The Ball Family History
The main focus of the material that follows is to tell the story of Herbert Henry Ball (1863-1943), and his descendants.  The material that comes first, however, outlines the ancestry of Herbert Henry Ball as thoroughly as possible.  (The direct line of his ancestry is identified by bold text.)  As part of the story of Herbert Henry Ball, expanded material is included on his immediate family:  his parents, Robert Ball and Mary Ann Cooksley; his brothers David and Harry James; his half-brother, George Cooksley; and the family of his wife, Mary Ann Martin.
 
The known history of the Ball Family can be traced to the area around Stanton Drew, Somerset, England, not far from Bristol.  It was here that William Ball was born, most likely in the 1680's.  (He was probably the son of William Ball and Hannah Beale, but this is speculative.)  On April 5th 1708, the younger William Ball married Mary Bullock (or Ballack).  They had a family of at least six children, all of whom were baptized in Winford.  (Although it was customary to baptize children within three months of birth, this did not always happen.  It is therefore not possible to state with certainty when these children were born.)

 
The Children of William Ball and Mary Bullock
1. Rachel, baptized March 12th 1709 2. Edward, baptized December 26th 1712
3. Martha, baptized May 3rd 1714 4. John, baptized November 11th 1716 (who died soon after)
5. Mary, baptized September 25th 1719 6. John, baptized August 20th 1726

 
On October 16th 1746, John Ball married a woman named Jenney Williams (1728-1807).  They had at least twelve children, all of whom were baptized in Winford.

 
The Children of John Ball and Jenney Williams
1.  Richard, baptized August 27th 1749 2.  George, baptized December 4th 1753
3.  John, baptized November 30th 1755 4.  William, baptized October 15th 1758
5.  Isaac, baptized May 14th 1761 6.  Jesse, baptized April 19th 1763
7.  Luse, baptized September 16th 1765 8.  James, baptized April 1st 1768
9.  Joel, baptized March 25th 1770 10. Job, baptized January 19th 1772
11. Jenny, baptized April 24th 1774 12. Hannah, baptized August 4th 1776

 
Jesse Ball married Mary Tovey on July 27th 1788.  Mary was born in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire in 1756, the eldest of nine children born to William Tovey and Mary Lawrence.  Jesse and Mary Ball had a family of at least five sons, each of whom was baptized in Winford.  Mary Ball died there in April of 1837.  Jesse Ball died in Felton in late October of 1842.

 
The Children of Jesse Ball and Mary Tovey
1. Robert, baptized August 26th 1789
2. John, baptized February 10th 1792
3. Jesse, baptized February 8th 1795
4. Stephen, baptized December 3rd 1797
5. George, baptized August 7th 1803

 
John Ball was born in the parish of Winford, in January of 1792.  On November 30th 1815, he married Ann Vowles in St. James Church, Bristol.  She had been born in the nearby parish of Dundry, on May 15th 1796, one of the nine children of John Vowles (1765-1844) and Mary Sampson (1770-1860).  Tracing the events in the lives of John and Ann Ball is possible to do through census and church records.  Census records tell us that in 1841, John and Ann Ball lived in the parish of Felton.  By 1851, they had moved to the village of Barrow Common, where they would live for the remainder of their lives.  Church records tell us that John and Ann Ball had a family of ten children (see below).  John Ball died on September 4th 1868, at the age of 75.  He is buried in Winford.  Ann, however, is found both in the census of 1871 and 1881, still living at Barrow Common.  She died there on January 4th 1887, aged 91.  She is buried in  Dundry.

 
The Children of John Ball and Ann Vowles
1. Robert, born in 1817 2. Mary, born in 1819
3. John, born in 1822 4. Thomas, born in 1825
5. David, born in 1827 6. William, born in 1829
7. Ann, born in 1833 8. George, born in 1834
9. Hannah, born in 1838 10. Joseph, born in 1840


The Family of Robert Ball
Robert Ball was born September 6th 1817 in the parish of Dundry.  On August 21st 1855, he married Mary Ann Cooksley.  In 1861, Robert and Mary Ann Ball lived in Bedminster, in the home of his mother-in-law, Mary Cooksley.  (The district of Bedminster was located south of the town of Bristol; today, it is a part of suburban Bristol, located just east of Bristol International Airport.)  By 1861, they had two children: David (born December 10th 1855); and Emily Elizabeth (born August 22nd 1860).   Robert listed his occupation at the time as a “Hay Dealer.” 

