John Ballard, Bristol Ship Record 1659 - listed as indentured servant on ship
from Bristol to Virginia in 1659. Indentured for 6 years on August 15, 1659 Agent, John Brian (aka John Bryant, Bryan and Bryant of Bitton).

NOTE: Also indentured at the same time was a Lewes Brian of Bitton:
Record Identification Number=5197
Servant Name: Lewes Brian Name Gender: male
Place of Origin: Bitton, Gloucestershire
Date of Indenture: August 15 1659
Indenture Length: 5 years Destination: Virginia
Information Agent Information: John Brian Gender: male

Database source: http://www.virtualjamestown.org/indentures/search_indentures.html
By David Boyett on April 18, 2007

5 August 1659. The following bound to John Brian, planter, to serve in Virginia: Lewes Brian of Bitton, Glos, yeoman, for 4 years; Robert Brian of Bitton for 5 years; John Ballard of Bitton for 6 years.

https://andersonnc.com/2023/03/02/john-bryan-1672-a-curious-patent/

Additional information on John Bryan and Lewis Bryan: http://www.ken-lindsay.com/bryant_studies.htm
Looking for this research since link went bad: Ken Lindsay and Bryant Family research
Needham BRYANT born 1772 as a son of Lewis and Nancy (Hinton) BRYANT of Johnston Co., North Carolina. (Batch #8709608, Sheet #94, Source Call #1396328).
http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/BALLARD/2002-01/1010153426

5 August 1659. The following bound to John Brian, planter, to serve in Virginia: Lewes Brian of Bitton, Glos, yeoman, for 4 years; Robert Brian of Bitton for 5 years; John Ballard of Bitton for 6 years.

Nugent's Cavalier and Pioneers P. 518 15 Oct 1652 shows us that a John Bryan on 15 Oct 1652 was granted 168 Acres on Nansemond River, called Indian Creek.

Nearly seven years later, we know John Bryan was living in Virginia, as records in England, dated 15 August 1659, the following Lewis Bryan and Robert Bryan were bound to "John Brian, planter, to serve in Virginia: Lewes Brian of Bitton, Glos, yeoman, for 4 years; Robert Brian of Bitton for 5 years."

Research reference: John of Bitton

source: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~fcharper/theory.html
Patent to Elias Ballard. 28 Apl 1711 Nansemond County 702a. 585a part thereof. Beg.g &c on the North West side of a swamp of Sumerton Creek, known by the name of the Bever dam swamp. 117a the residue Beg.g &c on the so. side of the aforesd. Sumerton creek it being a line tree of John Lees land .... William Speight's line ..... Hookes .... 14 persons to dwell within this our Colony of Virginia whose names are Jane Burk, Thomas Ross, Mary Taylor, Eliza. Reed, Anne Reed, James Fleming, Francis Cambridge, Eliza. Rod(?), Richard Rod(?), John Knowles, Saml. Woodward, William Williams, Eliza. Goodwin, & Margaret Thompson. Patents 10, p 17

Again we see the mention of Sumerton Creek. It would appear that Cabbin Branch and Beaver Dam Swamp were both branches that fed into Sumerton Creek which in turn flowed into the Chowan River.

Elias Ballard appeared on an earlier patent that might indicate other members of his family.

Joseph Ballard, Elisha Ballard, and Elias Ballard of Nansemond County Nansemond County 20 Apr 1694 550 acres being on the Southward swamp of Sumerton Creek in the Upper Parish of Nansemond County ... transportation of eleven persons ... Patents 8, p 334

28 April 1711. Elias Ballard. Patent for 702 A. in Upper Parish of Nansemond Co.; beginning on northwest side of Beaver Dam Swamp of Sumerton Creek; adjacent Hooke's land; and William Speight's line. (NugIII, p. 115)

Elias Ballard Nansemond County 24 Jan 1717 400 acres being near Sumerton in the Upper Parish of Nansemond County ... a corner tree of Elias Ballard in John Holland's line ... to a pine in John Bryant's line ... Patents 10, p 359

16 Nov 1744. John Ballard of Craven County to Thomas Price of Edgecombe, for 16 pounds VA money, 150 acres all the land the sd. John bought of William Gause near the Rainbow Banks. Wit: William Taylor, Elias Ballard, John Hooks, Sr. Reg. Edge. Co. Feb. Ct. 1744 Robert Forster C.Ct.

