Franklin Parish Settlers - BALLARD Family, Franklin Parish, La. Submitted by: Vaughn Ballard Jan. 2002 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm **********************************************   BALLARD & RELATED FAMILIES IN EARLY LOUISIANA PREFACE Catahoula Parish, Louisiana was formed about 1808 and the first Ballards must have arrived at about the same time. There were at least two Ballard households in Catahoula Parish prior to 1810 and they settled along Deer Creek, in an area that later became Franklin Parish. In later years, 1860-1870, when census records show the town or Post Office, the Ballards and related families were enumerated in the Oakley Post Office precinct. Today there is an Oakley Church and an Oakley community along Deer Creek in the southern part of Franklin Parish. The two early settlers, Richard and William Ballard, were probably brothers, though there is no proof. Richard appeared in the 1810 census of Catahoula Parish. He was born between 1765 and 1784, and his wife was born during the same time span. They had three daughters and a son all born between 1800 and 1810, none of whom have been traced. We know from conveyance records that William was also in Catahoula Parish at this same period, although he did not appear on the census record. William was listed on the 1820 census, but Richard was not. The last record found mentioning Richard Ballard was June 6, 1815. William Ballard is first mentioned in court records dated in 1818, but in a record of sale of a track of land in Catahoula Parish in 1818, there is a statement "... I began to improve in the year 1808 and never since removed" .... William Ballard's name appeared in the 1820 and 1830 censuses, and in Conveyance and other court records between 1818 and 1823. Thomas Ballard also appeared in Catahoula Parish in 1830 and another Richard Ballard (Bollar) in 1840. These two may have also been brothers of Richard and William Ballard. From the ages of William Ballard, his wife, and their children, listed in the 1820 and 1830 census; the proximity of the Stampleys, Ensmingers, Bunches,Douglas and other neighbors from 1810 through 1870 and beyond; and marriage and other records; it is speculated that this William Ballard and his wife Rachel were the parents of our great grandfather William M. Ballard. The reasoning behind these speculations are contained in the appendix. WILLIAM BALLARD (c.1775-80 to 1830-40) William Ballard was born between 1775 and 1780 probably in Mississippi or possibly in Scotland. He died in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana between 1830 and 1840. William married Rachel _______ who was born in South Carolina about 1790 and came to Louisiana about 1817. She died near Deer Creek in Franklin Parish, Louisiana on October 1, 1853. William and Rachel Ballard had at least 8 children. After William's death, Rachel lived with a daughter and her husband, William Ensminger. Rachel was listed with the Ensminger family in 1850, although her daughter, apparently, had died. In 1840, there had been an older woman, Rachel's age, living with the William Ensminger family. Some of Rachel's children probably lived with the Ensmingers also, but it appears that most of them were with their sister, Louise, and her husband , Henry Stampley. Jacob and William M. Ballard were still with Henry and Louise Stampley in 1850. William and Rachel Ballard's children: A. Louisa Ballard was born about 1818. She married Henry Stampley. B. ______ Ballard was born in 1820. She married William Ensminger and died prior to 1850. C. Armstrong Ballard was born in 1825. He married Mary W. Douglas in Franklin Parish, LA on May 30, 1844. Mary must have died prior to 1860. In 1860 Armstrong Ballard was in Carroll Parish with his wife Bisha and three daughters, Lucinda, age 5, Rutha, age 3, and Mary E., age 6 months. D. John Manor Ballard was born in 1829. He married, first, Sarah A. Ensminger on September 5, 1850, at Franklin Parish, Louisiana. Sarah, daughter of David and Sarah Ensminger was born in 1835 and died before 1855. John married Rachel Ensminger, Sarah's younger sister, on March 1, 1855. She was born in 1841. John and Sarah had a daughter, Samantha, born in 1852. John and Rachel's children were: Lanora, born 1857; John W., born 1860; Joseph H., born 1865; Mary L., born 1869; and James F., born 1876. E. Mary (Polly) Ballard was born in 1828 and Married Joseph L. Douglas in Franklin Parish on July 5, 1842. Their children were Cynthia, born 1844, William A., 1847, Parmelia, 1853 and Parbetta, 1859. There was no female born between 1825 and 1830 listed with William Ballard's household in the 1830 Catahoula Parish census. There was a male of that age listed. He cannot be identified in later census, but a female can. Perhaps there was an error in recording or in my reading the film. The fact that Manor Ballard was living in the Douglas household in 1850 would indicate that Mary Ballard Douglas was probably his sister. F. Jacob L. Ballard was born in 1830. He married Sarah Bunch on January 16, 1851 at Franklin Parish, LA. She was born in 1838. In the 1850 Census, Jacob and his brother William M. Ballard lived with their sister Louisa and Her husband Henry Stampley. Next door to the Stampley household was the household of William Bunch. Jacob Ballard married Sarah Bunch the next year, and their first son, born 1856, was named William H. Ballard. Sarah