Dinner, Driving and Discovery

After our visit to Dinas Powys, we braved the roads and returned to Cardiff  - mind you, not by the route that we had intended to take. We never seemed to take the same road twice - driving on the opposite side of the road completely turned around my sense of direction and orientation. After a few missed turns and exits, we made a hasty retreat to our hotel to change and to meet another set of my cousins and their mother for dinner in Cardiff Bay.

Luckily, we chose to walk - so my map skills were back on track.  It was a lovely, warm and sunny evening, perfect for a walk and another adventure. When we reached the forecourt of the Millenium Centre, we stood for a moment scanning the crowd milling about.

Wales Millenium Centre - Cardiff Bay

Much to my delight, I saw my cousin waving to us. We had been found! After hugs and introductions, we walked over to a  wonderful Italian restaurant  and ate dinner on a balcony overlooking Cardiff Bay. We talked like old friends and it really felt like being 'at home' again. The meal, like the company and conversation, was perfect. To this day, my husband still talks about the spaghetti carbonara that he had that night. After a drink at a nearby pub, we said our good-byes and headed back to the hotel.

Originally, we had planned on driving to South Molton and Filleigh to visit the home of my Ball ancestors in Devon as a day trip. I soon realized that there was so much to see in Wales and decided to go to the Gower for the day to explore the area where my great-grandfather had been born.  The day started out rainy and wet, but after a stop in Mumbles, the sky started to clear. I loved the windy narrow roads, but always jumped when we rounded a corner and passed vehicles going in the opposite direction. We landed at Rhossili just after lunch as the sun was coming out.

The area was, in a word, breathtaking. The view of the bay and Worm's Head was spectacular. It truly is an "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty".

Worm's Head, Rhossili

We walked along the promontory taking it all in - we even got to some sheep grazing on the cliffs and hills in the park.

On the way home, we stopped in Scurlage, the birthplace of Thomas, my great-grandfather (1875-1941) and I had a quick walk around, trying to imagine what life would have been like in the late 19th century Gower.

Scurlage

We also passed the road to Reynoldston, the home of William James Ball (1858-1922), the eldest son of William Huxtable (1837-1927), whose life had a tragic end in the Brigend Asylum.  Every bend in the road told a story and the place names seemed all very familiar.

As we neared Swansea, we managed to get lost in rush-hour traffic, but eventually made it back to Penarth. We dropped by the home of my cousin (with whom we had dinner the night before) and he gave us a fascinating tour of the town where our family lived. The clouds had rolled in again, lending a perfect sombre backdrop to St. Augustine's Church where my 2x great-grandparents, William and Charlotte Ball are buried.

St. Augustine's Church, Penarth

We walked along the beautiful Penarth pier (which was still under renovation) and saw many more sight where family lived, worked and played. Knowing my fascination with the BBC series, Gavin & Stacey, my cousin happily pointed out several exteriors and landmarks which appeared in the show, including a church hall in which his mother's aunt had been married. Our evening ended with a quick visit with my cousin and his family and yet another unknown route back to Cardiff.

Penarth Pier

All in all, another perfect day.

Cheers, K.

Henry Ball and the 1891 Wales Census

In 1891, on the 5th of April, when the census was taken in Wales, Henry Ball, age 27, was found to be living with his parents, William and Charlotte, in Penarth. They resided at 54 Windsor Road as shown on this Google map:


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Both father and son are listed as "dairyman". A dairyman could be a worker or owner of a dairy farm or a seller of dairy products. Given that Henry was living with his father in town, I suspect their dairy business was the latter - seller of dairy products. Knowing that older brother John was farming in St. Andrews Major, I suspect that Henry and William may have sold milk and other products from John's farm and perhaps others. Did they have a formal business? How successful were they? Alas, more clues to discover..

Cheers, K.

Death of Charlotte Balment 1897

By 1891, Charlotte and William had moved to 54 Windsor Road, Penarth. According to the census for that year, Charlotte was living with husband William and son, Henry.

On 28 October 1897, Charlotte (Balment) Ball, age 66, died, at home. Home was now 18 Railway Terrace, Penarth. Her death certificate states that the cause of death was "morbus cordis", certified by Charles John, MRCS. The informant of the death was H. Ball, her son, Henry. He is noted as being present at the death. His address is given as 50 Plassey Street, Penarth and the death was registered on 30 October 1897.

