Ball Plantations

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Charleston, South Carolina, United States
Surnames/tags: Slavery Black Heritage

Index of Plantations

This is the Index for the following plantations owned by the ancestors of the Ball family. Beginning in 1698 with the first Elias Ball, aka Elias "Red Cap" Ball. Each of the following plantations need their own FSPs.

For research help, go to: [LowCountryAfricana.com] and "Slaves in the Family" by Edward Ball 1998.

The 1790 U.S. Census was the first to list heads of households in South Carolina. By 1790, Third Elias Ball held 246 enslaved people on his three plantations Limerick, Comingtee and Pimlico. Brother John held 188 slaves on three plantations Kensington, Hyde Park and one other.

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Plantations 3 Slave Purchases 4 Research 5 Sources

Introduction

The following history is taken from the book, Ball, Edward, "Slaves in the Family", Balantine Books, NY 1998

The Ball family’s slaveholding history begins with John Coming. Coming was a mariner from Devon, England who was employed making round trips from England to the new Carolina colony, carrying passengers and cargo. On one such trip he met Affra Harleston, who left her affluent family in Ireland to become a settler in Carolina. John and Affra were married aboard the ship or shortly after arriving in Carolina.

In 1698, John and Affra began building a foundation in Carolina. On one visit to England, John contracted with six indentured servants and brought them on his return trip to Carolina. The Fundamental Constitutions, the guidelines for the settlement of Carolina, provided 150 acres of land for each laborer brought to Carolina. After contracting with the indentured servants, John received a warrant for 900 acres of land.

John and Affra originally settled in town on a small lot. After redeeming several land warrants, they settled on land in the fork of the Cooper River which came to be known as Coming’s T. In marshes below the T, the tides determined the level of water. Above the T, the water ran fresh. Over the years, the name of John and Affra’s plantation would change in popular usage from Comings T to Comingsteee, and eventually to Comingtee, as it is known today. After the servants’ indentures expired, John Coming began purchasing chattel slaves.

John and Affra never had children. He and Affra settled upon leaving their estate to one of John’s nephews and one of Affra’s nephews.

John Coming died 1 Nov 1695. In his will, dated 20 Aug 1694, John left all of his property to Affra and made her sole executrix of his estate.

Affra Coming died about 1699. In her will, dated 28 Dec 1698, Affra bequeathed her estate to nephews John Harleston and Elias Ball, to be divided equally between them. Although her estate inventory is not among the earliest filed in Carolina, Affra’s bequest of “all my Negroes and Indian servants” suggests that both Africans and Native people were among the enslaved at Comingtee.

Plantations

• Belle Isle: Pineville, Berkeley, SC; John Ball (1760-1817)

The Blessing Huger, Berkeley, SC - Owners: Henry Laurens and then William James Ball includes Cedar Hill and Cherry Hill

Cedar Hill William James Ball (b. 1821 d. 1891) (Purchased in 1850)

Cherry Hill William James Ball (b. 1821 d. 1891) (Purchased in 1850)

• Brick Yard Isaac Ball (b. 1785 d. 1825)
• Comingtee: Elias "Red Cap" Ball, original owner; :Second Elias Ball (1709-1786) in his will, left Limerick and Comingtee plantations to son Elias Ball III (1752-1810). Fortune Ford, former slave: https://www.charlestonmuseum.org/research/collection/comingtee-plantation/9AA9E0A1-D37B-4E49-A2A1-862611691680 (photographs of some of the enslaved on this plantation are at above link). Mary Ann Royal, former slave: https://www.charlestonmuseum.org/research/collection/comingtee-plantation-mary-ann-royal/4C4416C9-4343-4F5B-A378-530881228880 (she is also described in Edward Ball's book, "Slaves in the Family")
• Cyprus Grove: Berkeley county, SC; Elias Ball (b. 1676 d. 1751); John Coming Ball (b. 1714 d. 1764)
• Dean Hall: Moncks Corner, Berkeley County, SC; 1821 – John Nesbitt, the grandson, sold the plantation consisting of 3,100 acres to William Augustus Carson; 1842 – Dr. John Irving wrote a book about the families and plantations along the Cooper River. 1856 – William Augustus Carson died. The plantation was later sold by his estate's executors to Elias Nonus Ball for Confederate Securities; Elias Nonus Ball (b. 1834 d. 1872)
• Dockum: A John Coming Ball holding, possibly just land
• Halidon HillHuger – Berkeley County; William J. Ball changed the name to Halidon Hill in 1843 for the Scottish battle site in a poem by Sir Walter Scott; 1843 – The plantation was sold to William James Ball. It was called Horts Plantation at this time but Ball changed the name to Halidon Hill; John Coming Ball acquired Halidon Hill; 1872 – Ball foreclosed on a loan that Simons descendants had taken out using Middleburg Plantation as collateral. Ball had previously acquired Halidon Hill and Smoky Hill and merged all three back into one at this time. He called this merged property Middleburg Plantation. It appears sometime during ownership by the Ball family, the property of Middleburg Plantation was once again divided and Halidon Hill became a separate holding.
• Hyde Park: Huger, Berkeley, South Carolina - Owners: John Coming In 1740 (670 acres); Second Elias Ball (1709-1786) died 8 Aug 1786. In his will he left Hyde Park to son John (1760-1817). The estate inventory of John Ball of Charleston, SC lists the names of more than 200 slaves at Ball's Hyde Park Plantation. https://www.fold3.com/memorial/282784045/slaves-at-the-hyde-park-plantation-of-john-ball-charleston-sc-1852
• Kensington: Huger Creek (eastern branch of the Cooper River), Huger, Berkeley, SC; owner Francis Gough conveyed to John Coming Ball 670 acres known as Kensington; Second Elias Ball (1709-1786) died 8 Aug 1786 at Kensington. In his will he left Kensington to son John (1760-1817). After Second Elias’ death, the enslaved people on Kensington Plantation were divided between the two brothers. Third Elias took sixty-two people to Limerick, while the remaining enslaved stayed on at Kensington.(Ball 1998, p. 251.)
• Limerick: Berkeley, SC; Daniel Huger III sold Limerick to neighbor Elias Ball. The Ball family retained ownership of the property for over 125 years. Second Elias Ball in his will passed Limerick to his son Third Elias (1752-1810). 62 enslaved came from Kensington after Second Elias' death in 1786. Third Elias died unmarried in 1810 (p263). In his will, he left Limerick and its 283 enslaved people to nephew Isaac Ball (1785-1825).
• Marshlands:Purchased by John Ball (1760-1817)

