Landed Estates
University of Galway

Ball (Fort Fergus)

William Hawkins Ball was the eldest son of Benjamin Ball of Dublin and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of the Reverend James Hawkins, Bishop of Raphoe. He was born in 1797 and in 1845 married Juliana Salana, fifth daughter of Standish O’Grady, 1st Viscount Guillamore. He died at Ranelagh, Dublin in 1864. Most of the Ball estate was in the parish of Kilchreest, barony of Clonderalaw, county Clare but they also held a townland in the parish of Kilmihil. In the 1870s the representatives of Major W. H. Ball owned over 3,000 acres in county Clare and 78 acres in county Kilkenny. William and Julia Ball do not appear to have had any children and Weir writes that the heir presumptive was William’s nephew, Richard Hawkins Beauchamp. When Richard Hawkins Beauchamp, a resident of Dublin, died in 1904 he left £423,926 in his will. Walfords records a William Hawkins Ball of Fort Fergus and Ballinacally in 1910. By 1909 he had agreed the sale of his county Clare estate of 2,705 acres with the Congested Districts' Board. He wished to repurchase 305 acres. This William was born in 1874, the son of Captain William St. James Ball.

Associated Families

Houses

Name Townland Civil Parish PLU DED Barony County Map Ref  
Fort Fergus Fortfergus Kilchreest Killadysert Ballynacally 65 Clonderalaw Clare OSI Ref: R298 646
OS Sheet: 50
Discovery map: 57
Cornfield Cornfield Kilchreest Killala Ballynacally 65 Clonderalaw Clare OSI Ref: R286 646
OS Sheet: 50
Discovery map: 57 		Photo of Cornfield

Archival sources

  • Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (Dunboyne), Stacpoole, Ball & Cullinan, 5 Apr 1855, Vol 8, 39-48; James Hardiman Library, University of Galway
  • Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Stacpoole, Ball & Cullinan, 5 Apr 1855, Vol 34 (19), MRGS 39/016, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland

Contemporary printed sources

Modern printed sources