What does "morbus cordis" mean? It is the Latin term for "heart disease". It is important to note that older death certificates will use Latin to state medical conditions rather than common terminology.

Knowing that William lived until 1927, it is sad to know that Charlotte died 30 years before him. How did her passing affect the family? The 1901 census points to the fact that daughter Charlotte, son-in-law, William Down, and grandson, William Ball, had moved in with William.

Charlotte was buried in the cemetery at
St. Augustine's Church, Penarth.

Her headstone reads "In loving memory of CHARLOTTE, beloved wife of W.H. Ball, who died October 28th 1897, aged 66 years./"With Christ" which is far better".

Cheers, K.

Charlotte Balment - Life in Wales with a growing family

Sometime between after March 1858 and early 1861, Charlotte and William moved from Bray Town, Devon to Scurlage, Llanddewi, Wales. It must have been a big change to moved household across the Bristol Channel and to settle in a new place. What pushed or pulled them? The lure of a job, better home, family, friends or a tradegy? If I ever come across the answers, I will be sure to post.

Following their move to Gower, Charlotte gave birth to John (1861), Henry (1863), Elizabeth (1865), Charlotte (1868) and Thomas (1875). The family lived in Scurlage Castle as late as the 1881 census, before moving on to Penarth.

What was life like for Charlotte with 6 children with 17 years between the youngest and eldest? Very busy, I would suspect.

Cheers, K.

Charlotte Balment - Marriage 1857 and first born 1858

Charlotte Balment and William Huxtable Ball were married in the Parish Church in High Bray, Devon on 5 August 1857. Fathers of the wedding couple were identified as John Ball, tailor and William Balment, mason. Witnesses to the wedding were William Baer and Louisa Jane Ball. Louisa was William's younger sister, born 1839-1840. Charlotte signed the register with an "X" meaning that she could not likely neither read nor write.

The identity of the first witness, William, is another research task, added to my list. I am always curious to know if they are related to family, neighbours or other kinds of acquaintances. Once I have more details, I will be sure to post the information.

This is All Saints Church in High Bray where they were married:

Charlotte gave birth to William James Ball in March of 1858. The date of the entry is difficult to read, but I think that the date reads "4th". The next few years brought many changes to the Ball household, including a new home in Wales. More on that in my next post.

Charlotte Balment - 1851 England Census

The 1851 census reveals that Charlotte was still living with her parents, William and Elizabeth, in Bray Town, High Bray. Charlotte is age 20, and her birthplace still shows as High Bray. William, age 63, (birth year given as 1788), has the occupation "Mason" listed and his birth place is shown as Marwood, Devon. Elizabeth is age 57 with a birth year of 1794. Her place of birth is shown as High Bray.

A surprising addition to the household is Eliza Balment, age 4, birth year 1847, with a birthplace of Barnstaple. She is shown as "Granddaughter". My first inclination was to think that she could have been Charlotte's daughter, given the fit with their ages. However, having contacted the Online Parish Clerk (OPC) for High Bray, I have learned that High Bray Parish register shows a baptism on 15 Dec 1846 for "Eliza, base child of Mary Anne Ballman, East Buckland, servant." Base means illegitimate. This points to the possible existence of a sister to Charlotte. The name Ballman is close to Balment, so it's likely a match. I've ordered the birth certificate for Eliza to confirm her parentage (although given the parish baptism entry, I am not holding up much hope that Eliza's father will be listed on the certificate).

More on the Online Parish Clerk system in my next post...

Cheers, K.

Charlotte Balment - 1841 England Census

The 1841 census shows Charlotte, age 9, living with her parents, William and Elizabeth Balment, both shown as age 50 with a birth year of 1791, in High Bray, Devon. Charlotte is the eldest child of 3; the younger siblings being James, age 5, born in 1836 and William, age 1, born in 1840. The address of the household is given as Bray Town Cottage, High Bray, Devon.

Given the ages of the parents, I am beginning to wonder if William and Elizabeth are, in fact, her grandparents. The fluidity of age reporting in the early censuses means that their ages could have been over estimated by themselves or the census taker.

