aged 13 in 1822, Elizabeth aged 23 in 1824 and Fanny aged 13 in 1827.

Three families of Stribley’s existed in 1660-64; Gregory Stribley had to pay tax for 3 hearths and Arthur for one. Justus Stribley’s house was not rated because of his poverty. Interestingly a Thomas Laverton (see St.Ervan above) must have been relatively wealthy, because his house had 4 external windows.

e. Parishes of ST.MINVER & ST.KEW:
St Minver 1559, Bishops Transcripts 1608; St Kew 1564, Bishops Transcripts 1611.

The Church at St.Minver was built on the site of earlier Saxon Churches. In the porch of the church (built in Henry VIII’s reign) is an old set of stocks - presumably similar to the ones that William Ball destroyed at Little Petherick, described subsequently. Sadly, I could find no tombstones, or memorabilia in the Church, but it is possible that these may exist in the North Chapelry at St.Enodoc, or the South one at St.Michael, both of which adjoin the estuary of the River Camel and almost certainly had ferry links to Padstow.

In the early part of the eighteenth century the Guy’s and Gliddon’s, at least, were well to do. And, writing wills enables family members to be clearly identified. Humphry Guy, a Church Warden in1641, identifies his daughter (passage highlighted below) in his will dated 1668.

First I give and bequeath my Soul to Almighty God my maker and redeemer beseeching him to ###### (synonym of forgive?) 1 my Sinns and my Body to Christ buriall. Item I give and bequeath unto my sonne John Guy my table boards in front/frame to the #arker Colougange in the hall qf my new dwelling house. Item I give and bequeath unto my sonne William Guy Twenty shillings of Lawfuli of England. Item I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Honnor the wife of Phillip Gliddon the sum of Tenn pounds of Lawful money of England. Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Phillipp the wife of #irklo# Phillips the sum of Tenn shillings of Lawful money of England. Item I give unto humphrey Morrish our ho##r of 2O years. Item I give unto Philiopp hoppoe on your. The rest and remainder of my Goods and Chattles not formerly given and Bequeathed I so give and Bequeath unto Phillippe my wife and soo ordayne and make my sole executrix of this my last will and testament in witness wherof I hereunto set my hand and soale the fifth day ofAugust in the year of our Lord 1668

Humphry’s estate was valued at £242 5 shillings and 8 pence. He owned land and in addition to growing peas, barley and wheat, he kept one cow for milk and was fattening up at least three calves, 6 heifers and 6 steers for meat. Humphry owned 5 horses and foals and had 7 pigs and 90 sheep & lambs. His house was described as having "many rooms"; he loaned money and received rent from six people and the lease on his estate was worth £60. He had married Phillippe Hammette in 1624 and the couple had at least 5 children. Their daughter, Honour Guy, married Philip Gliddon in 1659.

Although neither Philip nor his father prepared wills. John, Philip and Honour’s son did so, and gave enough information to link the family together. John Glidden married first Margery Harris in 1693 and then Dorcas Marke in 1713. Whilst Margery had no children, Dorcas gave John a son named Charles who was christened in 1716. John died in 1715 at about 55 years of age. But his will identifies his family and son clearly:

Item I give to my cousin John Gliddon lo Plymouth and his Brother Phillip Gliddon and to their Mother, my Sister in Law Grace Gliddon two shillings and six pence apiece all to be given in a months time after my decease _

In the inventory of John’s estate, it is evident that John is less wealthy than Humphry Guy, his estate only being valued at £36 8 shillings and ten pence. Unlike Humphry he has just 21 sheep and lambs, two yearling bullocks and a mare and colt. Whilst the valuation is presumably accurate, the low value is repeatedly justified by the repeated words like ‘old’, ‘small’ and ‘little’in describing the estate’s contents. The one major investment, which illustrates just how much a pound was worth in 1714 compared to now, is the £9 valuation of the ownership of one third of a small vessel called "upon an old life".

Charles Gliddon married Ann Profitt in 1734 and the couple had six children. Elizabeth, Bessie’s GreatGrandmother was born in 1746. Elizabeth married Henry Lobb @ Little Petherick in 1774.

The Dagge’s appear to have come from the parish of St.Kew and the surname of Glyddon is of Devon origin. It is possible that one of the wills listed in fig.11 would provide information on the Ann Dagge who married John Gliddon in 1624.

Figure 7f First Ancestors: St.Breock (1561), St.Enoder (1570) & St.Mawgyn (1674)

Home Page     Family History   Ball Family Start      Top of Page    Previous Page    Next Page