Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Worcester County, Mass. Vol. 2 pgs. 14,15,16,17,18 John BALL (I) who settled at Watertown, Mass. in 1650, was the progenitor of Phineas BALL, late Mayor of the city of Worcester, of Rev. George S. BALL, of Upton, and of most of the Worcester County families with this surname. He is said to have come from Wiltshire in England. He was admitted a freeman of Watertown on May 22, 1650. He removed to Concord and died there in 1655, on Nov. 1, according to one record, but was according to another buried on Oct. 1, 1655. The inventory of his estate was filed in the Middlesex Court. The 3 children of this John and Elizabeth BALL were: #1 Nathaniel, who settled in Concord, in the part now included in Bedford; married Feb. 7, 1670 to Margery BATEMAN, widow of Thomas BATEMAN of Concord, Mass. and had 4 children: Ebenezer, Eleazer, John, and Nathaniel #2 John #3 Abigail born April 26, 1656 (post humously) (II) John BALL, sonof John BALL (I) was born about 1620. He was a tailor by trade. He married Elizabeth PIERCE, daughter of John PIERCE of Watertown. His wife died after a trying illness. He married (2nd), Oct. 3, 1665, to Elizabeth FOX, daughter of Thomas FOX of Concord. He had 5 children by the first marriage, and 1 child by the second, if the records are complete. Oct. 21, 1665 he sold his farm at Watertown, purchased originally of John LAWRENCE, and settled at Lancaster, where with his wife and infant child, he was slain by the Indians in the attack of Feb. 20, 1676, in King Philip's War. His estate was administered by his son, John BALL, Jr., appointed Feb. 1, 1677-8. The children of John and Elizabeth (PIERCE) BALL were: #1 John born 1644 #2 Mary #3 Sarah #4 Esther born about 1655 #5 Abigail born at Watertown, April 20, 1658, died young. The children of John and Elizabeth (FOX) BALL were: Joseph born March 12, 1669-70. It appears from the history of Lancaster that John BALL (II), who was killed as stated before, was one of the first 3 settlers in Lancaster, as early as 1643, a fact that explains perhaps why so little is to be found about him in the Watertown records. Lancaster was originally called "Nashaway". It was purchased of Sholan, sachem of the Nashaways, by Thomas KING and others and comprised a tract 8 miles wide by 10 miles long, and the deed was approved by the General Court. The company in accordance with their agreement to make a settlement sent 3 men, Richard LINTON, Lawrence and John BALL, to whom lots were given, to make preparations for the general coming of the proprietors. Winthrop in his history under the date of May 1644, stated that many from Watertown and other towns joined the plantation at Nashaway and wished to call one Mr. NORCROSS to be their minister, but they were not encouraged as there were no houses built in the settlement. At the end of 1644 there were but 2 dwellings in the place, occupied by BALL, LINTON and WATERS. The two latter remained and their descendants have figured largely in Lancaster history. END of PART 1