From 1869 until 1883, Robert Ball was a Publican, managing a public house called the Globe Cellar, located at 25 Nicholas Street, Bristol.  The 1871 census records Robert and Mary Ann Ball as living here with their children David, Herbert Henry (born September 9th 1863), and Harry James (born in 1867).  Their daughter, Emily Elizabeth, died on August 1st 1865.
 

 Mary Ann Cooksley was born in 1832, the daughter of George Cooksley, a milk dealer, and Mary Derrick.  George, son of John Cooksley and Joan Nyatt, was born in Dundry on March 10th 1798; Mary was born there in 1799.  George and Mary were married in Bristol on September 7th 1824.  George passed away in Dundry on November 29th 1844.  Following the death of her husband, Mary supported herself and her family as a Dairywoman, until her own death on February 16th 1875.

In addition to their daughter Mary Ann, George and Mary Cooksley had three other children:  Caroline, George, Jr., and John. 

Caroline Cooksley was born in 1825 and died in 1832.

George Cooksley, Jr. was born in 1827.  In 1868, he married Susan Hall, but they had no children.  George Cooksley, Jr. passed away in 1886.

John Cooksley was born in 1831.  He first married Martha Tovey (1827-1862) in 1852, and had three children:
    * Benjamin (1854-1901)
    * Hephzibah Mary (1858-1904)
    * James Henry (1856-1902)

Following the death of Martha, John married Mary Ann Drury (1839-1908) in 1872, and had three more children:

  • Alfred John (1873)
  • Edith May (1878)
  • Edward Albert (1880-1882)
John Cooksley died in 1887.
By the time of the 1881 census, Robert and Mary Ann lived at 6 Wellington Street in Bristol, with their two youngest sons, Herbert and Harry, but they still managed the Globe Cellar Tavern.  In 1883, Robert became the manager of the Masonic Arms Tavern (pictured right), located at 72 Thunderbolt Street, Bristol.  It was here that Mary Ann died from “congestion of the brain” on August 15th 1885.  On February 22nd 1887 Robert Ball passed away at 6 Wellington Street of “heart disease and senile decay.”  Two of the three sons of Robert and Mary Ann Ball, David and Harry, continued to live in the area around Bristol.

The Family of David Ball

David Ball (sometimes known as David Sidney Ball) married Ann Johanna Gleeson (1858-1901) on December 9th 1878.  According to the census of 1881, the David Ball family lived at 17 King Street, Bristol, and David worked as a Corn Porter.  The census of 1891 shows that the family had moved to 4 Bloomsbury Street, Bristol, with David working as Dock Labourer.    By 1901, the David Ball family lived at 12 Cannon Street, Bristol, and David listed his occupation as a bricklayer.  David and Ann Ball had five children: Emily Elizabeth, Frederick Robert, Rosina Ada, William, and Harry James  Ball.

Following the death of his wife Ann in 1901, David Ball remarried in 1903.  His second wife was Alice Maud Mary Wyatt, who was born in Bedminster in 1875.  She was the daughter of Albert Wyatt and his wife, Hannah Ball.  (Hannah was the younger sister of Robert Ball, thus Alice Wyatt and David Ball were first cousins.) The final census in which David Ball appears is that of 1911.  By that time the family lived at 3 Crown Terrace, Temple, Bristol. David Ball passed away in Bristol on October 5th 1912.  Alice Ball (who had remarried, to William Allen, in 1920) died in Bristol on June 4th 1954.  David and Alice Ball had two sons: Albert John and Herbert Henry Ball.
Emily Elizabeth Ball was born in Bristol on December 26th 1878.  By 1901, she is found working as a servant in Wales.   She married John Williams in Cardiff, Wales in 1915.  Emily and her husband had no children.  She passed away in Bristol on March 2nd 1942.
Frederick Robert Ball was born in Bristol in 1881, and died at the age of 18, in 1899.
Rosina Ada Ball was born in Bristol in 1884.  On February 25th 1905, she married Joseph Charles Hockey (1878-1944).  Together, Rosina and Joseph raised six children.  Rosina passed away in 1960.
  • Mabel Rosina Hockey was born in Bristol on July 2nd 1905.  She married Denis Daniel Murphy (1901-1984) in 1937, and had two daughters:  Margaret and Sheila.  Mabel passed away in Bristol on April 11th 1996.
    • Margaret married Kenneth L. Banwell, and had two sons, Timothy James & Richard John Banwell.
    • Sheila is married to Robert Williams.
  • Charles David Hockey was born in Bristol on March 1st 1907, and passed away there in 1984.  He never married.
  • Frederick Robert Hockey was born in Bristol on August 2nd 1911, and passed away there on September 25th 1984.  He was the husband of Lydia Taylor, and the father of Gillian.
  • Harry James Hockey was born in Bristol on March 12th 1915, and passed away there on November 10th 1991.  He never married.
  • Lilian May Hockey was born in Bristol on September 22nd 1918, and passed away there in 1971.  She was the mother of Michael J. Hockey.
    • Michael Hockey married Jill Fowler.  They are the parents of Sarah Jane Hockey.
  • Albert Edward Hockey was born in Bristol on November 8th 1920, and passed away there on February 28th 1989.  He and his wife, Dorothy Edna Ind (1925-2002), were the parents of Alan Edward and Gary Paul Hockey. 
    • Alan Hockey married Rosemary Joy Didcott.  They are the parents of Charlotte and Christian Hockey, and the grandparents of Izzy Mae
William Ball was born in Bristol in 1888.  He is found with his parents for the census of 1891, and 1901.  For the census of 1911, he is found living with his sister, Rosina Hockey.  He identified his occupation as Railway Carter.  By 1914, he lived at 77 Essex Street, with his brother Harry.  On October 23rd 1915, he married Mary Caroline Lovell.  Together, they had one daughter, Rosina C. Ball.  William Ball passed away in Bristol in 1960.

