Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of James Ball a stone quarry Worker, born 1847 in Bakewell, Derbyshire and his wife Mary Ann Ball (nee Milne, married on the 25th December 1871 in Ratby, Leicestershire), born 1851 in Mountsorrel, Leicestershire. James was born in the 4th quarter of 1876 in Groby, Leicestershire, he had one sibling a brother Joseph, born 1880 in Mountsorrel, In April 1881 the family home was at Ratby Road, Ratby. In April 1891 James was employed as a labourer and was residing at Ratby Road, Ratby, together with his father, a quarry worker, his mother and sibling Joseph, a schoolboy. In March 1901 James was absent from the family home at Ratby Road, Groby, residing there was his father a granite quarry worker, his mother and sibling, Joseph, a granite quarry worker, James was employed as an assistant game keeper and was residing as a boarder at 13, The Crescent, Bardon Hill, Leicestershire. In April 1911 James was employed as a stone quarry platelayer and was residing in the family home at Berry's Lane, Ratby together with his wife Ada Ball, a hosiery trade worker, born 1886 in Appleby, Derbyshire and their daughter Phyllis Annie, born 1908 in Ratby. James was wounded by a shell burst and was rescued by German soldiers, he was treated for his injuries at Soignies, but sadly died in captivity from his wounds a few days later.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Images courtesy of James Ball's descendants 2011.