Mary Ball Munroe was born circa 1651 in Lexington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts to John Ball (1620-1675) and Elizabeth Pierce (1624-1655) and died 1 August 1692 Lexington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts of unspecified causes. She married William Munroe (1625-1718) 1672 in Lexington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
Biography
Mary Ball of Watertown, Massachusetts, a woman with a troubled past. Her parents were English colonial immigrants, John Ball (1620-1676) and Elizabeth Pierce (1624-1655), but her mother died when she was only 4. Then her father and step-mother were in and out of court on charges of beatings and neglect, amid hints that the step-mother was insane.
Troubled early life due to neglect. A ward of the state at young age, "put out to service" given to Michael and Sarah Bacon 1-3-1656. Age age 20 she became pregnant by their son Michael Jr and suffered judicial sanctions for a child out of wedlock.
After a dreadful childhood and youth in Watertown MA and Woburn MA, Mary was rescued by William Munroe (1625-1718) and his wafe Martha George (1636-1672) of Cambridge Farms (later Lexington, Massachusetts).
When Martha died in 1672, Mary became the second Mrs Munroe and gave William ten children over the next two decades. William brought stability to Mary's life, and they had ten children together during their twenty years of marriage.
Her beautiful stone was among the first placed in the new (now the Old) Lexington Burying Ground. The records of the Middlesex County Court circa 1672 provide details on her story.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Elizabeth Munroe (1672-1714) | |||
| Daniel Munroe (1673-1734) | |||
| Hannah Munroe (1674-1736) | |||
| Mary Munroe (1678-1754) | |||
| David Munroe (1680-1755) | 6 October 1680 Cambridge Farms, Lexington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts | 19 June 1755 Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut | Deborah Howe (1685-1748) |
| Eleanor Munroe (1684-1729) | |||
| Sarah Munroe (1685-1707) | |||
| Joseph Munroe (1687-1765) | |||
| Benjamin Munroe (1690-1766) | |||
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| John Ball (1644-1722) | 1644 Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts | 8 May 1722 Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts | Sarah Bullard (1645-1722) |
| Mary Ball (1651-1692) | 1651 Lexington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts | 1 August 1692 Lexington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts | Michael Bacon Jr (c1640-) William Munroe (1625-1718) |
| Sarah Ball (1654-) | |||
| Esther Ball (1655-) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Abigail Ball (1658-) | |||
| Mary Ball (1667-) | |||
| Joseph Ball (1669-1676) | |||
Vital Records
Gravestone
First gravestone of the Old Burying Ground
First gravestone of the Old Burying Ground in Lexington, Massachusetts. Gravestone Location: Old Burying Ground, Lexington MA, Plot A.36 Gravestone Inscription:
Here lyes ye body of Mary Munroo wife to William Munroo aged 41 years died Aug 1692