Joseph & Charity Wade Ballenger

c. 1690: Josiah was born in West Jersey, which later became Burlington County, NJ.[1] Reeves claims a birth year of 1697.[2]

Along with brothers Henry and Joseph Ballenger, Josiah went to Salem County, NJ to take possession of the 1,200 acres given to them by their father, but he and Henry soon moved to Frederick County, MD.

4 Nov 1725: Josiah had land surveyed in Frederick County, along the Monocacy River. The tract, located northeast of present-day Buckeystown, was named Josiah, and was described then as one "mile above the plantation of Henry Ballenger". Tracts in Maryland were always identified by name.

1726: Quakers at the New Garden Meeting in Chester County, PA, gave permission for the small number of Friends who had settled on the Monocacy River to "hold religious services on the first days in the home of Josiah Ballenger". This "Monquesey Meeting" was the first religious establishment in the western part of Maryland.[4]

30 Jun 1727: Josiah married Mary Wright in Chester County, PA.[5] Mrs. D. R. Stevens claims their marriage date was actually 21 Jun 1727, but perhaps that was the date of the bond. Mary's father James Wright had also settled in Frederick County.

Between 1736 and 1739 Josiah moved, along with Ross and Wright and other Quakers, to neighboring Virginia, where he and Henry Wright were instrumental in establishing the Hopewell Monthly Meeting. The area is now in Frederick County, near Winchester, but was then in Spotsylvania County.

23 Apr 1735: Josiah was granted 500 acres on Apple Pie Ridge north of Fredericktown [now Winchester] in Frederick County, VA.[6]

4 Mar 1745: Josiah Ballinger was appointed to view, mark, lay off, and maintain a road from his house to Morgan Morgan's.[7]

1746: Josiah [or his son and namesake] was listed on the Rent Roll of Fairfax County, VA.[8]

4 Nov 1748: He signed his will in Frederick County naming sons James and Josiah and daughter Sarah. Executrix: Wife Mary. Witnesses: James Wright Senior, John Williams, and Rachel Clifton. The will was proved 7 Dec 1748.[9]

8 May 1763: Mary Ballenger made her will in Frederick County. It was proved in March 1764.

4 Sep 1798: Mary Ballinger and Jacob and Patience Smith sold 209 acres on both sides of Sir John's Road "on the Drains of the Opeckan" to Meredith Helm for £2,090. This was part of 500 acres granted to Josiah Ballinger on 23 Apr 1735 and willed to Josiah Junior on 4 Nov 1740.[11] Patience Smith was Mary's granddaughter, daughter of Josiah Junior. Which date is incorrect: 1748 or 1740?

21 Oct 1800: Mary Wright Ballenger died in Frederick County at 95 years of age.[12]

24 Jan 1709: Hannah Wright was born in Chester County, PA. Her parents were James and Mary Davis Wright, and Hannah was thus the sister of the Mary Wright who married Henry's brother Josiah Ballenger.[14]

Along with brothers Josiah and Joseph Ballenger, Henry went to Salem County, NJ to take possession of the 1,200 acres given to them by their father, but he and Josiah soon moved to Frederick County, MD.

1724: This entry appeared in the records of the Haddonfield Monthly Meeting in Salem County: "Henry Ballanger has been seen in actions unseemly with a woman of ill fame - disowned."[15] This could be Henry Senior or Henry Junior as the latter did not marry until 1726. Junior, however, may have already left New Jersey, and he certainly seemed to be a devout Quaker all his life. It could have been a young man's wild oats - or an old man's decline.

4 Nov 1725: He was already residing in Frederick County when the land purchased by brother Josiah was described as one "mile above the plantation of Henry Ballenger". Henry's land was named simply "Henry". It was apparently leased from John Radford, however, until 1748. Henry eventually built a mill a creek that ran through his property, the first in Frederick County. Although known as Mill Creek in Henry's day, it is now called Ballenger Creek.

18 Jun 1726: Henry and Hannah were married at Nottingham Meeting House in Maryland.[16]. Stevens claims that the marriage occurred on 18 Aug 1726 in Chester County, PA. The latter would seem more likely as Hannah's father James Wright resided there, brother Josiah married Mary Wright there, and the Monocacy Meeting was the first religious establishment in western Maryland. Nottingham Meeting House is and was actually in Pennsylvania, but the confusion over location is due to the disputed boundary line between Maryland and Pennsylvania in those early days. The discrepancy in months is probably a result of the confusion in converting numbered months as used by the Quakers before 1752. In any case, they were married in 1726. (For an explanation of the conversion of the Julian to the Gregorian Calendar »)

27 Apr 1739: Henry Ballenger and William Matthews were deeded 5 acres of Good Luck by Meredith Davis Senior for the construction of a Quaker meeting house.[17]

March 1749: He was granted the right to keep a ferry over the Middle fork of the Monocacy River. Today State Highway 28 crosses the river at the same location.

