A lovely coincidence

After a few days away with my family for March Break, I returned to find the latest edition of the "Glamorgan Family History Society" journal in my mailbox. Much to my surprise, there was an article "Asylum Records at Glamorgan Archives" under the "News from the Glamorgan Archives" feature. Having recently posted information about William James Ball, 1858-1922, who died in the county asylum, I took this to be an omen that I should write away to see if I can find out more out his condition and stay. After my post about William James, I had made a mental note to do so sometime in the future, but something tells me that I should get onto it now.

I will keep you posted on developments....

Cheers, K.

Death of Henry Ball (1863-1931)

Sadly, Henry Ball passed away, at age 68. He died at his residence, 96 Plassey Street, Penarth, on 8 December 1931. His occupation was given as “Dairyman”. The cause of death was given as “Bronchial asthma” and “Exhaustion”. The notation “No Pm” indicated that no post mortem was conducted. His son, William Henry Ball, who resided at 18 Cumberland Street, Cardiff, attended the death and also was the informant. The death was registered on 8 December 1931 and H.G. Belton is noted as the Registrar.

Henry’s address may ring a bell as it was the same house where the family was living at the time of the 1891 census:


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As you may recall, Plassey Street played a large role in the lives of Henry and his father, William Huxtable Ball, while they lived in Penarth. I found this image of a sunset on Plassey Street on Paul Dyer's Flickr site and thought that it seemed to say it all…:

Cheers, K.

Finding Henry Ball (1863-1931) in 1914

Henry and Anne must have moved by 1914. I was able to find them in the 1914 "Cardiff Directory" in the Cardiff and Suburban Names section. The 1914 Cardiff (Western Mail) directory was found on the Historical Directories website. The entry reads "Ball, Henry, dairyman, Llandough". Llandough, according to Wikipedia, is a village and southern suburb of Cardiff, in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. This is a map of of Llandough:


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The marker shows the location of their home in Llandough on Penlan Road.

I suspect that Henry and Anne moved back to the Penarth area, where they continued with the dairy business. Their home is the one with grey stone and white wood in the Google StreetView below:


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Cheers, K.

Henry Ball (1863-1931) ten years on...

The 1911 census of Wales (and England) was taken on Sunday April 2nd. By the time the census was taken, Henry and Anne had moved to 5 Railway Terrace, Dinas Powys, Glamorgan, a short distance west of Penarth (2.6 kms actually):


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This is an aerial view of the street where they lived:


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Perhaps they had moved to be closer to John's farm in St. Andrews or found that Henry's business interests had drawn them away from Penarth, I am not sure.

The census shows Henry to be a dairyman, age 47, Ann, housekeeper, age 43, Lily May, daughter, age 16, assistant in dairy, Lettice Charlotte, daughter, age 14, student, Doris Charlotte, age 13, student, Gladys Margaret, age 10, student, and a new addition to the family, Irene Winnie, daughter, also a student.

Ann's father, Henry Evans, a widower, retired, age 74, was also living with the family. William Henry, the eldest child, had moved out by this time - more on him later.

Cheers, K.

Henry Ball (1863-1931), marriage and a growing family

The year 1891 was a watershed in the life of Henry Ball. While recorded as living with his parents in April 1891, Henry seemed to embark on some big life changes - namely marrying Annie Evans in late 1891. Annie was born about 1868 and was from Cwmavon, Glamorgan, a small hamlet east of Swansea, close to Port Talbot. Their marriage was registered in the 4th quarter (Oct-Dec).

By the time of the 1901 census, Henry and Annie had a family of 5 children: William Henry, born in 1893, Lily Mae, born in 1895, Lettice Charlotte, born in 1897, Doris Charlotte, born in 1898, and Gladys Margaret, born in early 1901. They lived at 96 Plassey Street, Penarth. This is a Google map of their address:


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And this is a street view of the house:


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If you look across the street and down a little bit, you can see the Plassey Street Baptist Church, which played a big part in the life of Henry's father, William Huxtable Ball.


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I suspect that Henry and Annie were married at this church, but will need to do some more digging to confirm it.

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.

Henry Ball (1863-1931)

Henry was the third eldest son of William and Charlotte Ball. His birth was registered in Gower, Glamorgan in the last quarter of 1863. The family was likely still living in Scurlage Castle, Llanddewi, which is shown on the map below:


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This is a street view of the village:


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The first time Henry shows up in the census is 1881. (Parts of the Glamorgan census for 1871 are missing - along with the Ball family). He is shown as "Henery", age 17, and is listed as a rural messenger. Henry is living with his parents, sister Charlotte and youngest brother, Thomas in Scurlage Castle, Llanddewi.

