A letter from Quinby Plantation overseer William Turner to John Ball in Charleston discussing how Manuel was received from town, the rice and slip crops, and a request of tools from the carpenters.
A letter from Quinby Plantation overseer William Turner to John Ball in Charleston discussing the rice crops, the poor health of one of the mules, and details about Turner leaving Quinby Plantation for "larger business."
A letter from Hyde Park Plantation overseer Jesse Coward to John Ball in Charleston discussing the corn and rice crops, harvesting the oats, and castrating a colt.
A letter from Quinby Plantation overseer William Turner to John Ball in Charleston discussing the rice and slip crops, the carpenters not working and a list of measurements.
A letter from Lydia Simons to her brother John Ball discussing John Ball's inability to use his fingers, and the crops at "Limeric" (Limerick) Plantation.
A torn letter from Isaac Ball to his brother John Ball in "Charles Town" discussing John Ball's physique, the death of Mr. Quash's wife, a shipment of rice and their fathering purchasing a horse.
A letter from A. Waring to her cousin John Ball in Charleston thanking him for a present, the crops at Backriver Plantation, and a potential visit in the spring.
A torn letter from Elias Ball II to his son John Ball in "Charles Town" offering advice to be " a good boy and you shall want for nothing," and the poor health of John Longstaff.
A letter to John Jacob Ischudy discussing arrangements for the rectory, a situation concerning the senders "negroes," and punishing Old Friday by returning him to Ischudy's care.
A note from John Coming Ball at Limerick Plantation on a receipt for $136 from William Ball, executor of the estate of Eliza Ball. The receipt is for shares of rent for a house on the corner of East Bay and Vernon Streets.
A note from John Coming Ball at Limerick Plantation on a receipt for $2,035 for shares of the proceeds of the sale of the house and lot on the corner of East Bay and Vernon Streets in Charleston.
An account of sales of a house and lot on the corner of East Bay and Vernon Street in Charleston on account of the estate of the Ball family. Costs include those for advertising, commissions and the sale of bonds.
A statement on rents collected and distributed for the estate owned by Mrs. Eliza C. Ball with William Ball as her executor. The account also includes taxes and commissions.
A letter from William Ball at Limerick Plantation to his mother Eliza C. Ball discussing the birth of William Ball's daughter and Eliza Ball's first granddaughter and the timeline of Faith Ball giving birth. Makes notation on the presence of the enslaved women Masylla and Flora but not Harriet who was sick, and the baby having fingers made to learn how to play the piano "if war ends in time enough for her to learn." The rest of the letter goes on to discuss friends and family visiting the baby, the "negroes" in Charleston, the poor health of Frank, the myrtle berry pickers, and the weather.
A letter from William Ball to his aunt discussing the birth of William's sixth son, him wanting a baby girl, ideas for the name of the boy, his endeavor to write a record on the family, a statement on the original grant of Comingtee Plantation, the "invasion of the Yankees in 1863," descriptions of land plats and questions regarding family history.
A letter from E.A. Poyas to William Ball discussing the history of Josiah Smith, cashier of the U.S. Branch Bank of Charleston. Details include Smith's birth at Cain Hoy, his father's position as pastor of the church, the family's relocation to Charles Town due to the father's new position as pastor of the Independent Church or "Pastorship of the White."
A letter from Mrs. A. R. Young of Pendleton, South Carolina to Eliza C. Ball in Charleston discussing the current state of the "humiliation & impoverishment" of the people, religious beliefs, and remembering a visit to Virginia.
A letter from the accommodation wharf Cart, Kopff & Jervey to William Ball discussing the quality and value of rice from John Harleston's plantation. Makes notation, "how are you getting on with the freedmen?"
A receipt of $60 from Cedar Hill for bushels of rice from William Ball. The receipt includes a mark, most likely in place of a signature from an enslaved or freed person.
A receipt for thirteen bushels of rice from William Ball. The receipt includes a mark, most likely in place of a signature from an enslaved or freed person.