Elias Ballard's land was mentioned again in a 1747 patent to Luke Ralls (Rawls) for 200 acres in Nansemond on the SE side of Back Swamp adjoining John Bryan's patent, William Ralls, John Yeats, and Elias Ballard. Patents 26, p 6

The 1729 Chowan Co will of Joseph Ballard named, among others, sons Elisha Ballard, Elias Ballard, and Joseph Ballard.

In 1717, Elias Ballard patented land in Nansemond near Sumerton which adjoined a John Holland.

On 6 Apr 1722, Ralph Ballard patented 528 acres on the east side of Chowan River 'twixt the river and Hell's pocoson joining Jonathon Robenson (Robinson). The collection of Ballard records at http://history.cc.ukans.edu/heritage/cousin/miscreca.htm
seems to indicate that the Ballards in this area were probably relatives of Elias Ballard of Nansemond. The reference to Jonathan Robinson's land further associates this land with the families that lived near Sumerton Creek.

We know that the John Harris land in 1682 was within sight of William Breames' house. The 1675/76 patent to Harris also mentions Wm Brin as holding adjoining land. In 1682, Robert Hookes patented 200 acres on the main swamp of the western branch of the Nansemond. The grant states that this was one half of a patent granted to his father (not named) and William Bream. Certainly the Bream land and Hookes land must have adjoined once the patent was divided into two 200 acre tracts. I could not find the earlier patent to William Bream and the father of Robert Hookes (probably occurred before 1676 since we know Bream held land at that time), but I did find later patents in Nansemond to John Hookes for land in Nansemond on the E side Sumerton Creek adjoining William Speight in 1701, and to William Hooks for land in Nansemond near Somerton Creek in 1719, and to Robert Hookes for land in Nansemond on Cyprus Swamp of Sumerton Creek in 1711.

This again points to the importance of the Elias Ballard patent claiming Samuel Woodward as a headright.

Elias Ballard. 28 Apl 1711 Nansemond County
702a. 585a part thereof. Beg.g &c on the North West side of a swamp of Sumerton Creek, known by the name of the Bever dam swamp. 117a the residue Beg.g &c on the so. side of the aforesd. Sumerton creek it being a line tree of John Lees land. ... William Speight's line ..... Hookes ..... Headrights listed for this patent included Jane Burk, Thomas Ross, Mary Taylor, Eliza. Reed, Anne Reed, James Fleming, Francis Cambridge, Eliza. Rod(?), Richard Rod(?), John Knowles, Saml. Woodward, William Williams, Eliza. Goodwin, & Margaret Thompson Patents 10, p 17

John Hooks was one of the witnesses to the 1729 will of Joseph Ballard of Chowan Co which named among others, sons Elisher Ballard and Elias Ballard. In 1694, Joseph Ballard, Elisha Ballard, and Elias Ballard had patented land together in Nansemond on Sumerton Creek.

http://genealogical-gleanings.com/Early%20Virginia.htm
In 1659 John Ballard came to Isle of Wight, VA as an indentured servant bound to John Brian for a period of six years.. He is first mentioned in a land grant in VA in 1673 as noted by Cavaliers and Pioneers, Vol. II p. 130 in which he mentions his wife, Besheba and sons John and Joseph. John was born in 1639 in Bitton, Gloucester, England. He married Elizabeth Besheba ca 1670 in Isle of Wight or Nansemond Co., VA. Together John and Elizabeth had two known sons: Joseph and John and two suspected sons: Peter and Ralph. All the children of John and Elizabeth are not known. John died in 1704 in either Nansemond or Isle of Wight, VA. Elizabeth died shortly before him around 1700.

Joseph Ballard, son of John and Elizabeth, was born ca 1673 in Isle of Wight or Nansemond, VA. He moved to Chowan, NC where he marrired Anne Unknown in 1700.

John Ballard b. abt. 1680 Nansemond Co Va. d. 12 MAR 1763 Wayne Co NC
See Last Will and Testament of John Ballard, Wayne/Dobbs CO, NC March 12, 1763
http://www.pbase.com/daveb/image/59464777
Children: Jacob Ballard Boyett b 1755 and Joseph Ballard Boyett b 1759 (Boyte)