  • Rosina C. Ball was born in Bristol in 1923.  In 1945, she married David John A. Blundell.  They had two children, Alan and Elaine.
Harry James Ball was born in Bristol on August 22nd 1892.  In 1914, when Harry Ball completed papers of attestation for the British army, he listed his next of kin as his sister, Emily Elizabeth, who lived in Cardiff, Wales.  He also stated that at the time he lived at 77 Essex Street in Bristol, with his brother William.  Harry still lived at 77 Essex Street on August 8th 1921, when he married Florence Violet Russell (1904-1997).  They had two children, David Henry Ball (1921-1997) and Gerald Ball (1936-2002), neither of whom married. 
Albert John Ball was born Albert John Wyatt on June 13th 1902.  Following his mother's marriage to David Ball, he took on that surname.
Herbert Henry Ball was born in 1904 and passed away in 1905.

The Family of Harry James Ball Ball

Harry James Ball married Elizabeth Derrick (1868-1956) on December 5th 1886.  Like his father, Harry worked as a “Publican,” a “Licensed Victualler” and a “Beer Retailer.”  According to the 1901 census, Harry and Elizabeth managed the Coopers Arms located at 12-13 Ashton Street in Bristol. In 1916-1917 (during World War One) Harry's nephew, Herbert Eldridge Ball, was wounded while serving the Canadian army in France.  While on his convalescent leave, Herbert listed his address as “12 Ashton Road, Ashton Gate, Bristol.”  The most likely explanation is that he spent this time with his uncle.  In addition, Harry's elder brother, Herbert Henry Ball, sailed to England to visit in August of 1916.  Other records show that Harry managed the Coopers Arms until 1928.  He died in Long Ashton, Bristol in 1933.  Harry James & Elizabeth Ball had four children:  Henry George, Herbert James, Frederick William, and Lillian Ida Ball.
Henry George Ball was born in Bristol in 1887. As early as 1906, Henry thought of emigrting to Canada.  He sailed there, and lived in Toronto with his uncle, Herbert Henry Ball.  A year later, however, he returned to Bristol.  In 1910, he married Florence Box (1891-1954).  According to the Census of 1911, Henry and Florence Ball operated the General Elliott Hotel located at 73 East Street, Bedminster.  During the Great War, Henry enlisted in the army, and served briefly in the 14th Battalion of the Gloucester Regiment.  In March of 1925, Henry again sailed to Canada, and again identified his contact as his uncle, Herbert, in Toronto.  According to the papers that he completed at the time, his wife would follow him at a later date.  In November of 1925, however, Henry returned to England.  On his arrival he stated that it was his intention to remain in England.  Henry George and Florence Ball had three children:  George Henry, Leonard, and Irene Florence Ball.  Henry George Ball passed away in Bristol in 1949.
  • George Henry Ball was born in Bristol on March 1st 1912.  In 1937, he married Gladys Smith (1913-2008).  Together they would have two daughters: June Irene Ann, and Evelyn J. Ball.  George Ball passed away in Bristol in 1959.
  • Leonard Ball was born in Bristol on June 5th 1915.  He married Esme Flowers there in 1948, and had two daughters, Pamela and Elizabeth.  Leonard Ball passed away in Bristol in 1977.
  • Irene Florence Ball was born in Bristol on April 23rd 1921.  She married Charles H. Dun in Bristol on January 13th 1943; together they raised three children: Martin Charles, Rosemary Ann, and Nigel J. Dun.  Irene passed away in 1999.
    • Martin married Leslie Porter; they are the parents of Jordan Dun