I've really just started to research this family and do not know much about them yet... So much more to do!,

Cheers, K.

Charlotte Balment (1831-1897), wife of William Huxtable Ball

Charlotte Balment was the wife of William Huxtable Ball and the mother of Thomas H. Ball and his siblings. She was born around 1831 in the village of High Bray, in Devon. Like her husband William, Charlotte's age varies throughout the years, so her birth year is my best guestimate. It is believed that her parents were William and Elizabeth Balment, but I will post once confirmed. High Bray is located east of Barnstaple and north of South Molton:


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Information on the history of High Bray, from the Devon County Council, can be found here.

These are photographs of Highbray taken by Martin Bodman, and can be found on the Geograph.org.uk website:

This photograph, looking north, shows the view of the valley outside High Bray from the edge of High Bray churchyard. The village in the valley is Brayford. A public footpath links the two.

This image shows All Saints Church in the village of High Bray, looking west across the crowded churchyard:

High Bray is another place on my 'must-see" list - so tranquil.

Cheers, K.

William and Charlotte's headstone at St. Augustine's Church Cemetery, Penarth

Charlotte and William were buried together at St. Augustine's Church Cemetery in Penarth. St. Augustine's Church is located on the headland in Penarth between Cardiff Bay and the Bristol Channel. You can see photographs of the church and cemetery on the Passionate about South Wales website. It was designed by architect, William Butterfield and information about the design and history of the church can be found here.

The transcription of the headstone notes that it is leaning and has a carved flower design. The "/" in the transcription indicates a new line of text. The headstone reads:

In loving memory of CHARLOTTE beloved wife of W.H. Ball, who died October 28th 1897 aged 66 years / "With Christ which is far better." / Also of the above named W.H. BALL who died Nov 19th 1927 aged 90 years. / "Peace perfect peace."/

It is lovely to know that they are resting in such a lovely setting. Another place to add to my list of places to visit... Many thanks to Glamorgan Family History Society volunteer, Andy, who did the monument inscription look up on my behalf. Genealogists are such wonderful and giving people.

Cheers, K.

William in the 1891 Wales Census

By the time of the 1891 Wales Census was taken on the night of 5 April 1891, there had been many changes in the Ball household. William, now shown as age 51, was working as a dairyman (oddly, he only aged 7 years between the 10 year census dates! Census can be great tools for finding people, but the data in them can be faulty. Back in the 19th century, many people did not know the year that they were born, especially in the days prior to civil registration when the government started recording births, marriages and deaths). Living in the household are his wife, Charlotte, shown as age 59 and son, Henry, age 27. Henry's occupation is shown as dairyman too. Presumably, Henry and his father were in business together.

The address of the Ball household is listed as 54 Windsor Road, Penarth. Scurlage is approximately 100km from Penarth. To give you some idea of the distance between the villages, please see the map below:


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This is a map of the 54 Windsor Road, Penarth:


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And a street view of the address. The view is down Windsor Road. Railway Terrace intersects Windsor Road on the right:


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What prompted them to move east towards Cardiff? The trade of blacksmithing had gone into decline with the Industrial Revolution, as machines and factories replaced men and tools. Why the move into milk? What would have drawn William and Henry into the milk trade? Older brother, John Ball, with whom Thomas Huxtable Ball was living in 1891, operated a farm. Was there a family connection to the milk trade?

Many more mysteries solve! Answers will be posted when found....

Cheers, K.

William Huxtable Ball in the 1881 Wales Census

According to the 1881 Wales Census, William H. Ball is 44 years of age, earning a living as a blacksmith. His birth year is 1837. Charlotte, his spouse, is listed as age 49, whose occupation is shown as "Blacksmiths wife". The following individuals are listed as living in the home: Charlotte, daughter, age 12, Henery (misspelling of Henry), age 17, rural messenger, and Thomas, age 6, scholar, which meant that he was attending regular (but not necessarily full-time) school or being home schooled (although it is doubtful that he was being taught by his mother Charlotte as she continued to sign documents with an 'X'). The family is living in Scurlage Castle, Llanndewi, Glamorgan, Wales.

