Inventory of Benjamin Ballard

Earlier in the week I posted a photo of my 4th-great-grandmother Emily A. H. Ballard Read. Her grandfather, my 6th-great-grandfather, was Benjamin Ballard. He was born approximately 1725. I'm beginning this dive into the Ballard family with Benjamin's estate, published in the Spotsylvania County Court records and entered on 14 February 1814. Huge thanks go out to Stephen Ballard, and his excellent research on the Ballard family in the Ballard of Virginia & Kentucky. The list provides a look into the contents of a Spotsylvania, Virginia plantation.

Inventory and appraisement of the Estate of Benjamin Ballard Senr decd. taken 14th day of February 1814

1 Bed bedstead & furniture
1 Ditto & ditto
1 Ditto & ditto
1 Blue Chest
1 Chest
1 Safe
1 small pine table
1 round walnut table
1 old pine table
1 arm chair
8 flag [chairs] Ditto
1 small looking glass
1 old spinning wheel
1 [] cotton cards
1 [] old [cards] ditto
1 coffee mill
1 [] sheep shears
1 hone & strap 2 razors
1 [] scales and weights
1 compass
1 butter pot
1 small pot
2 small jugs
1 pocket jug
1 coffee pot
1 set knives and forks
6 old knives gold forks
2 candle sticks and 1 set snuffers
1 tin pan & strainer & can
Amt carried up - $129.38 1/2
2 brass locks
9 cups 8 saucers 4 tea spoons
8 earthen plates
1 large and 1 small earthen dish
1 earthen sugar dish
1 butter bole 1 bowl
1 wine glass
2 earthen muggs
2 pepper boxes 1 gally pot
2 slays
2 shickles & baskett
1 old loom
1 old side saddle
2 old chests
1 mans saddle & bridle
1 blind bridle 2 snaffleds
1 chains and harness & rope
1 ditto, ditto & yoke & harness
2 horse collars
1 cary plough
1 old barshare
1 shovel plough
1 ditto, ditto
1 half share hoe & colter
2 clevis and pins
2 pr iron wedges
2 axes
2 ditto
1 hatchet, pick axe and howell
2 augers 1 drawing knife
2 gouges 3 chisels
box iron
1 adze 1 howell & compass
1 frow spoke shave & gouge
Amount carried over $165.12 1/2
2 hammers
1 shoe ditto & pinches
3 gimbels
1 iron pin
1 basket & old iron
1 ditto old chains
1 old flax wheel
1 wheat scythe 2 graps
1 cutting box
1 grind stone
1 calf bushell & peck
1 yoke
3 sivingle trees
1 single pot & 2 pr hooks
1 iron skillet
1 large iron pot & hooks
1 iron pot rack
1 oven & lid
4 old grubbing hoes
6 old hoes
1 tar bucket
1 old sieve
1 water tub 2 piggins wash noggin
1 small bell
1 small iron hoop'd barrel
1 old barrel 1 heat out
5 light casks
1 meat tubb
6 mobby stands
Set waping bars & boxes
1 ox cart
1 pr small wheels
1 chain & iron hammer
Amount carried up $223.43 1/2
1 Black mare
1 small bay ditto
1 grey horse
11 ewes 11 lambs
12 sheep
1 yearling white face
1 small ditto
1 work stear
1 ditto
1 buffalo bull
1 yoke young stears
1 bell cow
1 milk cow
1 red heifer
1 white face cow
1 sow 7 pigs
4 out shoats
waggon tongue, hounds & axel trees
13 fatning hogs
3 bee hives
1 gun
1 pr saddle bags
tongues griddle & shovel
Meal tubb
Meal bagg
1 rum hogshead
Carried over $603.76 1/2

Negroes
Cate ($100)
Judith ($250)
Aggy ($300)
Hannah & Child ($400)
Charlotte ($250)
Dudley ($300)
Davey ($450)
Warner ($200)
Jenney & child Henry ($400)
Milton ($250)
Silvia ($100)
Robin ($150)

[Total estate $3753.76 1/2]

Spotsylvania County, to wit,

By virtue of an Order from the worshipful Court of Spotsylvania County to us directed, which is hereunto annexed, We the undersigned, have in obediance thereto appraised all the Estate of Benjamin Ballard decd shown us by James Ballard the Exor and find the same to amount to the sum of Three thousand seven hundred & fifty three Dollars seventy six and one half cents current money which will appear by reference to the aforegoing Inventory - Given under our hands and seals this 14th day of February 1814.

Samuel Schooler {seal}
Jos. Chew {seal}
John Mitcham {seal}

Spotsylvania April Court 1814

This Inventory and appraisement of the Estate of Benjamin Ballard decd was returned and is order to be recorded.

Teste. Robert S. Chew