Thomas.... continued

Now back to Thomas..... just to recap, he had just been apprenticed to Joseph Samuel Shepton in late 1891. I believe that Joseph and his father Samuel Shepton were builders in Penarth in the firm, Samuel Shepton & Son (Owens & Co Cardiff Directory 1891 on Historical Directories.org website).

While I do not know much about Thomas during the 1890's, he appears in Armley, a district in the west of Leeds in 1899.


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On 13 October 1899, at age 24, Thomas married Annie Amelia Turner, domestic servant, age 21 in the Baptist Chapel Carr Crofts, Armley. William James Ball, milk dealer is noted as Thomas' father, but this was actually his eldest brother. Annie's father is given as Henry Turner, road labourer. The witnesses to the marriage were Annie Steed and Charlotte Elizabeth Steed. I've looked for the church, but it is no longer exists.

Why Thomas and Annie, both from Wales, moved to Leeds is still a mystery to me. Perhaps, they went in search of work, each following a different path to Leeds. Did they know each other before leaving Wales? Perhaps, they met at the Baptist Chapel in Armley. What kind of relationship did they have with the two young women who signed as witnesses to their marriage? As always, more questions in need of answers.

Mystery Nephew

In the 1891 Wales census, Thomas Huxtable Ball is living with his older brother, John, and sister, Charlotte in Little Hill, St. Andews & Dinas Powys. Included in the household is Robert Jno Edwards, age 3, who is shown as 'nephew'. The presence of the this young nephew in the household has always perplexed me. Where did he come from? Who were his parents? I knew from my great-aunt Gwen's note that Thomas' sister,Charlotte, had a child out of wedlock. Was Robert her child?

For many years, I thought so and struggled to find a birth registration for a Robert Edwards with a mother named Charlotte Ball. When I discovered the existence of Elizabeth Ann Ball and her subsequent marriage to a Robert Edwards, I thought the mystery had been solved. Little Robert was theirs and was staying or visiting on the day of the census.

However, in recent days, I have found an 'E' and husband Robert Edwards in the 1891 Wales census, living at 124 Treharris Road, Roath, Cardiff. They are shown with 3 children, Robert J , b. 1888, Leonard, b. 1889, and Ernest, b. 1891. Which makes me think that little Robert Jno shown with Thomas, John and Charlotte may not be the same Robert J living with their sister, Elizabeth....After all, he can't be in the same two places, can he? Perhaps, I have the wrong E Edwards?

Another mystery to solve....

Thomas Huxtable Ball (1875-1941)

Thomas Huxtable Ball was the youngest of six children born to William Huxtable Ball (1837-1927) and Charlotte Balment (1835-1896). He was born 5 July 1875 in Scurlage Castle, Llanddewi, County of Glamorgan. His siblings were: William James (1858-1922), John (1860-1928), Henry (1864-1931), Elizabeth Ann (1865-?), and Charlotte (1869-1947).

He first appears in the 1881 Wales census, living in Scurlage Castle with his parents and his two older siblings, Henry and Charlotte. William, his father, is listed as a blacksmith.

According to the 1891 census, Thomas is living with his older brother, John, sister Charlotte, and 3 yr old nephew, Robert Jno Edwards in Little Hill, St.Andrews & Dinas Powys, Glamorgan. John is shown as head of household and a farmer, while Thomas has an occupation of engine cleaner and Charlotte is a house keeper.

On 2 Dec 1891, Thomas was apprenticed to Joseph Samuel Shepton (possibly of Penarth) to learn the trades of plumber, bellhanger, gasfitter, painter and glazier. The apprenticeship was undertaken with the consent of his older brother, John. The signing of the agreement was witnessed by James Moore.

The story continues.....

Cheers, K.

Thomas Huxtable Ball (1875-1941) and Annie Amelia Turner (1878-1947)

Thomas and Annie Ball were my great-grandparents. They were Welsh, but immigrated from New Wortley, (Leeds),Yorkshire, where Granddad was born. I remember Dad telling me that they were very short, 5', and 4' 10" respectively. However, Granddad was nearly 6 feet tall. Annie and Thomas were Baptists and teetotallers. Annie's nickname was 'Budgie' among our family. Dad remembers that their 'English' accents were different - likely because of their Welsh heritage. Many of the records for them name them as English, but Thomas lived in Wales up to age 24, while Annie came from Monmouthshire, a Welsh county which borders England.

Evelyn Edith Ball (1913-1987) and Margery Ball (192?-199?)

Granddad's younger sisters were Evelyn and Margery. Evelyn's middle name, Edith, was probably inherited from her mother's younger sister, Edith Turner, who immigrated to BC from the UK, and married Richard Edward Steed, another British compatriot. Evelyn married Art Nursery and lived in the lower Mainland area of BC, where they raised a family. Evelyn died 4 April 1987 at age 74. Art outlived her, but I do not know his death date.

Margery married Hugh Phillip Sigismund and also raised a family in the lower Mainland. Hugh passed away on 24 June 1975 at age 63. I don't have Margery's death date, but will post once discovered.

This is a photo of Granddad and his sisters, likely taken in the 1950's:

From left to right: Evelyn, Granddad, Gwen and Margery.

Cheers, K.

Bowell Funeral Home Records

As I mentioned in my last post, I found a wonderful database of Bowell Funeral Home Records on the local history section of the New Westminster Public Library website. It is easily searchable by surname or date and contains a wealth of information on deaths, burials and funeral services in New Westminster, BC. Kudos go to the staff of the Library for putting together this great set of records and for always being very helpful. They have a great information/reference service , which I have used often and would recommend to anyone looking for genealogical data from New Westminster.

Gwendolyn Muriel Ball (1909-1989)

Gwendolyn Muriel Ball was born in 1909, according to the 1911 Census of Canada. She married John (Jack) Hynds in New Westminster, BC on 23 June 1928. Jack was a baker by trade. Jack served as a White Rock, BC city alderman for the following terms: 1959-1961, 1963-1964, 1966-1969. He served as mayor from 1970-1971. Gwen and Jack had two children, Robert Gordon (born 1 January 1932) and another son (living). I never knew about Robert, but stumbled across a reference to him in Gwen's obituary and later found his funeral home record . Bobby died on 9 December 1933 from toxemia and shock resulting from accidental scalding. He was almost two years old. He is buried in the New Fraser Cemetery. Gwen had a keen interest in family history and was the author of the note that set me off on this journey. Jack died on 11 October 1973. Tragically, Gwen was hit by a bicyclist on a White Rock sidewalk and later died of her injuries on 6 July 1989. She was 80 years old.

I don't have many memories of Gwen, as I was quite young when I met her, but do remember her kind face and gentle touch.