Biography

Elizabeth Ball was the second daughter born to Henry Ball and Elizabeth Ormishaw. She was born in either Shevington or Standish on 15 June 1815 and baptized at All Saints Church in Wigan two weeks later on 30 June 1815. Elizabeth was probably named after her mother, and like her mother, she went by the name Betty.

Elizabeth’s baptism record states that her parents lived in Shevington when she was born. If this is correct, she was the only child in her family born in Shevington; all of her brothers and sisters born after 1808 were born in Standish, the two locations being about 2 km apart. Some later census records give Elizabeth’s birthplace as Standish and others as Shevington.

Elizabeth grew up on her parents farm in Standish with her eight siblings. She was not schooled and probably helped her parents with household and farm chores from an early age. The family later moved to Heywood’s Farm in Haigh, probably in the late 1820s when Elizabeth was in her early teens, and they settled there for the next thirty years.

It was in Haigh that Elizabeth began having children out of wedlock. It was not unusual at the time for young, single women to give birth, as the parish registers of the day clearly show. The fathers were never identified in the parish records, and the children took the surname of the mother.

We believe the first of Elizabeth’s illegitimate children was Ellen Ball, Henry Harold Harrison’s grandmother, born circa 1832 when Elizabeth would have been 16 or 17. In 1837, it is likely that Elizabeth or her sister Mary gave birth to twins Peter and Hannah Ball. At the time of the 1841 census, Elizabeth was living at her parents’ farm with her children, Peter and Hannah, but for some reason Ellen Ball was not recorded in the census. In 1844, Elizabeth gave birth to another son at age 29, whom she named Henry Ball after her father. Whether these children had the same or different fathers, and who the fathers might have been, is unknown and probably unknowable.

On 13 September 1846 at age 31, Elizabeth Ball married John Jones, a farm hand from neighbouring Blackrod. They moved into Arrowsmith, a farm located next door to Heywood’s. Elizabeth’s children did not move in with their mother and stepfather, but continued to live next door with their grandparents. This suggests that John Jones was not the father of any of the children. He certainly was not Ellen Ball’s father, as he was about nine years younger than Elizabeth; only age 8 when Ellen was born.

John and Elizabeth had a son, George, born c. 1847 and daughter, Mary, born c. 1849. In March 1851, Elizabeth and John had their third child, Elizabeth, presumably named after Elizabeth’s mother.

At the time of the 1851 census, John and Elizabeth Jones and their three children were enumerated at Arrowsmith. The same census page enumerates Elizabeth’s brother Daniel and his family also living at Arrowsmith. Also enumerated on the same page are Elizabeth’s parents, Henry and Betty Ball, living next door at Heywood’s Farm with four grandchildren, Ellen, Peter, Hannah, and Henry Ball, all of whom were Elizabeth’s offspring or those of her sister Mary.

Sometime during the 1850s, John and Elizabeth’s daughter, Elizabeth, apparently died. In 1853, their last child was born, Jane. Circa 1857, John and Elizabeth may have been forced to leave Arrowsmith by the construction of the Worthington Lakes Reservoir under their property. They apparently moved to Wood Farm in nearby Blackrod where John took up farming on his own. At the time of the 1861 census, John and Betty (as she was known) were living with their three remaining children at Wood Farm. John’s occupation was listed as a “farmer of 9 acres” which would have been a very small farm. John was also working as a railway guard.

By the time of the 1871 census, the family had moved to Church Street in Adlington, just up the road from Blackrod. John was still employed as a railway guard but was no longer farming. Their son George was not enumerated and was probably married and starting a family.

John Jones died sometime during the 1860s. His death certificate has not been located, and his name is certain to make this problematic. Around 1872, daughter Mary had married Alfred Finch, a labourer from Blackrod. At the time of the 1881 census, widow Elizabeth was living with Alfred, Mary and their children on Church Street in Adlington. Because John and Elizabeth also lived on Church Street in 1871, it may be that Alfred and Mary moved in with Elizabeth or the other way around.

By the time of the 1891 census, Elizabeth Jones was no longer living with Alfred and Mary. We have been unable to locate her in the census, and it is likely but not certain that she died sometime in the 1880s.


Source Documents


Details

  • Residence: Arrowsmith Farm, Haigh, Lancashire;

    Per 1851 Census. John and Elizabeth Jones and children living at Arrowsmith Farm between Henry Ball and Daniel Ball. This may be Elizabeth Ball and her husband. Would need a marriage certificate. Eldest child would have been born circa 1847.

  • Christening: 1815-06-27, All Saints Church, Wigan;
  • Residence: 1837-08-14, Haigh;

    Per Peter Ball’s Birth Registration.

  • Residence: 1841-06-06, Heywood Farm, Arley Lane, Haigh;

    Per 1841 Census. Elizabeth was living with her parents.

  • Residence: 1844-01-19, Haigh;

    Per Henry Ball’s Birth Certificate.

  • Residence: 1846-09-13, Haigh;

    Per Marriage Certificate.

  • Residence: 1851-03-17, Haigh;

    Per Elizabeth Jones’ Birth Registration. See also 1851 Census taken on 30 March 1851.

  • Residence: 1851-03-30, Arrowsmith Farm, Haigh, Lancashire; John & Betty Jones family home.

    Per 1851 Census.

  • Residence: 1861-04-07, Wood Farm, Blackrod, Lancashire; John & Betty Jones family home.

    Per 1861 Census.

  • Residence: 1871-04-02, Church Street, Adlington, Lancashire; John & Betty Jones family home.

    Per 1871 Census.

  • Residence: 1881-04-03, Church Street, Adlington, Lancashire; Alfred & Mary Finch family home.

    Per 1881 Census. Betty was listed as a widow.