21 Jun 1751: He was received at Cane Creek Meeting House in Union [now Alamance] County, NC, the first monthly meeting in the Piedmont, but the location in which the Ballengers settled was actually in Guilford County, NC.[19] When New Garden meetinghouse was built in Guilford, Henry donated the land. The site eventually became Guilford College in Greensboro.[20] Edited 14 Mar 2010

Whereas Hannah, along with her sister, Josiah's wife Mary Ballenger, was mentioned in the will of their father James Wright in 1751, only Mary was mentioned in mother Mary Davis Wright's will written 8 May 1763. Presumably Hannah had died.[21]

4 May 1774: Henry died in Guilford. His grave is probably at the meetinghouse cemetery as many Ballengers are buried there.[22]

William Ballenger (11 Jul 1730 - 1 Jul 1787; m. Cassandra Plummer 8 Mar 1751)

Rebecca Ballenger (15 Dec 1738 - 27 Sep 1803; m. William Britton 25 Mar 1758)

1691: Joseph Ballenger was born in Burlington County, NJ.[24] There are several researchers who have reservations regarding Joseph's parentage. They'd like more proof that he was the son of Henry and Mary Harding Ballenger and ask the quite relevant question: Where was he between 1710 and 1729?

1694: Charity Wade was born in New Jersey.[25] Her parents are not known by this researcher, but many have speculated that her father was James Wade and that Charity may have been the sister of Robert Wade, who also moved to Goochland County, VA. There is no doubt, that the Wades were Quakers. (William S. Scroggins has an excellent web site with information on the Wades at wgscroggins.kueber.us.)

Although Joseph was born and raised among the Society of Friends, he eventually became a member of the Church of England, the only sanctioned church of the Virginia Colony. There is no record, however, of his having been disowned by the Quakers, perhaps because, like so many others, he simply drifted away after moving to the Virginia frontier. Although some have reported that he became a minister in the Anglican Church, performing many marriages, this would seem unlikely. An Anglican vicar needed a divinity degree obtainable only in England, the major cause of the perpetual shortage of vicars in the Colonies. Far from having a divinity degree, Joseph signed his will with his mark. It would therefore make more historical sense if he had become a Baptist minister or an Anglican layman.[26] In any case, he may have become confused with his son Joseph who did perform marriages.

1710: Joseph purchased 340 acres in Burlington County from his father Henry. It was Joseph's share of 1,200 acres that Henry Ballenger deeded to his sons Joseph, Josiah, and Henry.

c. 1720: Joseph married Charity Wade in Burlington County.[27] Or not? The record cited by Reeves shows no trace of Joseph or Charity. We therefore have no documented event that could fill in the lost years of 1710-1729.

A group of Quakers formed under Alexander Ross and Morgan Bryan in Pennsylvania for the purpose of settling in Maryland and Virginia. Brothers Joseph, Josiah, and Henry supposedly joined this group: "Associated with Ross were Joseph Ballinger and James Wright".[28] (James Wright was the father of Josiah's wife Mary Wright Ballenger and Henry's wife Hannah Wright Ballenger.)

22 Aug 1729: Joseph Barringer [doubtless Ballinger] purchased 128 acres on the main fork of Bird [Byrd] Creek on the north side of the James River in Goochland County, VA from Henry Reynolds for £15.[29] Robert Wade purchased land lying "near" Bird Creek on the same day.

19 Sep 1732: Joseph Barringer was named surveyor of the road 2 miles above the mouth of Bird Creek as far as Buck Island.[30] Bird Creek lies in the southwester corner of the county.

