Ann Ball 1775 to 1796

[bsage760]

Seeking information on Ann Ball born in 1775 in Holborn at the Lying in Hospital. She died in 1796 in Stepney and is buried at St. Dunstans. I believe she married William Middleton in the mid 1790s and may have left behind a son William born in 1796. I would appreciate any information.

[warncoort]

Eleven public trees on A*****y,born to a non conformist family.Have you found a record of her marriage?

[Dundee10]

Eleven public trees on A*****y

...and entertaining they are too. There are men marrying men and the usual smattering of the walking dead giving birth to children.

If William MIDDLETON (father of William born 1796) is the same one who later married to Sarah GUNNER then it might help to know that the marriage Banns state that he was a bachelor in 1797.

It would help if you could give further info on the life of William Jnr and how you have established that Ann BALL was his mother. What are you hoping to find out about Ann?

[bsage760]

I have not found a record of marriage only a record of her birth and death. He later married Sarah Gunner before being transported to Australia.

[bsage760]

Thank you for your reply. I have the marriage data for Sarah Gunner and William Middleton indicating that he was a bachelor. The Ann Ball data comes from other Middleton trees that indicate a previous marriage and the birth of William Middleton. He appears to have made a life in England later marrying Sarah Ward although there is some evidence that he may have made a trip to Australia at some point as part of a crew. I am looking for a possible Ann Ball linkage as my husband would be descended from that union and the ancestry profile would therefore be altered.

[Dundee10]

Some people with trees on Ancestry just add anyone with the same name and event date, regardless of who they actually were and where they lived. If they cannot show you a documented connection or even just a "best guess" connection based on available evidence then you should ignore it.

[bsage760]

As an historian I understand the necessity to verify data. Ann Ball ' s name is cited in more than one tree. In addition the data to link the William Middleton who was transported to my husband's family is verified, whereas the Sarah Gunner is out of sync. Perhaps it will have to wait until next year when I go to the Ancestry center in Salt Lake City. I usually spend a few evenings there after grading A P World History.

[Allan F Sparrow]

Ann Ball ' s name is cited in more than one tree.

They may have copied one another: they often do, and Ancestry's hints system could be said to encourage it...

Just the opinion of another (ex-) history professional.

[Peter Goodey]

They may have copied one another: they often do

A point well made, Allan. Too many people assume that something stated in several online trees is somehow more reliable than if it were in only one.

Mind you, the same thing applies to family legends. If Granny told you something and Auntie Maud told you the same thing, it doesn't make it any more credible because Auntie Maud may only be repeating what Granny told her.

[Dundee10]

The William MIDDLETON who was tried 27 July 1812 at Guildford in Surrey aged 37 and transported on the ship Earl Spencer is shown on the 1822 muster as holding a TOL and farming at Appin. With him are his wife Sarah who came free on the Kangaroo as well as four children all born in the colony - two are aged 14 and 7 and no ages are recorded for the other two. There is also a Jemima MIDDLETON who came free on the Kangaroo and is the wife of William WARBY.

The 1825 muster gives years of arrival – 1813 for William and 1814 for Sarah, Caroline and Jemima. William is a Carpenter residing on his wife’s Grant at Appin. With them are children Caroline aged 16, came free on the Kangaroo 1814, and born in the colony are Elizabeth, 9, William, 11, and Sarah, 18 (sic). Three years later in 1828 I believe Sarah is with the WARBYs and she is aged 19, still claiming to be have been born in the colony.

The list of wives and children of convicts arriving on the Kangaroo shows Sarah, Caroline, Jemima and Sarah, and in a petition for another land grant in 1824 Sarah states that she arrived with three children. In 1825 she says she arrived with four children.

William’s certificate of freedom issued in 1826 states that his native place was Sussex.

William and Sarah died before civil registration commenced in 1856 so the only documents which may record Sarah's maiden surname would be any child's marriage or death certificate after 1856.

I can see about six other convicts named William MIDDLETON but they arrived 10+ years later.

In addition the data to link the William Middleton who was transported to my husband's family is verified

So is the William MIDDLETON detailed above the person you are connected to? What is the verified connection?

He appears to have made a life in England later marrying Sarah Ward

I can see a marriage in 1816 of a William MIDDLETON to a Sarah WARD, but that was in Harborne on the border of Staffordshire and Warwickshire, and possibly their family living in Aston, Birmingham in 1841. William is a 45 year old gun maker who was born in Warwickshire.

I can't see another MIDDLETON/WARD marriage on the resources available to me.