This was the first census in which my great-grandfather appeared and was the first real indication in my research that the family had been in Wales. One of the first websites that I found was the Welsh Family Archive run by John Ball (no relation). John's kind words and encouragement when we connected through his website furthered my interest in discovering my Welsh heritage - which continues today.

Cheers, K.

Birth of a daughter, Charlotte, 1868

William and Charlotte welcomed a second daughter, named Charlotte, in 1868. Her birth was registered during the second quarter of the year (April-May-June). The registration district was listed as Gower in the county of Glamorgan. I suspect that the family was still living in the Scurlage Castle area as Thomas Huxtable Ball, the next child born to William and Charlotte, has his birthplace listed there.

Cheers, K.

Birth of son, Henry Ball, and daughter, Elizabeth Ann Ball 1863-1865

William Huxtable Ball and wife, Charlotte, saw the birth of a son and daughter between the years of 1863 and 1865. Henry's birth was registered in the last quarter of 1863 in the Gower Disrict of Wales. Elizabeth Ann's birth certificate states that she was born in Scurlage Castle, Llanddewi on 28 October 1865. Her father's occupation is listed as "Blacksmith".

You may be wondering, as I did, about the place name 'Scurlage Castle'. While very romantic sounding, there is no actual castle at modern day Scurlage, only a Tudor farm reputed to be on the site of a castle dating from the late medieval period. This is a link to information from the Gower Magazine site regarding the Scurlage Castle site and village. This is a link to information from the Gatehouse website, a comprehensive gazeteer and bibliography of the medieval castles, fortifications, and palaces of England, Wales and the Islands on Scurlage Castle..

Cheers, K.

Birth of another son, John Ball and the 1861 Wales Census

The change of the decade brought many changes to the family of William Huxtable Ball. I could no longer find him in Devon. Knowing that Thomas Huxtable had been born and raised in Wales, I decided to search the 1861 Wales Census. I did find a birth registered in January-March 1861 index which showed that a John Ball had been born in Gower, Wales. Then, I found William Huxtable Ball living with Charlotte, William James, age 3 and John Ball, age 2 months, in Scurlage House, Llanddewi, Gower, Glamorgan in the 1861 Wales Census.

Where is Llanddewi? Well, it is a parish is located 14 miles west and south of the town of Swansea in the County of Glamorgan, in south Wales. The population in 1861 is noted as 149. This is a map of the area:


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GENUKI also offers a number of map links to view the area. I suspect that the family lived closer to what is modern day Scurlage.

Here is a street view of Scurlage and the countryside surrouding it:

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What pushed or pulled William and his young family to Wales, I am not sure. It could have been the lure of a job, steady work, family ties or the influence of friends. Whatever it was, it started a new chapter in the history of the Ball family.

Cheers, K.

Birth of son, William James Ball (1858-1922)

William and Charlotte became parents to William James Ball on 4 March 1858. William James was born in Bray Town, High Bray, Devon. His father's occupation is listed as "Blacksmith Journeyman". The birth was registered on 13 March 1858 in the registration district of Barnstaple Union.

William Huxtable was a blacksmith for many years. You can read more about the history of blacksmithing on the Appalachian Blacksmiths Association website.

Cheers, K.

William gets married 1857

On 5 August 1857, William Huxtable Ball married Charlotte Balment in the parish of High Bray, Devon. According to their marriage certificate, William and Charlotte were married in the Parish Church. William's age is listed as 21, bachelor, his rank/profession is shown as "blacksmith" with a residence of High Bray. His father is listed as John Ball, Tailor. Charlotte's age is shown as 22, spinster, with the occupation "single woman" and residence in High Bray. Her father is shown as William Balment. His profession is difficult to read, but my best guestimate is "Farmer". William and Charlotte were married by banns. William signed the certificate, while Charlotte signed with an "X", meaning that she likely was not educated. The witnesses to the marriage were Louisa Jane Ball William's younger sister) and William (name indistinguishable, but begins with a B).

To learn more about High Bray, click here to read about the village on GENUKI. High Bray is located west of Barnstaple and north west of South Molton:


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This is a link to an image of All Saints Church the parish church for High Bray.

Cheers, K.