    • Rosemary married Russell Campbell; they are the parents of Katherine and Morgan
    • Nigel and his wife Elizabeth are the parents of Jessie, Madeleine, Alison, and Harry Dun.
Herbert James Ball was born on March 5th 1889.  He married Lilly Rosina Ball (1890-1952), in 1911, and had five children: Lillian, Herbert Harry, Iris Flora, Raymond, and Leonard Frank.
  • Lillian Ball was born in Bristol on September 24th 1912.  She and her husband, Harold Webb, were married in 1936.  They had one son, Robin Webb.
    • Robin and his wife Pamela are the parents of Christopher Webb.
  • Herbert Harry Ball, twin of Lillian, was also born on September 24th 1912.  With his wife, Edith Mary Roberts (1915-2003), whom he married in 1938, he raised two sons, Robert and Michael.  Herbert passed away in 1993.
    • Robert and his wife Valerie are the parents of Bernice, Stephen, and Angela Ball.
    • Michael and his wife Carole are the parents of Gary and Deborah Ball.
  • Iris Flora Ball was born January 11th 1915.  In 1936, she married Frederick Francis John Staddon (1913-1990).  Together they had four children: Geraldine, John, Gillian, and Yvonne Staddon.  Iris Staddon passed away in 1994.
    • Geraldine and her husband, Robert Winters, are the parents of Lisa and Vanessa Winters.
    • Yvonne and her husband, Robert Hart, are the parents of Steven, Sharon, and Samantha Hart.
  • Raymond Ball was born in Bristol in 1918.  In 1945, he married Betty Bave.  They had one daughter, Linda Ball.
  • Leonard Frank was born on February 1st 1921.  In 1948, he married Sybil Joan Milton (1922-1986).  They had one daughter, Cynthia Ball.  Leonard passed away on March 6th 1988.
    • Cynthia and her husband, Brian Withyman, had three children:  David, Simon, and Anne-Marie
Herbert James was a professional footballer (soccer player) in Bristol, but passed away at the young age of 34.
Frederick William Ball was born in 1892.  In 1917 he married Althea Lyall (1889-1951).  They had one son, Frederick James Ball.  Frederick William Ball passed away in Bristol in 1961.
  • Frederick James Ball was born in Bristol on May 16th 1920.  In 1942, he married Doreen M. Duncombe.  They had one daughter, Ada R. Ball.  Frederick James Ball passed away in Bristol in 2000.
Lillian Ida Ball was born in 1898.  In 1921, she married Ernest L. Thomas.

 
Before she married Robert Ball, Mary Ann Cooksley had a child out of wedlock.  This child was George Cooksley, born in Bishopsworth, Bedminster on June 16th 1851.  In 1861, George Cooksley - as well as the Robert Ball family - lived with his grandmother, Mary Cooksley.  In 1871, the Robert Ball family had moved to a new location, but George continued to live with his grandmother.  When he turned 21, George joined the army, and eventually rose to become a Sergeant of the Royal Artillery.  In 1883, however, he was granted a medical discharge due to rheumatism and an enlarged heart.  After his discharge, he lived in his mother's home, until her death.  At that time, 1885, he received an inheritance of £300.00.  He also moved to Gloucester, where he lived until his death.  That death, sadly, came on January 19th 1902, when he was found dead in his bed by the landlady of his rooming house.  An inquest was held, and it was determined that he died of heart failure.  One witness at the inquest was his half-brother, Harry James Ball.  Harry made it clear that he was aiding his half-brother financially, as was another half-brother, Herbert Henry Ball.  George Cooksley was buried in Gloucester.


