Brief History of the Ballew-Broaddus Family
In 1811[,] Matt Ballew, a slave, came from Culpepper County, Virginia. He and his wife, Hannah, came with their slave master Tom Ballew, a preacher. Tom Ballew had acquired several hundred acres of land in Madison County, K[Y] near the present site of Kingston, K[Y].
Because Preacher Tom Ballew disliked the Southern custom of white overseers and their whipping of slaves, Tom appointed Matt, his slave to be his overseer.
Matt and Hannah were the parents of six (6) sons and seven (7) daughters: Smith, Barney, George, Hank, Jack, Squire, Jane, Christina, Becky, Millie, Sallie, Phillis[,] and Winnie.
In 1846 after the death of George Ballew[,] his wife Polly became owner of the Ballew possessions, including Matt. Matt remained overseer of the Ballew farm.
Many of the slaves of the Ballew Farm were hired out to work for other families in the area with the understanding that if they needed punishing they must be sent home to the Ballew Farm for Matt to do the punishing.
While Matt was overseer of the Ballew Farm[,] he became a member of the Old Bethel Church where his master was a member. The church was located on the old Dixie Highway.
Polly's youngest daughter married a Pleas Broad[d]us from what is now a part of Estill County. Matt was given to the young couple and became Matt Broaddus.
However, all of Matt Broaddus' children are known as Ballew because they were born while he was "Matt Ballew."
Matt Ballew-Broad[d]us worked closely with Bob Rhodes to establish a church for slaves. Curtis Burman gave Matt a plot of land on the North side of Richmond. On it Matt and Bob established the first church of the Colored United Baptist. Matt Ballew-Broaddus was the first moderator and Bob Irvine was the first preacher.
Borrowed from the Fifty-Third Family Reunion of the Ballew Broaddus Simpson Noland Families September 1995 Sunday Church Program.