Mepshew:Western branch of the Cooper River, Kittredge, Berkeley County; 1809 – Elias Ball combined Kecklico Plantation, Mepshew Plantation, and Pimlico Plantation. He called the combined property Pimlico PlantationOriginally owned by Third Elias who died unmarried in 1810 (p263). In his will, he left Mepshew to brother John.

Pimlico: Combined property with above and below. Third Elias Ball bought it in 1809 (see Mepshew); Third Elias died unmarried in 1810 (p263). In his will, he left Pimlico to brother John C. Ball. 1838 – Mr. and Mrs. Ball were lost at sea. Leaving no direct heirs, it took several years for their estate to be settled (Northern Money Southern Land, p. 250). 1844 – Pimlico was sold at public auction for $40,000.00 to Thomas Bennett, Jr., who was the governor of South Carolina from 1820 to 1822.

Keckliko:Third Elias bought in early 1809's. Third Elias died unmarried in 1810 (p263). In his will, he left Kecklico to brother John.

• Middleburg: See Halidon Hill
• Midway: Purchased by John Ball - early 1800's
• Pawley
• Quenby: aka Quinby; Huger, Berkeley, SC; In 1728/9 Elizabeth Ball inherited from husband John Ashby;1815 or 1816 – Roger Pinckney sold Quinby to John Ball. Ball had purchased it for his son Isaac;http://sites.rootsweb.com/~scbchs/
• Strawberry: John C. Ball through marriage, Cordesville, Berkeley, SC
• St. James: 1000 acres tract of land purchased by Second Elias
• Three Mile Head: A John Coming Ball holding, possibly just land.

Slave Purchases

The purchase of 24 enslaved persons on 2 Mar 1804 in Charleston County, South Carolina.^[1]

Research

John Ball estate begins here, plantation inventories within.^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ Bill of sales of Negro slaves, 1799-1872, Charleston District, South Carolina: "Bill of sales of Negro slaves, 1799-1872, Charleston District, South Carolina"
   Catalog: Bill of sales of Negro slaves, 1799-1872, Charleston District, South Carolina v. 3T, 3X 1803-1808
   Film number: 008196077 > image 203 of 605
   FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-CSLV-P33Z-T (accessed 4 May 2023)
   • p.349
2. ↑ South Carolina Probate Re...d Loose Papers, 1732-1964: "South Carolina Probate Re...d Loose Papers, 1732-1964"
   Catalog: Charleston District, South Carolina estate inventories, 1732-1844 1810-1818 1819-1824 1819-1824 (indexed with last item) 1824-1844
   Image path: South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964 > Charleston > Probate Court, Estate inventories > 1834-1844 > No File Description Available > image 993 of 1454
   FamilySearch Image: 939L-JJRG-V (accessed 7 May 2022) Inventories Bk H p.57

• Ball, Edward, "Slaves in the Family", Balantine Books, NY 1998
• https://lowcountryafricana.com/ball-family-plantation-index/
• https://lowcountryafricana.com/south-carolina-slaveholders-genealogy-and-records-a-through-m/ LowCountryAfricana.com]
• Comingtee Plantation: https://archive.org/details/recollectionsofb00deas
• John Ball and Keating Simons Ball family papers https://finding-aids.lib.unc.edu/01811/
• Keating Simons Ball Plantation Daybook https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSG6-8SNT-1?i=13&cat=369857
• Ball Family Bible https://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/materials/manuscripts/view/index.cfm?id=BallBible
• Family History and plantation names begin on p.85 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSG6-8SFC-B?i=95&cat=369857
• Slave lists begin here https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-135F-18W1?i=793&cat=369857
• Records of ante-bellum Southern plantations, John Ball Sr. & John Ball Jr. Papers^[3]