The Life and Career of Herbert Henry Ball
Herbert Henry Ball was born in the Parish of Bishopsworth, Somerset, England on September 9th 1863; he was baptized in St. Peter Church, Bishopsworth on November 15th 1863.  On October 24th 1885 he married Mary Ann Martin in Bristol.  Not long after their marriage, Herb and Mary Ann Ball made the decision to leave England for Canada.  On July 19th 1886, they bordered the Dominion Line passenger ship Montreal in Liverpool.  Thirty-two days later, on August 20th 1886, after passing through Belfast, Ireland, they arrived at the port of Quebec.  From there, they made their way overland to Toronto.

Herb and Mary Ann initially made their home at 18 Camden Street, Toronto.  Herb found employment as a clerk for George F. Sproule, “Manufacturer and Importer of Frames, Mouldings, Fine Art and Fancy Goods” located at 134 Yonge Street.  By the 1890's, however, Herb and his family had moved to 1817 Yonge Street (see below), in an area known as Davisville, just north of Toronto.  Herb had also made a dramatic career change.
.

 Mary Ann Martin was born in the town of Brecon, in Breconshire, Wales on May 20th 1865.  She was the eldest daughter of Thomas and Magdalen Martin.  Her father, Thomas, was born on January 5th 1844 in Brecon, the eldest of six children born to William Martin (1819-1892) and Mary Ann Voss (1820-1901).   (William, in turn, was the son of Thomas & Alice Martin; Mary Ann was the daughter of James and Elizabeth Voss.)  In 1864 Thomas Martin married Magdalen Thomas.  Magdalen was also born in Brecon, on December 13th 1844.  She was the daughter of Rees Thomas (1805-1875) and Elizabeth Phillips (1806-1875).

In addition to daughter Mary Ann, Thomas and Magdalen had at least five other children.  The substantial gap in age between their second and third children possibly indicates that there were other children born, who died young.

  • Thomas Rees Martin (b. 1867)
  • Magdalen Elizabeth Martin (b. 1876), the wife of Thomas Fletcher and mother of Thomas, Edith, Frederick, and Magdalen Fletcher.
  • John Philip Martin (1879-1938)
  • William Henry Martin (b. 1882), the husband of Mary Hall
  • Edith Maud Beatrice Martin (1884-1925), the wife of Matthew Kinsey, and mother of Eunice, Matthew, Olwin, Magdalen, Doris, and Edith Kinsey
For most of his career, Thomas Martin worked as a police constable in various communities in Breconshire, Glamorgan and Radnorshire, Wales.  In 1894, Thomas retired from police work, and found employment as a carpenter in  Ystradyfodwg, Glamorgan.  Thomas passed away of a heart attack while at work on August 30th 1897.  His wife Magdalen continued to live in Ystradyfodwg until her own death on January 31st 1907.

 
Sometime in the early 1890's, Herb Ball became a journalist for The Toronto World newspaper. The Toronto World was founded as a liberal newspaper in 1880, but in 1892 it came under the direction of William Findlay Maclean (1854-1929), and became a very conservative newspaper.  Like its longtime publisher, The World was in favour of public railways and utilities and Canadian nationalism. During its run, The World was often referred to as the most colourful of the numerous Toronto dailies since it often printed stories that the other newspapers would not print or would place in obscure spots. For most of its existence, though, The World operated in a precarious financial position until it was forced to cease printing in 1921. TheToronto World was eventually absorbed into the present-day Toronto Globe & Mail.

Herb Ball joined  The World in the early 1890's (about the same time it came under the control of William Findlay Maclean).  He remained with the newspaper until it terminated operation in 1921.  During that time, he rose through its ranks to become financial editor. 

 
It was from his position as a journalist that Herbert Ball would launch his third and final career in Canada, that of politician.  The article found here is from the Toronto Daily Star, dated Tuesday January 5th 1904.  In that year, a debate raged as to whether or not York County would prohibit alcohol.  As the son and brother of tavern keepers, it is not difficult to imagine his position, a position he apparently held with some passion!

 
Herbert began in politics by first serving on the local school board.  From there, he would seek election as Alderman for what was then Ward 2 of North Toronto.  Although not elected to that position until 1915, and in that office until 1919, he ran Alderman as early as 1912.  The article found to the left is from The Toronto Daily Star, dated Saturday December 28th 1912.  In it, Herbert clearly lays out his political platform.  The article to the right is from the Toronto World, dated Monday December 30th 1918.

