For years, one of my most frustrating family mysteries was a simple question:
Who was Jeremiah Ballard?
Jeremiah was born about 1765 in New York and was the father of Horace Ballard, my 4× great-grandfather. But when I went looking for Jeremiah in the 1790 census, he was nowhere to be found. Worse, there were multiple men named Peleg Ballard, and genealogists had tangled their families together.
What follows is how I finally proved that:
Jeremiah Ballard was the son of Peleg Ballard (born 1728), and
Horace Ballard (born 1799) was Jeremiah’s son
— even without a will, baptism, or birth record.
The Ballard Family in Frederickstown, New York
In 1790, the town of Frederickstown, Dutchess County, New York contained a remarkable cluster of Ballards.
The census lists the following heads of household¹:
Peleg Ballard
Peleg Ballard, Jr.
John Ballard
Tracy Ballard
Caleb Ballard
William Ballard
This isn’t random. This is exactly what a father and his adult sons look like when they have divided up family land.
1790 US Federal Census for Frederickstown, New York
Where Was Jeremiah in 1790?
Jeremiah Ballard was born about 1765, so he was 25 years old in 1790. That means he should appear as a head of household.
But he doesn’t.
Looking closely at the census columns, something important emerges: Every Ballard household has exactly one adult male (16+).
That means Jeremiah is not hiding in any Ballard home. He must have been living with a non-Ballard household — common for young unmarried men who had not yet received land.
So Jeremiah didn’t vanish. He just wasn’t a landholder yet.
Jeremiah Appears — Right Where He Belongs
By 1799, Jeremiah begins appearing in the Frederickstown tax lists, and he continues through 1803².
Then the 1800 census reveals the truth.
On the 1800 Frederickstown census page, we see³:
Caleb Ballard Jeremiah Ballard
listed next to each other.
Census takers walked farm to farm. Neighbors on the page are neighbors in real life. And in rural New York, neighbors are usually family.
Caleb Ballard is a known son of Peleg Ballard. Jeremiah living next door proves he belongs to the same family.
Excerpt of the 1800 US Federal Census for Frederickstown, New York. Caleb and Jeremiah Ballard are next to each other.
Which Peleg Was Their Father?
There were multiple Peleg Ballards — so which one was the father?
The 1800 census answers that.
Peleg Ballard’s 1800 household shows⁴:
One male over 45
No younger adult males
1800 Census for Peleg Ballard in Frederickstown, New York.
That fits Peleg born 1728 (age 72 in 1800). It does not fit Peleg Jr., who would be about 40 and would have sons of his own.
By 1810, Peleg is gone. Only Caleb and Jeremiah remain in Frederickstown⁵.
That is exactly what happens when a father dies and only two sons remain on the land.
Jeremiah’s Household Includes Horace
Jeremiah’s 1800 census household shows³:
One adult male (Jeremiah)
One adult female (his wife)
One male under 10
One female under 10
That small boy is the right age to be Horace Ballard, born in 1799.
By 1810, Jeremiah’s household contains multiple sons, including one aged 10–16 — exactly where Horace belongs⁶.
1810 US Census for Frederickstown, New York – Jeremiah Ballard’s household.
DNA Confirms What the Records Suggest
Paper records tell us Jeremiah was Peleg’s son and Horace was Jeremiah’s son. DNA confirms it.
Multiple descendants of Horace Ballard match descendants of Caleb Ballard and John Ballard (Jeremiah’s brothers), all triangulating back to the Frederickstown Ballard family.
That means Horace does not belong to some other Ballard line. He belongs here.
Ancestry’s ThruLines Suggested Relationships
Why This Matters
There is:
No will naming Jeremiah
No baptism for Horace
No deed saying “my son Jeremiah”
But in early New York, that is normal.
What we do have is something better:
Census clusters
Tax rolls
Land continuity
Family geography
And DNA
Together they form a solid proof.
Conclusion
Even without a single “smoking gun” document, the evidence shows:
Peleg Ballard (born 1728) → Jeremiah Ballard (born 1765) → Horace Ballard (born 1799)
Sometimes history whispers instead of shouting. You just have to listen long enough.
Sources
1790 U.S. Census, Frederickstown, Dutchess County, New York
New York Tax Assessment Rolls, Frederickstown, Dutchess County, 1799–1803
1800 U.S. Census, Frederickstown, Dutchess County, New York
Ibid., Peleg Ballard household
1810 U.S. Census, Frederickstown, Dutchess County, New York
Ibid., Jeremiah Ballard household
Autosomal DNA triangulation between descendants of Horace Ballard and descendants of Caleb and John Ballard (private test data)
The Tumbleweed 