(Source of ) Hayball

  General Notes:

This is just a notional Hayball to tie the unidentified together - I'l fill in the space with the following ....

[Typed Sheets from Doris Hayball given to Rob Beresford c1965 - page 1 missing - ]

".....etc. Absentee landlords were common in Scotland).

Hayball therefore means the Bailiff or Agent of the boundary or in the modern parlance the agent or manager for the estate. There were many such all over England, but only in this portion of England does this term (and this name) occur, which makes it easy to trace family.

First records in 1502 when surnames came into vogue.

RICHARD HAYBALL was the manager (or agent) of the estate of the Abbot of Forde Mickleham in Dorsetshire, county borders must have been altered later, because county is now Somerset on the border of Devon. In Chard a Hayball (no known relation) lives in a house through the backyard of which runs the border of Somerset and Devon.

The manager (Richard) would be the only man who could read and write and cipher. The Abbot, himself, possibly could not.

Later, Henry VIII despoiled the monasteries (when he changed his religion) and Richard then leased the lands from the Crown. The old lease, from the Monastery in medieval English and dog Latin is contained in a book recording the events of that time.

All present day HAYBALLs descended from Richard, though there are many of them and they are not aware of any relationship. Seventeen Hayballs at the time of the last war were property owners and thus entitled to vote. 3 names are on the village war memorial at Coombes, 1914/18. The Hayballs of Manor Farm regarded as most important of the present family. The Hayball (Herbert) who went to that war from Australia was a member of that family.

Robert Hayball Snr.'s father married twice. Only relative extant in England descended from second wife. No close blood relatives. There is Frank however, son of daughter (Mrs Letley) of son of second wife. Were very prosperous until the failure of the Lace industry.

One of the oldest families in England.............................."

(Source married.