Mr William Bally was born in around 1769 in the county of Somerset and he went into business as an upholsterer. In the first half of the 19^th century, he was living and working in the city of Bath. He took on an apprentice, Thomas Peacock, in 1801.

William was in a business partnership with Benjamin Bartrum. The firm of Bally and Bartrum carried on a number of varied business activities from their upholstery warehouse at 10 Milsom Street. They were described as: “Upholsterers, Cabinet-Makers, Auctioneers, Undertakers, and House-Agents”!

Bally & Bartrum regularly placed advertisements for auction sales in the Bath Chronicle, until their partnership was dissolved by mutual consent on 25^th March 1822. On 13^th May 1824, an advertisement appeared in the Bath Chronicle for a house to let at 19 Gay Street. Interested parties were to apply to the house agent or to Mr Bally of Sion-Hill. William Bally continued to work on his own account well into the 1840s.

William married Matilda Payne at St. George’s, Hanover Square in London in June 1806; however, it is not known whether they had any children. On census night, 6^th June 1841, William Bally, aged 70, who by then was of independent means, was living with his wife, Matilda, aged 55 at their home on Sion Hill. Also living with them were Elizabeth Payne, a relative of Matilda’s, aged 60, also of independent means; and James Payne, aged 14. They had three servants living in: John Sheppard, aged 45; Eliza England, aged 30 and Martha Manning, aged 25.

Mr William Bally died at his residence on Sion Hill, on 21^st December 1848 at the age of 79.

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