More to follow.
Cheers, K.

Devon Family History Society

First off, I want to apologize for my lack of posts recently. I've been battling bronchitis for the past month and am now finally starting to feel like I'm back in the land of the living. I will endeavour to be more diligent with the frequency of my posts.

I was happy to receive my copy of the Devon Family Historian in the mail today. Its appearance was a wonderful reminder that family history or genealogy societies are a great resource in terms of expertise, local-on-the-ground information and support. While I haven't come across Ball family researchers working on my particular branch of the family, I have been helped by so many DFHS members via their e-mail (also known as 'mailing') list, website and the volunteers who staff their resource library called the "Tree House" in Exeter.

As I settle in to enjoy my copy of the Devon Family Historian, I would encourage researchers to join the local family history or genealogy society in the geographic area where their ancestors lived. You can really tap into great people, resources and local knowledge that you may not be able to access as a non-member, so far removed from your ancestors' county, state, province or country.

Cheers, K.

Death of John Ball (1861-1928)

John Ball died in early May or late April of 1928 at the age of 68 in St. Andrews Major. He was buried in St. Andrews Major. This is Google Street View of St. Andrews Church, which was just down the road from Ty Gwyn:


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And this is the burial yard across the street:


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A lovely resting place...don't you think?

Cheers, K.

John Ball (1861-1928) in the 1911 Census

According to the 1911 Census of Wales, John and Ruth Ball were living at Ty Gwyn in St. Andrews-Dinas Powis. John is noted as age 50, and the operator of a dairy farm, while Ruth is noted as "married". Their children, Gwendoline Charlotte Ball, age 11, and Nelson Ball, age 8, are both noted having been born in St. Andrews and attending school. There is also a "cowman", named Edward Williams, in the home. Presumably, he was working for John on the farm.

Ty Gwyn still exists today in St. Andrews. "Ty Gwyn" is translated as "White House" in English. This is where the house is located:


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And this is what the house looks like from the back (notice the small sign that reads "Ty Gwyn"):


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This is a view of the house photographed in 2010 from the field at the front of the house:

I am told that John Ball rented the home and farm of approximately 50 acres from the Wenvoe Estate in 1884.

Many thanks to Matthew for the use of his photo of the house and the information on Ty Gwyn.

Cheers, K.

John Ball, 1861-1928 - Family and 1901 Census

In the years following their 1895 marriage, the family of John and Ruth Ball grew. Ruth gave birth to a daughter, Dorothy Ruth in 1896. Baby Dorothy`s birth was registered in the 2nd quarter (Apr-Jun) of 1896. Tragically, she only lived for 16 hours and was buried in St. Andrews Major on 15 Jun 1896.

A second daughter, Stella, was born in 1897. She was followed by another daughter, named Gwendoline Charlotte, who was born in 6 October 1899, in St. Andrews, Dinas Powis.

The 1901 census shows John, age 40, with an occupation of farmer, living in St. Andrew, Dinas Powis. Ruth is shown as 40 years of age, with Gwendoline L. Ball, age 1. I suspect that the middle initial "L." is likely a transcription error. Living with the family are the following people: Elenor Thomas, age 33, sister-in-law to John (Ruth's younger sister), whose occupation is shown as 'Dressmaker' and birthplace as Gower, John Howells, age 19, servant, whose occupation is farm labourer, and birthplace was Cardiff, and Eliza J. Wade, age 22, a domestic servant, from Somerset.

Where was Stella in 1901? I am not sure, but do know from a family member that Stella was not well and lived away from the farm. She later turns up with her aunt Eleanor in Cardiff in 1911 - but more on that later. If I do come across Stella in my travels, I will be sure to post.

A son, Nelson, was born in late 1902.

Cheers, K.

John Ball (1861-1928) - Brotherhood and marriage

When I received a copy of my great-grandfather's apprenticeship paper from my dear uncle, Bill, I soon realized that John Ball had played an important role in the life of my great-grandfather, Thomas. The copy of the indenture, dated 2 December 1891, states "This indenture witnesses that Thomas Huxtable Ball with the consent of his brother, John Ball, doth put himself Apprentice to Joseph Samuel Shepton..." With John's consent and signature, my great-grandfather began an apprenticeship as a plumber, bellhanger, gasfitter, painter and glazier, to Joseph Shepton, a Penarth builder. With his trade learned and registered, Thomas was able to move to Leeds and eventually to Canada. Had John withheld his consent, how would have Thomas' life turned out? Would he have remained in Glamorgan with the rest of the family? Would he have left Wales?