 
Finally, in 1926, Herbert ran as a Conservative in the Toronto-Eglinton riding in the Ontario General Election.  The leader of the Conservative Party was George Howard Ferguson. On the morning of Thursday December 2nd 1926, Herbert was able to read the following on page 13 of the Toronto  Daily Star:

 
Despite the fact that he was a member of the Ferguson government for only three years, Herbert was apparently quite busy, as he served in the following Parliamentary Committees:
  • Select Committee to consider the Rules of the House, March 14, 1929 - March 26, 1929
  • Standing Committee on Agriculture and Colonization, February 15, 1928 - April 03, 1928
  • Standing Committee on Municipal Law, February 15, 1928 - April 03, 1928
  • Standing Committee on Private Bills, February 15, 1928 - April 03, 1928
  • Standing Committee on Municipal Law, February 09, 1927 - April 05, 1927
  • Standing Committee on Private Bills, February 09, 1927 - April 05, 1927
  • Standing Committee on Agriculture and Colonization, February 09, 1927 - April 05, 1927
  • Standing Committee on Private Bills, February 05, 1929 - March 28, 1929
  • Standing Committee on Municipal Law, February 05, 1929 - March 28, 1929
  • Standing Committee on Agriculture and Colonization, February 05, 1929 - March 28, 1929

 
In 1929, Herb could have run for re-election, but chose not to.  This decision, however, was not without controversy.  It was first rumoured by members of the Liberal Party that Herb Ball decided to forgo his seat in favour of his old boss, William F. Maclean  Fuel was added to this fire when, on January 29th 1930 it was announced that Herb Ball had been granted the patronage position of King's Printer.

 
The King's Printer was appointed by the Governor in Council to act as the Deputy Minister for the Department of Public Printing and Stationery. This person was in charge of printing or reproducing documents, the sale of government publications, and the distribution of government stationery.  An example of such a document is found below.

 
To the Liberals it seemed obvious that Herbert Ball had surrendered his safe Conservative seat as a political favour, and now he had received his reward.  Following the defeat of the Conservative government of George Stewart Henry (successor to Ferguson) in 1934, Herbert Ball seems to have been one of the people most in the gun sites of the new, Liberal government of Mitchell Hepburn.  This is made clear in the interview recorded here in the Toronto Daily Star of Wednesday February 27th 1935:
 Even as late as 1937, high ranking members of the Liberal party went out of their way to indicate that the appointment of Herbert Ball to the position of King's Printer was wrong, and that the Liberals were right to terminate him.  During an actual parliamentary debate, Harry Nixon (who would himself serve briefly as Premier in 1943) accused the previous Conservative government of political favourtism by putting civil servants into important jobs, specifically stating:  “And Herb Ball, what qualifications did he have to be King's Printer?”  (Toronto Daily Star, Tuesday March 28th 1937).


The Family of Herbert Henry and Mary Ann Ball
Herbert Henry and Mary Ann Ball had nine children, three of whom died young (Emily, Herbert Percival, and Irene Emily), and six of whom lived to adulthood (Edith Elizabeth, Ernest George Henry, Herbert Eldridge, Winnifred Mildred, Hilda Marion, and Colston Robert).  They raised this family in their home at 1817 Yonge Street, Toronto.  (Today, an Ethan Allen Department Store is at this location.)

 
Mary Ann Ball died in 1924.  Six years later, on March 19th 1930, Herbert Ball remarried.  His second wife was born Alice May Jennings, in 1873.  (By 1930, however, she was a widow; her legal name was Alice Muston.)  They lived at the Ball home until Herbert's death in 1943.  (Alice Ball died on October 18th 1945.)  Herbert Henry and Mary Ann Ball are laid to rest together in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

 
Child One: Edith Elizabeth Ball
Edith Ball was born on May 10th 1887.  On October 14th 1914, she married Frank Stocker (born February 5th 1889).  For many years, they lived at 1821 Yonge Street, next door to her parents.  Here they raised their two children, Herbert Thomas and Wanda Mary Stocker.  Edith Stocker passed away on March 18th 1950, and is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.  Frank Stocker passed away on July 13th 1965.

Herbert Thomas Stocker was born in Toronto in 1917.  He married Helen Little, and had one daughter, Patricia.  She is married to Ronald Miller; they have one daughter, Catherine.  Herbert T. Stocker passed away in Toronto on September 11th 1967.

