More references:
Christopher Johnston, "A Forgotten Member of the Ball Family", serialised in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, vol. VII, pp. 440-441 and vol. VIII, pp. 80-83 (1900), reprinted in Genealogies of Virginia Families, vol. 1, pp. 23-27 (1981), recounts how court records show Col. William Ball went to Maryland and probated the estate of his son Richard Ball. Richard had one daughter and NO OTHER CHILDREN.
Others have put forward Richard Ball and Elizabeth Linton as the parents of John Ball. The father of Elizabeth Linton was a Moses Linton of Lower Norfolk Co., VA. Richard Ball and Elizabeth with several Lintons moved to the Fairfax-Stafford county area from Norfolk Co. At this time, there is no known record evidence which links Richard Ball and Elizabeth Linton with John Ball.
In their book The Ball Family of the Potomac, 1654-2004, by Doris LeClerc Ball, Ph.D. George L. Ball, M.S., it is shown that DNA studies link John Ball of Stafford Co with a James Ball of Maryland.
The Ball DNA study has two descendants of Col William Ball in haplogroup I, kit #112926 and kit #13692. I have traced them back to a son of Col. William Ball using census, probate and land records. The descendants of John Ball are in Haplogroup R1b. They are NOT related.