William's incarceration at the Angleton Asylum continued for many years. In early 1919, his wife, Mary (Shepherd) Ball, passed away in early 1919 in Reynoldston, Glamorgan, at the age of 75. She was buried on 27 Feb 1919 in the St. George Church cemetery in Reynoldston.
Was William aware of his wife's passing? Did his daughter Mabel Charlotte visit her father or keep in touch with the facility's staff? We may never know.
On 10 January 1922, in the County Asylum, William James Ball passed away. On his death certificate, his age is noted at 63, and his address/occupation was listed as "of 2 St. George's Terrace, Reynoldston, Gower, Swansea, C.B., a Pensioned Letter Carrier". The cause of death is given as " Bright's Disease, duration unknown, (Mania) P.M. Certified by D. Finlay, M.D.". The informant was Mabel C. Ball, daughter, 140 Plassey Street, Penarth. The death was registered on 14 January 1922, by Margaret Davies.
William was buried on 14 January 1922, presumably with Mary, at the St. George (Anglican) Cemetery in Reynoldston.
Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that would describe acute or chronic nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys). It is typically denoted by the presence of serum albumin (blood plasma protein) in the urine, and frequently accompanied by oedema (swelling due to fluid retention in the body) and hypertension (high blood pressure). I suspect that Bright's Disease was a later diagnosis which hastened his demise. The exact nature of his mental illness is not discernible from his death certificate.
Such a sad end. I wonder how his father, William Huxtable Ball, would have felt to have lost a son. It must have been very sad.
Take care, K.
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