Bidwell Lore – The Dispossession of Mohican Land by the Ball Family, Part I

Welcome to Bidwell Lore number 115! This week we begin a new series titled “Dispossession of Stockbridge Mohican Land by the Ball Family, 1772-1781” written by Rick Wilcox. Over the next few weeks, Rick will share the story of Isaac Ball and his role in the Mohicans losing their land.

Dispossession of Stockbridge Mohican Land by the Ball Family 1772-1781
Isaac Ball (1744-1784)
Rick Wilcox 2022

Dick: The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers. Jack Cade: Nay, that I mean to do. Is not this a lamentable thing, that the skin of an innocent lamb should be made parchment, being scribbl’d o’er, should undo a man. Some say the bee stings; but say ’t is the bees wax, for I did but seal once to a thing, and I was never mine own man since. [1]

We will begin this series with a short biography of Isaac Ball who settled in Stockbridge about 1772. He was my great-great-great-great grandfather on my father’s side of the family, which is also where the Bidwell connection lies through my paternal grandmother Grace Bidwell Wilcox. Of course, Bidwell Lore readers have likely long suspected that I have stretched the meaning of the word cousin about as far as it can be stretched, so the Wilcox-Ball family, and not the Bidwell family, will have to shoulder the blame for dispossessing the Mohican people out of some of their Stockbridge land. Before we get into the details of that dispossession, let’s learn a little more about Isaac Ball.

 Ball was the 12th child of John Ball, who was born in 1697-8. John Ball first married Abigail Harrington (July 24, 1698-Nov 25, 1728) and they had seven children. Eleven years later he married Lydia Perry on Oct. 4, 1739. They resided in Waltham until about 1745 when they moved to Worcester. John Ball and Lydia Perry Ball had five children, Isaac being the youngest, born on August 16, 1744. Both his brothers, John (Jonathan in legal papers in Stockbridge) and Josiah, twins born around Dec. 16 or 27, 1742-43, moved to Stockbridge. [2]

An article in Stockbridge News in the Berkshire Evening Eagle during the month of September 1961 entitled ‘Fernside Sketch is Presented to Town Library.’ The article relates to a pencil sketch by the late Louise Ball of Housatonic which was presented to the historical room of the Stockbridge Library by Miss Ball’s daughter, Mrs. W.H. Smyth of Watervliet, N.Y.
Miss Ball was a direct descendant of Josiah Ball (mentioned above), who with Isaac and Jonathan Ball came from Watertown, Mass., to Stockbridge. In 1773, the Balls purchased land from the Stockbridge Indians and served in the Revolutionary Army. Chesterwood, home of Margaret French Cression in Glendale, a part of the original Ball property. [3] Miss Ball’s mother was Maria L. Van Deuse, a direct descendant of Isaac Van Deusen, who founded Van Deusenville.” [4]

Isaac’s service record reflects the time he spent soldiering for the Revolutionary War between a 1772 purchase of land and a 1781 purchase of additional land. Isaac was no different than other veterans from that time period in that having acquired the rank of 2nd lieutenant, he kept the title throughout his life, and he was even listed as such in the probate court records after his death. One wonders if fox hole religion played a part in that decision.

From the Stockbridge Town Clerk’s Office card file we learn that Isaac Ball married Rachel Tyrell in New Canaan, CT on December 10, 1776. Isaac and Rachel had three children: Thalia, born in Stockbridge on September 14, 1777; Lucy, born in Stockbridge on December 21, 1778; and Perry, baptized on February 25, 1781 (via Congregational Church Records). The obverse side of the card indicates Isaac served as Tythingman from 1775 to 1778, as well as Surveyor of Highways in 1780. [5] 

Isaac joined the Congregational Society in 1780 and after his death in 1784, his widow Rachel married Job Hart. At the time of Isaac’s death his daughter Thalia was seven, Lucy was six, and son Perryas was only three. Rachel joined the church in 1791. Daughter Thalia, died April 6, 1853, age 75. She was married in 1795 to Daniel Warner who was born about 1770 and died October 27, 1827, age 57. [6]

A summary of Isaac Ball’s service record can be found below:

“Ball, Isaac, Stockbridge. Sergeant, Capt. Aaron Rowley’s co., Maj. Rossiter’s (Berkshire Co.) regt.; enlisted Feb. 23, 1777; discharged April 7, 1777; service, 1 mo. 13 days, at  Ticonderoga; also, Capt. Job Woodbridge’s co., Col. Brown’s (Berk- shire Co.) regt. ; enlisted July 8, 1777 ; discharged Julj^ 26, 1777 ; service, 19 days marched under Maj. Caleb Hyde on the evacuation of Ticonderoga; also, Capt. Ezra Whittelsey’s co., Lieut. Col. David Rossiter’s (Berkshire Co.) regt. ; service from Aug. 13 to Aug. IS, 1777, 5 days; marched to Bennington; also, 2d Lieuten- ant, Capt. Isaac Marsh’s (1st Stockbridge) co., Col. Rosseter’s (3d Berkshire Co.) regt.; list of officers of Mass. militia; commissioned April 23, 1778; a^so, Capt. John Spoor’s co., Col. John Brown’s (Berkshire Co.) regt. ; enlisted July 18, 1780; discharged Oct. 23, 1780; service, 3 mos. 10 days; enlistment, 3 months; company raised to reinforce Continental Army.” [7]

Next week we will look at Stockbridge and the start of the Indian Proprietorship.

1. William Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Part 2, Act IV, Scene 2. All 18th century property deeds were sealed with wax.
2. Ball Family Genealogy Papers, Stockbridge Library Museum & Archives, special thanks to Josh Hall.
3. Isaac Ball’s 120 acres of land included The Norman Rockwell Museum.
4. Daniel Chester French, father of Margaret French Cression, sculpted the seated Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D. C., among many other well known sculptures.
5. Stockbridge Town Records, Book 2, p. 163 and Stockbridge Town Clerk’s card file.
6. Stockbridge Town Cemetery, Section 1, Lot 51.
7. Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, Secretary of the Commonwealth, 1896, Wright and Potter Printing Company, Boston, page 537.