Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-19
WHERE MARY BALL WAS BORN
EPPING FOREST. HOME OF
WESTINGHOUSE MOTHER.
Beautiful Family Estate on Rap
pahannock River Now Owned
by Jesse Family.


great great grandmother was Esther Ball
Chinn. Washington's aunt. and who has
for number of years been writing of the
first President. has just returned from
trip down the Rappahannock river to an
old locality intimately connected with
Mary Ball and her family and historical
events of which few know.
Both Gen Washington's great-grand-
fathers came to this country about the
same time. 1861. On his fathers side was
John Washington, born in England in 1927,
who died in Virginia in 1877. On his
mothers side was the first settler William
Ball born in 1915, and died in Millenbeck,
Va. 1880.
One son of this William Ball was Joseph
Ball. captain of the ship Hope. Born in
England May "a, 1649, he was brought to
the new world when an infant. and died in
June. I'LL, at his home plantation called
Epping Forest after the old place in Eng
land.
Two years after William Ball settled at
Bridges Creek in WeStmoreland he sue
ceeded in securing land patent from the
Lord Culpeper grant, which gave him
100000 acres, or over ten square miles OF
country bordering on the Rappahannock
river. about 100 miles below Fredericks-
burg. at the lower beginning of Northern
Neck Corotoman creek was the other
side of his property.
The country from there down to the
Chesapeake bay belonged to one of the
first settlers, John Carter, who came to
Carter. born in 1868. was styled "King
Carter" because of his prominence and
vast possessions in the colony of Virginia.
William Ball named his land Balls
Point. The next settlement he named
after his two daughters, Mildred and Re
hpcca IInOn his death he left the tract
to be divided among a number of his
children.
His son. Joseph Ball, fell heir to a por-
ton of the land about ten miles farther up
There he built a house, calling it Epping.
His daughter, Mary Ball, Washington's
mother. was born here in 1907. After
growing to womanhood she married
Augustine Washington at this same old
place. March 8, 1870. Mary Ball was
called the Rose of Epping Forest and
the Belle of Northern Neck
Her fathers first wife was Elizabeth
Romney. by whom Joseph Ball had sew
eral children. His second wife was the
widow Johnson, by whom he had but the
one child, Mary Ball.
Upon the death of Capt. Joseph Ball
Epping forest was left to his son Joseph
and his daughter Mary equally. 1t re-
mained in their hands until 1142, when the
heirs of William Ball sold it to a Mr.
ent time. The Millenbeck portion which
the Balls had owned for near two hun
dred years, was sold in 1850 to the Jones
family.
The old house at Epping forest has long
since gone to decay but upon it's site,
surrounded by a square of giant trees,
has been built new residence. AS gen.
erations have come on and progressed
they have added wings to the substantial
looking place which now adornS the BIRTH
nj nf Cnnr0n oSh &c
The old graveyard. short distance
from the house. contains the graves of
the parents of Mary Ball. Capt, Joseph
Ball and his wife, the Widow Johnson
Washington's grandparents. Many de-
scendants of the family are buried in
churchyard about a mile and a half
farther on. where can be seen a line of
Well preserved tombstones. among which
is that of William Ball. brother of Capt.
Joseph Ball, besides many other noted
members of this famous family.
This William Ball had three wives and
a number of children. Mr.. Keefer states
that they are buried In the vicinity of the
old White Chapel Church. of which the
1861. The building now upon this site is
the third one erected there, and was
built by James Jones in 174O. 1t is sit
uated about ow miles from Epping for
est.
John Washington of South Cave, the
~
1657-was a grandson of John Washing
ton, mayor of Northampton and first
proprietor of the manor of Sulgrave,
whose wife was a daughter Of James
Shirley, the great classic and dramatic
writer.
Old Epping Forest is a market town
in the county of Essex sixteen miles
northeast OF London. England, and was
originally a hamlet of Waltham Abbey.
The famous royal forest of Epping still
boasts of some beautiful woodland seem
cry and covers about 10000 acres. Pre-
vailinS there for centuries has been the
custom to roast a stag Easter Monday
for the amusement of cOckney huntsmen
and the public, who come up from London
in numbers.
Wakefield, on the Potomac, where
Washington was born, was named after
Wakefield, parliamentary township of
England. on the Lancashire railway,
nine miles from Leeds. 1t contains an
elegant chapel and a grammar school
founded by Queen Elizabeth. Queen Mar
garent, wife of Edward w., raised an
army against her spouse and overthrow
his forces on Wakefield green.
Gen. Washington's grandfather, Law
renee Washington, preached for years at
Wakefield in England, of which he after
ward became vicar. There he died and is
buried. his tombstone being well pre-
col