According to the marriage indexes for Wales, John married Ruth Thomas of Knelston, Glamorgan, Wales in 1895. Their marriage was registered in the 3rd quarter (Jul-Aug-Sep) of the year. John and Ruth were both about age 34 at the time of their marriage. Ruth was the daughter of a farmer and would have been accustomed to the routine and work of John's farm.

More on John to follow.

Cheers, K.

John Ball, 1861-1928

John Ball was the second eldest child of Charlotte and William Huxtable Ball. Born late 1860 or early 1861, John was raised in Gower, Glamorgan, likely in the village of Scurlage Castle. The first glimpse of John is in the 1891 Census of Wales (1871 for Gower is unavailable and finding him in the 1881 Census has been difficult - no clear matches on age, birthplace and occupation). In 1891, John is recorded as a farmer and head of household, which contained his sister, Charlotte, younger brother Thomas Huxtable, nephew Robert John Edwards, and Samuel Williams, servant. John was living in St. Andrews/Dinas Powis, close to what was noted as 'Arga Farm'.

This is where St. Andrews/Dinas Powys is located on Google maps:


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This is street view of St. Andrews Road, between St. Andrews Major and Dinas Powys to give you an idea of the countryside in which John farmed:


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John's birthplace is noted as South Molton, Devonshire in the census. However, given the family's move to Wales following William James' birth and John's birth registration in Gower, I would presume that he was born in Wales.

Cheers, K.

Death of William James Ball (1858-1922)

William's incarceration at the Angleton Asylum continued for many years. In early 1919, his wife, Mary (Shepherd) Ball, passed away in early 1919 in Reynoldston, Glamorgan, at the age of 75. She was buried on 27 Feb 1919 in the St. George Church cemetery in Reynoldston.

Was William aware of his wife's passing? Did his daughter Mabel Charlotte visit her father or keep in touch with the facility's staff? We may never know.

On 10 January 1922, in the County Asylum, William James Ball passed away. On his death certificate, his age is noted at 63, and his address/occupation was listed as "of 2 St. George's Terrace, Reynoldston, Gower, Swansea, C.B., a Pensioned Letter Carrier". The cause of death is given as " Bright's Disease, duration unknown, (Mania) P.M. Certified by D. Finlay, M.D.". The informant was Mabel C. Ball, daughter, 140 Plassey Street, Penarth. The death was registered on 14 January 1922, by Margaret Davies.

William was buried on 14 January 1922, presumably with Mary, at the St. George (Anglican) Cemetery in Reynoldston.

Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that would describe acute or chronic nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys). It is typically denoted by the presence of serum albumin (blood plasma protein) in the urine, and frequently accompanied by oedema (swelling due to fluid retention in the body) and hypertension (high blood pressure). I suspect that Bright's Disease was a later diagnosis which hastened his demise. The exact nature of his mental illness is not discernible from his death certificate.

Such a sad end. I wonder how his father, William Huxtable Ball, would have felt to have lost a son. It must have been very sad.

Take care, K.

Glamorgan County Lunatic Asylum

After learning about Wiliam James' incarceration in the Glamorgan County Lunatic Asylum, I was curiuos to find out more about the facility.

According to the Archives Wales catalogue, the asylum was opened in November 1864 in Angleton, Brigend. Prior to the hospital's opening, a number of patients were accommodated at an asylum in Briton Ferry at the County's expense, as early as the 1840's. The Angleton facilitiy was run by a committee appointed by the Glamorgan Court of Quarter Sessions, a body responsible for judicial matters and civil administration. Initially, 350 patients were housed at Angelton, but it soon became apparent that the facility was inadequate to meet the demands made upon it.

In 1887, a new building was erected at Parc Gwyllt, Bridgend. The Glamorgan County Council inherited responsibility for the administration of these two institutions in 1889. The name was later changed to the Glamorgan County Mental Hospital. A third hopsital (Penyfai) was later built to deal with admissions. The hospitals became part of the National Health Service in July 1948. The three buildings were called Morgannwg Hospital, with Angelton being renamed as Glanrhyd Hospital (the name it still retains), and Parc Gwyllt abbreviated to Parc Hospital. Recent events have led to the closure and demolition of the Parc and Penyfai Hospitals. The only remaining building is Glanrhyd Hospital, which was the original asylum built in 1864. It is currently administered by the Bridgend and District NHS Trust. The records of the hospital are found at the Glamorgan Archives.

