![]() | ||
Bacon's Castle built in 1665. |
William Ball was the first member of the Ball family to come to America and was George Washington's great-grandfather, William Ball (1615- c.1680), arrived in Virginia in the 1650s and later brought over his wife, Hannah Atherold (died 1694), two of their four children, and several servants. William Ball was the son of William Ball of Lincoln's Inn, England who was one of four attorneys in the Office of Pleas and Exchequer. In Virginia, Ball began acquiring land, engaging in commerce, and taking part in colonial politics. He served as a major in the militia of Lancaster County, Virginia, and as a member of the House of Burgesses from 1668until 1676 and again from 1676 to 1677. During this time period, Ball had dealings with John Washington, George Washington's paternal great-grandfather. The four children of William Ball and Hannah Atherold were Richard Ball (died in Maryland in 1677), William Ball (II) of Virginia, Hannah Ball (later the wife of Colonel David Fox, and Joseph Ball (1649-1711). (Mount Vernon Library and JSTOR)
George Durrant was a Statesman, explorer, and rebel (1632-1694) and one of early North Carolina’s most
prominent leaders. As one of the first settlers in the Albemarle
region, Durant became a mainstay in her politics, serving the Lord
Proprietors as attorney general just two years after leading an
insurrection against them. Through his leadership, Durant was
instrumental in establishing local government in an area overlooked and under-appreciated by the Proprietors in London.
He was a pioneer settler in Albemarle about 1662 and Speaker of the Assembly. (North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources)