Person Page - 670

       John/2 Ball Jr. was born circa 1620, supposedly in Wiltshire, England.² He emigrated, date unascertained, with his father and brother Nathaniel to Massachusetts, where they lived at Watertown.^1,3 A tailor and farmer, he married (1), by 1644, Elizabeth/2 Peirce (as her family spelled the surname) of Watertown, daughter of John/1 Peirce and Elizabeth (–?–), with whom he had 5 children.^1,4 "About the year 1655-6, his wife became violently insane, which fact doubtless accounts for the apprenticing of his children as follows:— John Jr. and Mary or marie (aged 5 years) on Jan. 3, 1656, to John Pierce Sr; Sarah (aged 2 years) on Dec. 9, 1656, to Richard Gale; on Aug. 3, 1658, he apprenticed two other children (aged 3 years and 6 months respectively). His wife died previous to or about 1665." Says Bond, "She (wife) was insane in 1660, and probably had been thus some time. She gave much annoyance to her family and neighbors. [See Reg. of Deeds, vol. iii., p. 81.]"⁴
     John Ball married (2), 3 Oct 1665 at Watertown, Elizabeth/2 Fox, probably, daughter of Thomas/1 Fox and Rebecca (–?–), with whom he had one son.^5,4 21 Oct 1665, he sold William Perry his farm in Watertown (purchased of John Lawrence), and went to Lancaster.⁶ There he, his wife, and their son Joseph were killed by Indians, and their daughters Esther and Abigail taken into captivity, in the massacre of 10 Feb 1675/76.^7,8 His estate was administered by his son John, a weaver of Watertown, 1 Feb 1677/78.⁶