Bunch, by that name, was not found in the 1850 census. However, William Bunch, in the 1840 census, had a daughter Sarah's age. Sarah was probably the daughter of William Bunch. G. Preston Ballard was born in 1833. He was living in the Hiser household, next door to Rachel Ballard (in the household of William Ensminger) in 1850. His whereabouts after that time is not known. H. William M. Ballard was born in January 1834 in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana. He died in Nacogdoches County, Texas on March 18, 1904. He was our ancestor and will be discussed in detail below. WILLIAM M. BALLARD (1834-1904) William M. Ballard was born in January 1834 in that part of Catahoula Parish that is now Franklin Parish, Louisiana. He died in Nacogdoches County, Texas on March 18, 1904. He married 1) Julia Ann Randles on October 16, 1856 in East Carroll Parish, 2) Cyntha Emma Hernden on October 13, 1859 also in East Carroll Parish, and 3) M. Elizabeth Boozer about 1867. The first record found of William M. Ballard was the 1850 census of Franklin Parish, Louisiana. William M., 17, and his brother, Jacob Ballard, 19, are listed with the household of Henry Stampley and their sister, Louise Ballard Stampley, in dwelling 196. A short distance away in dwelling 180, was their brother, Armstrong Ballard, age 25, and his wife Mary Douglas Ballard. Still further away, dwelling 136, was their mother, Rachel Ballard, living with the William Ensminger family. Even closer, dwelling 192, Elizabeth Ballard, age 40, lived with four young sons ages 10 to 21. The relationship of Elizabeth Ballard to William M. Ballard is not known, but she must have been related. William M. Ballard must have moved to Carroll Parish in the mid 1850's. He married Julia Ann Randles there in 1856. They apparently had no children. He remarried to Cynthia Emma Hernden in 1859 and listed in the 1860 census with her, his mother-in-law Cintha Hernden, and apparently a sister-in-law and her children. They must have had at least 4 children, Frank, Louisa, John, and James. William M. Ballard reappeared in Franklin Parish in the 1870 census with a wife Elizabeth and five children, two of which are too old to be Elizabeth's children. They were Frank, 9, Lousia, 7, John, 5, James, 3, and Hugh, age less than 1 year. The 1900 census indicated that William and Elizabeth had been married 33 years at that time or in 1867. Perhaps Cynthia died in child birth with James and William remarried later in that year to Elizabeth Boozer, daughter of John Hiram and Sarah Rebecca Tatum Boozer. In 1880 William and Elizabeth were in Claiborne Parish with five children including our Uncles Huey, Pete and Bill and two other that I had not heard of, Sallie and Wheeler. The whereabouts of the other children is not known. The William M. Ballards moved to Texas, before 1890, He appeared on the Tax rolls of Nacogdoches County in 1890 and sold land there in 1898. He must have bought the land there earlier, but records have not been found. In 1900, William and Elizabeth were enumerated in the Angelina Co. census, but probably actually lived in Nacogdoches Co. At that time, they were living in the household of Marion Courtney. Also in the same household were William and Elizabeth's sons, William M. and Houston S Ballard, and their daughter, Sallie Ballard Courtney, and her husband, Robert J Courtney, and their two sons, Henry and Clarence. William M. Ballard died from Measles, at 11 AM March 18, 1904 while living with his son Hugh Ballard near Nacogdoches. Elizabeth had predeceased him. They are probably buried at Fairview Cemetery near Nacogdoches, but there are no markers. William M. Ballard's children: By Cynthia Emma Hernden -- A. Frank Ballard was born in Carroll Parish Louisiana about 1861. B. Louisa Ballard was born in Carroll Parish Louisiana about 1863. C. John Ballard was born in Carroll Parish Louisiana about 1865. D. James Ballard was born in Carroll Parish Louisiana about 1867. By M. Elizabeth Boozer -- E. Hugh B. Ballard was born in Franklin Parish, Louisiana September 20, 1869 and died in Nacogdoches, Texas February 28, 1959. He married Leana Newman about 1894. She was born October 9, 1876 and died October 25, 1933. They are buried at Fairview Cemetery near Nacogdoches. Uncle Huey and Aunt Lea's children were: 1. Edna, born June, 1895, who married Oliver Trawick. They had one son Brady Trawick. 2. Virgil, born June, 1897 and died in 1944. He married Hattie J. Adams who was born in 1899 and died in 1960. They had no children. 3. Lizzie, born April, 1899 and died young. 4. Clara, who married Burlington Wheeler. Their children were Charles Ray and Glenda. 5. Ethel who married James Brewer. Their children were Mary Elizabeth Brewer Gage, Margaret Lea Brewer Mullen, James Loren Brewer, and Joy Brewer Simpson. B. Peter B. Ballard was born in 1871 and died in 1951. He married, first, Ella Lewis (1878-19??). They had three children, Kirby, Ervin, and Albertis. About 1920, Peter married a second time to a widow, Mary Nonna Jones Rogers. She had four children, Jewel, Velma, Jessie and Marion Rogers. Uncle Pete and Aunt Nonnie had two daughters, Alma B. and Ruby Lea. C. William M. Ballard was born September 1875 and died in 1904. He married Molly Slay and they had one daughter, Willie. Willie Ballard (1904-1978) married John Tapley Holland in 1931. D. Houston S Ballard (1882-1939) married Martha Elizabeth Hill.