15 May 1733: Samuel Buck was appointed surveyor of the road from Joseph Barringer's to Buck Island.[31]

21 Jan 1734: Various tithables were ordered to work on the road on the south side of the North river above "Barrenger's Road".[32]

March 1735: The case of Joseph Barrenger against James Howlin was dismissed by the court in Goochland County.[33]

18 Nov 1735: The court fined John Henderson £10 for abusing "Charity Barrenger . . . by words, speaking scandalous of her, and striking her in the face". The complaint had been brought by husband Joseph Barrenger. The court also required Henderson to give a bond of £100 to insure his good behavior for 1 year and 1 day, "especially towards Charity".[34]

c. 1736: Joseph Barrenger served on jury hearing case of John Johnston versus John Scruggs for trespass in Goochland County.[35]

5 Oct 1736: Joseph Ballenger was mentioned as an adjoining landowner in a deed for William Mattock on the north side of the James River close to Little Byrd Creek.[36]

9 Jul 1737: Joseph Ballenger received a land patent for 200 acres on the south side of the Fluvanna River in Goochland. This land may have been called the "Seven Islands".[37] Reeves incorrectly claims that the tract was patented to Samuel Jordan in 1736 and only "formerly granted to Joseph Ballenger".[38]

18 Jul 1739: Joseph Barrenger's tithables were ordered to work on the road from the Bird Creek bridge to the Crooked Falls on the Rivanna River.[39]

15 Sep 1741: Joseph and Charity Ballenger sold 200 acres on the Rivanna River adjoining George Nicholas in St. James Parish to Thomas Walton for £30. This parcel was described as having been granted to Joseph on 9 Jul 1737. Witnesses: Robert Walton, William Witt, John Popham, and Julius Sanders. Signed by Joseph (x) and Charity (x) Ballenger.[40] The James River was called the Rivanna.

15 Sep 1741: John Henry was appointed to clear a bridle path from Mountain Road to "Barringer's on the Rivanna River".[41]

24 Feb 1742: Land sold by Richard Mullins to Bryan Connerly was described as adjoining Jospeh Ballenger on north side of James River.[42]

In the Name of God Amen. I Joseph Ballenger of the parish and Henrico being weak in body but in perfect sence and memory and considering the frailty of this mortal life do make and justitute this my last will and testament as followeth viz.

First I bequeath my soul to God that gave it and my body to be decently buried in a Christian manner and all my worldy debts to be justly paid and after my worldy debts and funeral charges paid the remainder of my estate I give and bequeath in manner and form following viz.

Item. I give and bequeath to my daughter Mary Wade a Negro boy named Tobey to her, her heirs and assigns forever, and a cow and calf.

Item. I give and bequeath to my daughter Charity Wade a Negro girl named Phillis and a cow and calf to her, her heirs and assigns forever.

Item. I give and bequeath to my daughter Abigal a Negro Girl named Nell and a side saddle of five pound price, and a cow and calf to her, her heirs and assigns forever.

Item. I give and bequeath to my daughter Susannah a Negro girl named Hannah and a side saddle of five pound price and a cow and calf to her, her heirs and assigns forever.

Item. I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth a Negro boy named Guy and a side saddle of five pound price and a cow and calf to her her, heirs and assigns forever.

Item. I give and bequeath to my son Joseph fifty pounds currant money to be paid to him at the age of twenty one years.

Item. I give and bequeath to my son Richard fifty pounds currant money to be paid to him at the age of twenty one years.

Item. I give and bequeath my tract of land lying in Goochland County on the Bird to be sold by my Executors hereafter mentioned and the money to be equally divided among my seven children before mentioned.

Item. I give and bequeath all my tract of land lying at the mountains to be equally divided between my two sons Joseph and Richard to them, their heirs and assigns forever.

Item. I give and bequeath to my loving and well beloved wife Charity Ballenger five Negros named Jack, Ned, Nell, Bess and Bridgett I say to my aforesaid wife during her natural life or widowhood and afterwards to be given by her to my children at her discretion.

And all the rest of my estate in what manner and form soever it be I give to my aforesaid wife.

And I do appoint my two sons in law Jeremiah Wade and Pearce Wade and my loving friend Thomas Cawthon and my loving wife Charity Ballenger all Joynt Executors of this my last will and testament.

Signed with my hand and sealed with my seal the fifth day of Jun Anno Domini 1744.

Wm Street

Nichols Neal

At a Court held for Goochland County Febry 19, 1744 William Street & Nicholas Neal proved this to be the last Will and Testament of Joseph Ballenger and it was ordered to be recorded.