This is where the Glanrhyd Hospital is located:


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And this is a photograph of part of the hospital (© Copyright John Finch and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence):

The facility has undergone some recent redevelopment and information about the current facility can be found here

Cheers, K.

William James Ball (1858-1922) .... continued

William's story is continued in the 1901 census, where we find William, Mary and Mabel still living in Reynoldston, Devon. By this time, William is age 44 and he is a rural postman. Mabel has reached age 19 and works as a dressmaker. Mary is now 58, according to the census entry.

By 1911 there are many sad changes for William and his family. According to the 1911 census, William is a patient in the Glamorgan County Lunatic Asylum in Angleton, Brigend. His infirmity is listed as "lunatic" in the census. He is shown as a retired postman, whose first language is English. Wife Mary, age 67, still resides in Reynoldston and is living on St. George's Terrace. Daughter Mabel now lives in Penarth with her grandfather, William Huxtable Ball at 18 Railway Terrace. She was a dressmaker and about 29 years of age.

What brought on William's condition? Was it hereditary, accidental, a result of stress or tragedy, or a disease that he developed? I can't but imagine how awful it would have been to have been living in such an institution. I also think of the sadness that it would have brought to his father - knowing that his eldest son would likely live out his days in an institution such as this.

Take care.

Cheers, K.

William James Ball (1858-1922)

The eldest son of William and Charlotte Ball, William James was born on 4 March 1858 in Bray Town, High Bray, Devon. William lived in Devon for his early life, then moved to Scurlage Castle, Glamorgan, Wales by 1861. As the 1871 census for Glamorgan is not available, the first glimpse of William is a first quarter 1880 marriage registration to Mary Shepherd. They both appear in the 1881 census in Reynoldston, Glamorgan. This is Google map of Reynoldston, located about 2.4 miles north and slightly west of Scurlage:


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This is a street view of Reynoldston:


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In 1881 census, William is age 23, and a blacksmith, like his father. Mary's age is 36, making him 13 years his senior. Her birthplace is Oxwich, Glamorganshire. No children are listed in the household.

In the 1891 census of Wales, their address is Frogmore, Reynoldston. Frogmore likely refers to a cottage or house. William is shown as age 33 and his occupation is "Post Man". Mary is age 46. A daughter, Mabel Ball is age 9, and her birthplace is listed as Frogmore, Reynoldston.

More on William James to follow.

Cheers, K.

Some interesting news about Eliza Balment (1846-?)

I thought that I would share the interesting information that arrived in today's mail. I received the birth certificate for Eliza Balment, the 4 year old living with Charlotte Balment (my great-great-grandmother) and her parents in 1851. In the 1851 census entry, Eliza is shown as "granddaughter" and I had learned from the High Bray Parish OPC (Online Parish Clerk) that Eliza's baptism showed her mother as "Mary Anne Ballman".

Interestingly, the birth certificate shows that Eliza was born on 7 October 1846, in the Barnstaple Workhouse. Her mother is shown as Mary Ann Balment. The name of the father is blank and only a horizontal line appears in the entry. The informant is noted with an X - "The mark of Mary Ann Balment, mother, Union Workhouse, Barnstaple". The birth was registered on 14 October 1846.

This opens up many more avenues of research - who was Mary Anne and how did she end up in the Barnstaple workhouse? Why, how and when was Eliza brought to her grandparents, William and Elizabeth Balment in High Bray to live? What ever happened to Mary Anne?

I'll post when I have more details.

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.

Online Parish Clerks

If you are looking for information on early births, marriages and deaths, then an online parish clerk (OPC) may be able to help you. Online parish clerks are volunteers in the UK who collect genealogical information about a specific parish and answer email enquiries without charges. In the days before civil registration of vital events (births, marriages and deaths), the local church kept this information for each parish.

In the UK, civil registration began in 1837 and started slowly. Church records are often the only source of informaiton for pre-civil registration events. Online Parish Clerks (OPC) are available in selected counties in the UK. The Devon OPCs are wonderful people. I've asked for look ups for Devon (South Molton, Filleigh, High Bray, North Molton) and always find them to be very helpful, providing suggestions for further enquiries, possible names and connections. You need to provide specifics on an individual that you are researching - name, date/place of birth, marriage partners, death etc., and they will let you know what they have found in their records. While not all records are complete or comprehensive, they can let you know what exists and other possible sources or neighbouring parishes/OPCs that might be able to help. So, why not try them out when you are doing your pre-1837 UK research!