Wanda Stocker was born in Toronto on April 5th 1920.  She married John Douglas Holmwood on December 14th 1940.  John and Wanda Holmwood lived in Barrie, until their respective deaths on January 9th 1977 and May 4th 1996.  They had no children.  They are laid to rest together in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

 
Child Two: Emily Ball
Emily Ball was born on July 1st 1888, and lived for only 16 days.  She is buried with her brother, Herbert Percival, in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.		 Child Three: Herbert Percival Ball
Herbert Percival Ball was born on June 18th 1889, and lived for only 2 days, the result of a premature birth.  He is buried with his sister in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.		 Child Four: Irene Emily Ball
Irene Ball was born on May 10th 1890, and passed away on August 22nd 1907.  She is buried with her parents in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

 
Child Five:  Ernest George Henry Ball
Ernest Ball (left) was born on November 26th 1891.  On January 26th 1915, he completed his Papers of Attestation, and joined the Canadian army.  On May 13th 1915, as part of the 19th Battalion, he sailed from Montreal to England onboard the S.S. Scandinavian.  In England, he received further training before being sent to active duty, arriving in Boulogne, France on September 14th 1915.  In June of 1916, Ernie was sent temporarily to England to recover from a gunshot wound received at the front.  He left France in March of 1919, and spent two more months in England.  On June 2nd 1919, Ernie left Liverpool onboard the S.S. Lapland, and arrived in Halifax seven days later.  He was discharged from the Canadian army in Toronto on June 11th 1919, as part of Canada's General Demobilization after the War.  Upon his discharge from the army, he returned to live in Toronto, and worked as an electrical engineer.  On December 11th 1923, he married Florence May Holmes.  The daughter of John William and Selina Holmes, Florence had been born in Derbyshire, England on May 22nd 1900.  Ernie and Florence Ball had one son, Herbert.  Ernie Ball passed away on May 14th 1939; Florence Ball passed away on March 7th 1956.  They are laid to rest in Prospect Cemetery.

Herbert Ball (right) was born in Toronto in 1925.  Like his father, Herb also served his country, as a soldier in World War Two.  With his wife, Kathelene Fox, Herb raised three children: Lucille (Mrs. Robert Hutchinson), Robert, and Steven Ball.  For many years, Herb lived in Ajax, Ontario.  He passed away there in 1984.

 
Child Six: Herbert Eldridge Ball
Herbert Ball was born on July 17th 1893. On April 18th 1915, Herb completed his Papers of Attestation, and joined the Canadian army.  Like his brother, he served with the 19th Battalion, and on May 13th 1915, he sailed from Montreal to England onboard the S. S. Scandinavian.  He had enlisted as a private, but received a battlefield commission, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant on May 14th 1916.  On July 5th 1916, this was made a permanent promotion.  On July 22nd 1916, he was seriously wounded by multiple grenade explosions.  During his seven-month convalescence, he was actually able to travel home to Canada (when this photo appeared in the Toronto Daily Star).  It was during this time that he married Verna Ethel Warrington of Toronto.  After returning to England, Herb also spent time in Bristol, most likely with his uncle, Harry Ball.  He returned to active duty in England in May of 1917, before rejoining the 19th Battalion in June of 1918.  He returned to Canada on May 13th 1919, and was discharged from the Canadian army on May 24th 1919, as part of Canada's General Demobilization after the War.

Upon his discharge from the army, Herb returned to Toronto.  Here he rejoined his wife Verna, as well as daughter Elisabeth, who was born in 1917.  In 1920, Herb and Verna had a second daughter, Corinne. After his return to civilian life, Herb worked for the Customs and Excise Department of Revenue Canada.  In 1929, his job saw him relocated to Buffalo, New York.  By 1945, Herb was back in Toronto:  he and his wife lived at 272 O'Connor Drive, until he passed away on July 12th 1956.  At that time, Verna moved to the town of Orchard Park, just south of Buffalo, to live with her daughter, Elisabeth.  Verna Ball died there in 1977.

Elisabeth B. Ball married John Helsdon, and had two children:  Margaret (Peg) and John.  Elisabeth died in Orchard Park in 1985.  Margaret is married to Steven Scheele, and lives in Colorado.  John is married to Dolores Matuszak, and lives in Rapid City, South Dakota, near his daughters, Karen and Kristin.

Corinne Eleanore married Charles L. Teschner, and had one son, Charles Teschner, Jr.  Corinne died in Cleveland in 1987.

