Balls / Ralls Family

Contributed by Lowell Graves

I am a descendent of the Ralls family of Stafford and George Williams, founder of Stafford county. Your site is superb and congratulations, however, I have found error in the Overwharton Parish records. My Ralls ancestors are all listed in "B" group as Balls and is actually Ralls. John Ralls & Margaret Williams (daughter of George/Jean) had a son Nathaniel Williams Ralls b 1754 in Stafford. Nathaniel served in the Revolutionary War and was given bounty lands in eastern Kentucky for his service (Montgomery/Bath counties Kentucky). Nathaniel W Ralls married Susannah Stone daughter of Josia Stone and Mary Coleman of Stafford. They in turn had a son named Daniel Ralls (Daniel Stone Ralls, b 1785 in Stafford). Daniel married his cousin Mary (Molly) Stone daughter of Valentine Stone of Stafford. Daniel had the destiny of casting, while on his death-bed, the lone vote from St Louis in 1820 that sent William Hart Benton as senator for the new state of Missouri to Washington where he served some 32 years, a record not bested until well into the 20th century. Daniel & Mary Stone Ralls also had a son, John Williams Ralls b 1807, Bath County Kentucky, and he is my g-g-grandfather. There are still Ralls families in Virginia and several, after migrating into the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, well-represent the west coast. Daniel Stone Ralls was honored by having Ralls County Missouri named for him; and the name remains today, although there are no longer any of this Ralls line in the county or surrounding area. Another Ralls descendent, in another branch of my tree, founded and established a small west Texas town, named Ralls.

I just wanted to pass along these small footnotes of history on some very early Stafford/Westmoreland families.