Cheers, K.

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.

Death of Robert Gordon Hynds - 1933

After a bit of digging, I found the obituary for Robert Gordon Hynds. He was the son of Gwen and John (Jack) Hynds. Gwen was Grandad William Huxtable Ball's younger sister. Originally, I had found the Bowell Funeral Home record for Robert Gordon.

Hoping to find more details on this tragic death, I ordered the British Columbian newspaper and searched the late November and early December editions. While all varieties of accidents were reported, I couldn't find any details of Robert's accident. What I did manage to find was a simple notice of his death in the 9 December 1933 edition of the Columbian, which read:

"Hynds - Passed away at his home, White Rock, B.C., on December 9, 1933, Robert Gordon Hynds, two-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. John Hynds. Besides his parents he leaves to mourn his passing one brother, [living] at home.

The funeral will be held Monday afternoon, December 11, at 1 o'clock from the funeral home of S. Bowell & Son to the New Fraser cemetery, Rev. J.L. Sloat officiating."

As far as I am aware, Robert's brother is still living - so I haven't included his name. I found the small pieces of Robert's story very sad - so young and what seems to have been an awful accident. It must have been very hard for his parents to have lost a young child so tragically. It makes you think about how precious live is.

Take care of each other. Cheers, K.

Annie Amelia Ball - Laid to Rest - 17 Apr 1947

This is the Laid to Rest notice for Annie Amelia Ball, which appeared in the 17 April 1947 edition of the Columbian:

The identity of J. Hewlett, from Thomas' "Laid to Rest" notice seems to have been solved - it's Jesse Hewlett. How he is related to Albert and Sarah Elizabeth Hewlett will have to be further researched.

I don't have a good sense who Harry Page, George Brooks and E. Turnbull were - perhaps neighbours or friends. R. Byatt might be Russell Byatt, the son of Annie Amelia's sister, Eva (Turner) Byatt, who predeceased her.

As always, more information leads to more questions!

Cheers, K.

Annie Amelia Ball - Obituary - 14 Apr 1947

I have also found the obituary for Annie Amelia Ball for her death on 14 Apr 1947. It was shown on the front page of the 14 Apr 1947 edition of the Columbian:

I am still a bit puzzled by the reference to two sisters living in England. As far as I am aware, there was only one sister (Alice (Turner) Boyle) left in Cardiff, Wales.

Her other sisters, Eva Byatt (deceased), Sarah Elizabeth Hewlett(deceased) and Edith Steed (Mrs. R.E. Steed) had all come to Canada with or shortly after Annie arrived here with grandad. Should I chalk it up to my grandfather's lack of accuracy? Or is there some truth to the matter?

Cheers, K.

Thomas Ball - Laid to Rest Notice - 10 Nov 1941

I wanted to wish everyone all the best for 2012. Thanks for following the Ball Bureau. If you have information to share or would like to comment, please feel free. If you wish to contact me off the blog, please do so at oldbookgal[at]gmail.com.

The following burial notice appeared for Thomas H. Ball in the 10 Nov 1941 edition in the British Columbian on page 5:

The pallbearers included sons-in-law, Jack Hynds and Hugh Sigismund, brothers-in-law, Albert Hewlett (husband of Annie Amelia's sister Sarah Elizabeth Turner), Richard Edward Steed (husband of Annie Amelia's sister, Edith Turner) and J. Hewlett - who is likely related to Albert and Sarah Elizabeth - and another mystery to solve.

Cheers, K.

Obituary - Thomas Huxtable Ball 1875-1941

In doing some more research on my great-grandfather, Thomas Huxtable Ball, I made an interlibrary loan request for the British Columbian newspaper. The Columbian covered New Westminster and the lower mainland of British Columbia. The film arrived in mid-December and I happily spent my morning off at work, trolling through the microfilm.

I was able to find the following obituary for Thomas in the 7 November 1941 edition (pg. 5):

The obituary helps to confirm that Thomas and Annie moved to White Rock in the late 1930's, which was was hinted in the city directories. I suspect that they may have moved in with daughter, Gwen Hynds and son-in-law, Jack Hynds, who resided in White Rock, but I will try to confirm.

The reference to two sisters in England is a bit puzzling. He did have two sisters still living - Charlotte Down and Elizabeth Ann Edwards - however, I believe that they were living in Penarth and Cardiff, Wales respectively. The reference to England may have been an error.

Cheers, K.