8 Oct 1745: The inventory of Joseph's estate was submitted by Anthony Hadon, Joseph Pare and James George. Among its many items were: 11 slaves, 32 head of cattle, 5 horses, 13 hogs, and of course tobacco, totaling £66.6.10 in value. The entire estate, including land, was valued at over £400.[44]

In 1747 or 1748 2,000 acres were surveyed for Joseph and Richard Ballenger in Albemarle County, VA.[45] This must have been the land bequeathed to sons Richard and Joseph in Joseph's will, land described as "lying at the mountains". Son Joseph was supposedly still a minor in 1747/48. Should the record have read "the estate of Joseph Ballenger"? Would a minor's name have appeared on the survey? This is not an anomaly in dates.

If you have material about any individuals included in Nancy's Dead Relatives, can add well-documented family lines, have corrections and/or comments, or wish to establish a link to or from this site, please contact me at nancy@nancysdeadrelatives.com. However, the decision whether or not to include any submitted material is the webmaster's (mine) alone.

Any information is only as reliable as its source. Evaluate the following sources accordingly.

[1] Quaker Yeomen, p. 80, copy provided by Virginia Paddock.

[2] Reeves, Three Centuries of Ballengers in America, p. 4

[3] Reeves, p. 4

[4] Rootsweb, excerpts from Tracey and Dern, Pioneers of Old Monocacy: The Early Settlement of Frederick County, Maryland 1721-1743

[5] M. J. Olenick

[6] Reeves, p. 4

[7] Reeves, p. 5, from Court Orders Book 2, p. 28

[8] King, p. 57

[9] King, Abstracts of Wills, Inventories and Administration Accounts of Frederick County, Virginia 1743-1800, p. 7

[10] Reeves, p. 4, from Hopewell Friends History, p. 23-24

[11] Reeves, p. 4-5, from Deed Book 3, p. 367

[12] Quaker Yeomen, p. 80, from Hopewell Friends History, p. 463, copy provided by Virginia Paddock

[13] Quaker Yeomen, p. 80, from Hinshaw, v. 4, p. 468, copy provided by M. J. Olenick. Reeves, p. 3 claims a birth date of 5 Aug 1695

[14] Reeves, p. 3

[15] Meldrum and Launey, Early Church Records of Gloucester County, New Jersey, p. 97

[16] Virginia Paddock; Quaker Yeomen, p. 80, from Hinshaw, v. 4, p. 468, copy provided by M. J. Olenick

[17] Rootsweb, excerpts from Tracey and Dern

[18] Rootsweb, excerpts from Tracey and Dern

[19] Quaker Yeomen, p. 79b; Reeves, p. 3, from Hinshaw, v. 1, p. 372, 490; Virginia Paddock; Roger Kirkman

[20] Roger Kirkman

[21] King, p. 13, 25

[22] Virginia Paddock; Quaker Yeomen, p. 80, from Hinshaw, v. 4, p.468, copy provided by M. J. Olenick

[23] Quaker Yeomen, p. 80, from Hinshaw, v. 1, p. 490; v. 2, p. 468, copies provided by M. J. Olenick

[24] Reeves, , p. 2

[25] Reeves, p. 2

[26] Reeves, p. 3, from Lenora Sweeny, p. 24

[27] Reeves, p. 2

[28] Reeves, p. 2; Clement, History of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, p. 39; the original located in Deed Book 1, p. 175

[29] Reeves, p. 420, from Deed Book 1, p. 174

[30] Tony Johnson, from Goochland County Road Orders, p. 114

[31] Goochland County Road Orders, p. 178

[32] Goochland County Road Orders, p. 314

[33] Reeves, p. 2; but then on p. 420 Reeves claims the year was 1732

[34] TLC Genealogy, Goochland County, Virginia Court Orders 1735-1737, from original p. 1; Reeves, p. 2

[35] TLC Genealogy, Goochland County, Virginia Court Orders 1735-1737, p. 92

[36] Weisiger, Goochland County, Virginia Wills and Deeds, p. 4, from original p. 30

[37] TLC Genealogy, Goochland County, Virginia Deeds 1741-1745, from Book 4, p. 404; Weisinger, Goochland County, Virginia Wills and Deeds 1736-1742, p. 65, from original p. 472

[38] Reeves, 426, from Valentine Papers, p. 721

[39] Goochland County Road Orders, p. 423

[40] Weisiger, p. 65, from Book 3, p. 372 or 472

[41] Tony Johnson

[42] Original is located in Deed Book 4, p. 197

[43] Book 4, p. 495

[44] Deed Book 5, p. 66

[45] Davis, Albemarle County, Virginia Order Book 1744-1748, p. 2

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