The Balch House

Visiting colonial homes is always fun but when it's the home of an ancestor, it makes it extra special. Our tour was given by 91-year-old, Nancy Peabody Hood, who has been living here and welcoming visitors for over 40 years. She lives in an apartment that adjoins these four rooms and goes up and down the steep stairs multiple times a day. It was a joy to visit with her while touring the house. Unfortunately, she shared that she will be moving into an apartment soon and the house will no longer be occupied. If you want a tour with this special lady, you need to plan to visit soon. There is a virtual tour with her here. Click on the house to download the video.

John Balch was one of the men sent to New England by the Dorchester Company to settle a fishing colony that started on Cape Ann and relocated to Salem on the Bass River Side that would become Beverly.

The three sons of John Balch:

1. Benjamin was born about 1629 and married three times. His first wife was Sarah Gardner, who died April 5, 1686. His second wife was Abigail Clarke, who died January 1, 1690, aged about 55 years. His third wife was Grace Mallett. 
2. John was born about 1631 and married Mary Conant, daughter of immigrant Roger Conant. She would marry William Dodge, Jr. after John's death. 
3. Freeborn was born about 1634 and by January 20, 1658, he was presumed dead as his estate was being administered by Walter Price of Salem and Benjamin is purchasing the land Freeborn inherited from their father unless "the abovesaid Freeborn Balch appear to be alive." 

Pretty windows

Sign outside

The front side of the house

The back of the house

The first room with the guestbook. It is estimated by a local house historian that it was only about half this size when originally built. That would mean an entire family living in one room, the size of a very small bedroom. There were no closets - only chests. 

The first room corner

The first room fireplace

This room was added for son, Benjamin and his family. That included his 13 children! This fireplace was modified in the 1700s to include a dutch oven. 

The other side of the second room

The bedroom above the first room - portraits are of Nathaniel & Mary (Fletcher) Balch. Nathaniel was the 4th great-grandson of immigrant John Balch. 

The other side of the bedroom over the first room 

The corner of the bedroom - 1640 chest and old book box with a Balch Bible. A cutout reveals the bricks used for insulation. They were made from the abundant clay in the area.

Mary Conant Balch was the son of John Balch, Jr. This is the other upstairs bedroom.

Mary's room - one of the tiniest colonial beds that I've seen.

Mary's room

Mary's room

John Balch
Benjamin Balch
Mary (Balch) Stone
Ruth (Stone) Morgan
Luke Morgan
Samuel Morgan
Martha (Morgan) Yates
Moses Yates
Gilbert W. Yates
Estes G. Yates
Linona Alice Yates - my grandmother

John Balch - 52 Ancestors #26

John Balch arrived in Massachusetts around 1624. He lived first at Cape Ann before moving to Salem in 1626. His home was in the part of town that later became Beverly. Based on his close associations, it is likely that he came as part of the Dorchester Company. He was granted the status of freeman on May 18, 1631.  When he took his oath, Roger Conant, Henry Herrick, and John Woodbury were with him. Balch, Conant, and Herrick are my 10th great-grandfathers and John Woodbury is my 11th great-grandfather. John Balch signed his will and owned several books so he could read and write. He served on a number of juries and town committees from the Salem selectmen to the supervisor of highway repairs and the committee on bridge repairs. In the records, two different wives are listed, Margery and Annis. However, there are no marriage records so it is unclear whether the first wife in the records is the mother of his children. Look for much more about the Balch House coming soon. 

The Balch House was home to John and later his son, Benjamin and their families.

Children of John Balch and his first wife: 

1. Benjamin was born about 1629 and married three times. His first wife was Sarah Gardner who died in Beverly on April 5, 1686. His second wife was Abigail Clarke. They married on February 5, 1689 in Marblehead and she died on January 2, 1690. He married his third wife, Grace Mallet on March 15, 1692 in Beverly. 
2. John was born about 1631 and married Mary Conant, daughter of another of my immigrant ancestors, Roger Conant. John was drowned in a storm while ferrying between Salem and Beverly. After his death, she married Capt. William Dodge, son of immigrant William Dodge - yet another immigrant ancestor. 
3. Freeborn was born about 1634 and seems to have been missing and presumed dead on January 20, 1658 when Walter Price of Salem was acting as the executor and administrator of his estate. Walter sold the land that Freeborn inherited from his father, John to his brother, Benjamin, unless "the abovesaid Freeborn Balch appear to be alive." 

Benjamin made up for his brothers' relatively short lives by having eleven children with his first wife and two more with his third wife! 

John Balch
Benjamin Balch
Mary (Balch) Stone
Ruth (Stone) Morgan
Luke Morgan
Samuel Morgan
Martha (Morgan) Yates
Moses Yates
Gilbert W. Yates
Estes G. Yates
Linona Alice Yates - my grandmother