 
Child Seven: Winnifred Mildred Ball
Winnifred Ball was born on October 28th 1897.  On August 2nd 1921, she married Cecil Henry  (Bud) Knowlton (born March 9th 1891).  They lived in Toronto, where they raised their daughter, Daphne Juanita.  Bud Knowlton passed away on February 29th 1948; Winnifred passed away on May 3rd 1973.  They are laid to rest together in Pine Hills Cemetery.		 Daphne Knowlton married James Elmer Gosley on February 23rd 1946.  (The article found to the left appeared in the Toronto Daily Star on Monday February 18th 1946.)  They lived in Scarborough, where they raised their three children:  Paul, Miriam, and Colleen.  Jim Gosley passed away in Scarborough on April 29th 1983.  Daphne passed away there on December 28th 1991.

Miriam is the mother of David McAllister.  David, and his wife Jennifer, are the parents of David James McAllister.

Colleen is the mother of David and Nicole Stinson.

 
Child Eight: Hilda Marion Ball
Hilda Ball was born on August 2nd 1899.  In 1920, she married Oliver Wallace Elmore (1897-1968).  They lived in Toronto, where they raised their daughters, Mary Irene and Joan.  Hilda passed away on March 26th 1955.  They are laid to rest together in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.		 Mary Elmore married John Ray Smithies (1921-1989) on October 4th 1951.  They lived in Barrie, Ontario, where they raised their son, John Wallace Smithies.  Mary Smithies passed away in Barrie on October 9th 1976.  They are laid to rest together in Barrie Union Cemetery.  John Smithies, Jr. has a daughter, Olivia Jennifer, and a son, Christopher David Smithies.

Joan Elmore married Frederick Eberlin (born May 19th 1932), and had two children, Cameron and Lisa.  Cameron and his wife, Tracy, have four children:  Stephanie, Sarah, Shannon, and Samantha.  They live in Holland Landing, Ontario.  Lisa and her husband, Peter Dollery, have three children:  Ryan, Alexandra, and Kelly.  Joan Eberlin passed away on March 5th 2002.  Fred Eberlin passed away on March 5th 2004.  They are laid to rest together in Elgin Mills Cemetery.

 
Child Nine: Colston Robert Ball
Colston Robert Ball was born on July 22nd 1905.  In 1928, he married Gladys Holmes (born May 21st 1909).  (She was the younger sister of Florence Holmes, Mrs. Ernie Ball.)  They lived in Toronto, and Orangeville, Ontario, where they raised their five children:  Lorraine, Eileen, Helen, John (Jack), and Robert (Bob) Ball.  Colston Ball passed away in 1969; Gladys passed away in 1964.  They are laid to rest in Riverside Cemetery.		 Lorraine married Ray Gemmill.  She is the mother of Sharon, Brian, Karen and Kathy.  Sharon and her husband Lloyd Moore are the parents of James and Deborah, and the grandparents of Jacob, Andrew, Matthew, Robert, and Jessica.  Brian and his wife Theresa are the parents of Nicole, Sonya, Mari, and Bronwen, and the grandparents of Robbie, McKenzie, Zachary, Benjamin, Kira, and Gabrielle.  Lorraine now lives in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
Eileen married Roy Shinniman, and lived in Orangeville, Ontario.  There, they raised their family of five:  Carol, Pat, Frank, Steven, and Peggy.  Carol is the mother of Larry, Stanley, and Shaun; and the grandmother of Elaine, Deanna, Danielle, and Nicole.  Pat is the mother of Cynthia, Wesley, and Mark; and the grandmother of Logan, Avery, and Jamie.  Eileen passed away in 1969. Helen married John Lamb, and lived for many years in Durham, Ontario.  Here they raised their family of five: Barbara, Bruce, Bob, David, and Terry.  One son, John, died in infancy.  Barbara is the mother of Carrie and Christopher.  Bruce is the father of Jackie, John, and Jeremy.  Bob is the father of Pamela, Joseph, and Nathan.  David is the father of Brendan, Collin and Garrett.  Terry is the father of Coleson and Cylis.  Helen passed away in 1979.
Jack married Lois McConnell, and had three children:  Linda, Wayne, and Tracy.  Wayne and his wife, Mariana, are the parents of Andrew and Michael.  Tracy and her husband, Kelly, are the parents of Robyn and Tara.  Jack passed away in 2003. Bob and his wife Marty had five children:  Michael, Robert, Lori, David, and Darren.  Lori is the mother of Krista and Kaillie.  David and his wife, Angela, are the parents of Shelbu and Abigale.  Bob passed away in 1992.


The other web sites to visit are:
The Ball Family Main Page
The Index Page