A letter to William Ball at Limerick Plantation from his mother Elizabeth Poyas discussing the seal and signature of Ball's grandmother Jane, a release of dower to Elizabeth Smith, a renunciation of dower from Judith Ball for lands at "Wambaw," a release of 500 acres of lands in "Irishtown," information on land held by Henry Laurens, a list of marriages within the family, the death of Catherine Ball (Smith) and her infant and the Ball family's connection to Henry Laurens. The letter continues by discussing the memoirs of Henry Laurens and Eliza Ball's daughter Martha Laurens Ramsay. These memoirs details the Laurens family's "extraction" from France, being Huguenot or Protestant, compelled to leave France due to the Edict of Nantes, traveling to America in 1685, the migration of the Ball family from England, the death of Eliza Ball, Henry Laurens traveling to England to oversee his children's educations, leaving England for America because "love for his country brought him back to it's defence against the aggressions of Britain," the death of John Laurens in 1782 due to a wound from battle, Henry Lauren's imprisonment in the Tower of London for high treason, his liberation and signing of the "preliminaries of peace," and a genealogy chart of the family.
A letter from Eliza Ball to her son William Ball discussing a shipment of items such as towels, needles, scissors, a cake canister, honey comb, granite, and buttons on a schooner, a "bundle of work" for Sylvia, Marcia, Mat and Hetty to do, the status of Nanny's eyes and Sylvia's leg, the poor health of Eliza Ball's horse, the work of Handy, the secession of Georgia, the South Carolina company coming up from Morris Island, a sickness (possibly pneumonia) among family members and enslaved persons, and Isaac sending scissors to his mother Hetty.
A letter from Kate Tabor to Julia Ball discussing the departure of the Laurens party from her home, the sweet disposition of Eliza, requesting the Lanneau boys to stay in the house to guard them, sending a "knight errant" to aid them, a man on his way to Augusta that "got left by the cars" and needs to stay at the residence, a visit to Graniteville's factory and Methodist church, runaways taking over as operatives at the factory, a visit to the village school, and Mr. Laurens' desire to build a house and three cottages.
A letter from William Ball at South Carolina College to his mother Eliza Ball in Charleston discussing his desire to leave school, his opinions on a college education, the differences of colleges between England and the United States, his dislike of the food at school, and the "hatred" between the president and William Ball.
A personal account of visiting Old Dorchester describing the land, roads, a Presbyterian Church, an old fort built by the English for protection from the "Spaniards and Indians," and a tombstone used during the American Revolution to butcher meat.
Anecdotes and memorandum of a watchman named Patrick who was whitewashing his cousin's floor and fell through a window, an "alligator committee," an Uncle Maurice crossing Strawberry Ferry and Bonneau's Ferry, and a story of Bishop Bowen finding a replacement for himself for patrol duty.
A list of enslaved women confined at Midway Plantation and tools left out by the enslaved person Marcus. The bottom of the document is a balance of tools at Kensington Plantation.
A bill of sale for seven enslaved persons for $3,470 from Edward, Maurice and Thomas Simons, executors of the last will and testament of Keating Simons, to Ann Ball. The names of the enslaved persons are Sam, James, Chloe, Chloe's two children Adam and Betty, Judy and Monimia.
A letter from Ann Ball at Lewisfield Plantation to her parents John Ball Jr. and Ann Simons Ball discussing her sister Jane's headaches and her little brother Keating.
A list of 339 named enslaved persons at Comingtee/Stoke Plantation with associated figures identified as "quarts." Various names include the name of a parent and the location they work in such as "House."
The division and appraisement of Judith Boisseau Ball's estate according to her last will and testament which leaves her daughter Eleanor 6000 in currency and the rest of the estate to be equally divided. The division includes currency, enslaved persons and cattle.
A letter to Eleanor Ball from Thomas Smith discussing the division of his father's estate, Eleanor Ball's demands against the state, and a statement from a bond to Eleanor Ball.
A petition to the commissioners of the roads in St. John's Parish from Thomas Corbett Jr. and Nicholas Harleston. The petition concerns the inability to build a dwelling house on the plantation as a road prohibits this, and that the petitioners will pay for the construction of a new road.
Extract from Nicholas Trott's Law, "An Act for Establishing a Ferry Over the Western Branch of Cooper River." The extract pertains to the appointing of a "master or manager" of the ferry and his duties.
