Hannah Atherold

Their family immigrated to America about 1650. William patents 240 acres on the northern side of the Rappahannock in May of 1651. In For Love of Family, Peter Baron describes William's contributions to the Northern Neck:

He was very prominent in early Northumberland & Lancaster County Courts. He served as Colonel of the Militia, Chief Justice of Northumberland County and was elected to the House of Burgesses from 1670 to 1680. He received numerous additional land grants. In 1663 he received and additional 1600 acres on the north side of the Rappahannock River on 17 April 1667. His Lancaster County Manor home was known as "Millenbeck." William was influential in the development of Northumberland County and Wicomico Parish. He would have 6 descendants serve as vestrymen of Wicomico Parish and 5 as Church Warden before 1800.

Their son Joseph had a daughter named Mary Ball who would go on to marry Augustine Washington and become the mother of George Washington, first president of the United States.

William died in 1680 and was buried at their home. Hannah died 15 years later and was buried beside him. In 1754 their grandson, Joseph Ball II wrote a letter to his cousin Joseph Chinn asking Chinn to go to the plantation where his grandparents lived and have Hannah Dennis show him where they are buried. Joseph asked that the spot be marked with locust stakes because, "I think to find a stone to put over them." Apparently the spot was not found and the grave site of William and Hannah has been forgotten.

Hannah was the great-grandmother of President George Washington. Her son Joseph had a daughter named Mary Ball who would go on to marry Augustine Washington and become the mother of George Washington.

Hannah Atherold is an ancestor of Mark Dameron through her daughter Hannah and an ancestor of Maida George through her son William.