The Ballous are originally of French extraction. Colonel William Ballou was sent from England as a young military officer with a contingent of soldiers to protect the colonists against the American Indians about 1640 or 1650. He owned property in Boston, Massachusetts, and Dover, New Hampshire. He later received a land grant in Henrico County, Virginia. Colonel Ballou disposed of his New England holdings and moved to his Virginia property, establishing what is now call the Virginia line of Ballous.
| Colonel William Ballou Born: August 1, 1620 in England Died: Unknown Married: Dorothy Parker in Massachusetts Six Known Children: 1. Leonard Ballou, born ca. 1645. 2. William Ballou II, born ca. 1650. 3. Thomas Ballou. 4. Ann Ballou. 5. Elizabeth Ballou. 6. Gilbert Ballou. |
| Leonard Ballou Born: Unknown Died: Unknown Married: Esther Meredith Two Known Children: 1. Rhys Meredith Ballou, born ca. 1706. 2. Bennet Ballou. |
| Rhys Meredith Ballou Born: ca. 1706 Died: ca. 1780 Married: Unknown One Known Child: 1. Leonard Ballou, born 1735. |
| Leonard Ballou Born: 1735 in Virginia Died: 1783 Married 1st: Ms. Boliew Married 2nd: Sarah Wingfield Nine Known Children by Ms. Boliew 1. Leonard Ballou, born ca. 1762. 2. James Ballou, born ca. 1764. 3. Owen Meredith Ballou, born Sept. 29, 1766. 4. Elizabeth Ballou. 5. Margaret Ballou. 6. Susannah Ballou. 7. Tamzon Ballou. 8. Esther Ballou. 9. Catherine Ballou. Five Known Children by Sarah Wingfield: 10. William Ballou, born 1795. 11. Charles Ballou, born 1797. 12. Thomas H. Ballou, born 1798. 13. Robert Ballou, born 1802. 14. Joseph Ballou, born 1804. |
| Owen Meredith Ballou Born: September 29, 1766 in Amherst Co., VA Died: March 17, 1847 in Ashe Co., NC Married 1st: Mary "Polly" Baker in Ashe Co., NC Married 2nd: Nancy __?__ in Ashe Co., NC Eleven Known Children by Mary Baker (All Born in Ashe Co., NC): 1. Tamzon "Tamsy" Ballou, born Dec. 5, 1797. 2. James Ballou, born Dec. 12, 1799. 3. Leonard Ballou, born Sept. 16, 1802. 4. Jesse Ballou, born Aug. 27, 1804. 5. Blake Ballou, born Aug. 27, 1806. 6. Baker Ballou, born Oct. 22, 1811. 7. Thomas Ballou, born April 7, 1815. 8. Napoleon Bonaparte Ballou, born Feb. 3, 1817. 9. John Rhys Ballou, born Aug. 17, 1819. 10. Hugh S. Ballou, born Jan. 7, 1822. 11. Ester Ballou, born April 25, 1826. |
| John Rhys Ballou Born: August 17, 1819 in Ashe Co., NC Died: November 24, 1908 in Ashe Co., NC Married: Sarah "Sallie" Porter abt. 1838 in Ashe Co., NC Five Known Children born in Ashe Co., NC: 1. Mary Ballou, born Sept. 2, 1840. 2. Meredith Ballou, born Nov. 17, 1842. 3. Reid Ballou, born Dec. 3, 1859. 4. Sarah Ann Ballou, born June 13, 1863. 5. Samuel Ballou, born ca. 1868. |
| Sarah Ann Ballou Born: June 13, 1863 in Ashe Co., NC Died: August 29, 1890 in Ashe Co., NC Married: John Calvin Shepherd, July 23, 1883 Four Known Children: 1. Grover Cleveland Shepherd, born May 6, 1885. 2. Fieldin Jones Shepherd, born Sept. 13, 1886, died Feb. 22, 1887. 3. Victoria Maude Shepherd, born Jan 16, 1888, died Mar. 7, 1892. 4. Benjamin Harrison Shepherd, born Feb. 9, 1890. |
| Grover Cleveland Shepherd Born: May 6, 1885, Ashe Co., NC Died: August 19, 1954 Married: Ethel Isabelle Walker, January 26, 1910 Eight Known Children: 1. James Wilburn Shepherd, born July 10, 1911. 2. Walter Leonard Shepherd, born Feb. 22, 1913. 3. Robert Blaine Shepherd, born 1915. 4. Sallie Edith Shepherd Howard, born Aug. 16, 1918. 5. Ralph Franklin Shepherd, born July 8, 1920. 6. Myrtle Luna Shepherd Pugh, born Aug. 29, 1922. 7. Mont Fred Shepherd, born Sept. 1, 1926. 8. Betty Ruth Shepherd Williams, born Feb. 28, 1933. | Benjamin Harrison Shepherd Born: Feb. 9, 1890, Ashe Co., NC Died: Jan. 9, 1979, Jefferson, NC Married: Sibbie Neaves, Jan. 22, 1911 Three Known Children: 1. Thelma Ennis Shepherd Fender, born Mar. 22, 1914. 2. Leonard Harrison Shepherd, born Jan. 3, 1918. 3. Wayne Dale Shepherd, born Dec. 16, 1919. |