Villagers became worried when Elizabeth went unseen for several days. They forced open the cottage door to discover her immobile and appearing to be at death's door. Due to the build up of straw used for her bedding and that of the animals her rescuers had to enter the building on their hands and knees. Only near the fire-place was it possible to stand upright. She recovered after receiving treatment at the poor-house. During her confinement, ten large cart loads of dung were taken out of her room, which was found so good, that a gentleman gave ten guineas for it! The family tried to persuade Elizabeth to change her ways. She had a steady allowance, possessed considerable property and was highly connected. There was no reason for her to be living in squalor, but she would not leave the goats. She resented the approach of any person as an intrusion. 

The cottage was described as little more than a hovel with all the windows boarded up possibly to avoid paying window tax. Miss Balls had a great dislike of paying bills, and carried it to the extreme that a visit from the sheriff's officer was often necessary to induce her to part with money. One very wet summer she seriously stretched her finances by purchasing a quantity of fresh-mown grass which she intended to make into hay in her orchard. But heavy rain made it impossible to dry the grass out and it ruined. For the cost of the grass Miss Balls was arrested and put into Chelmsford gaol. Owing money was regarded as a minor crime, but prison was harsh. She would likely have been placed in the wash house to work off the debt and to pay for her keep as well. The bleak cells were very cold without any form of lighting, apart from one candle positioned so as to allow the warders to blow it out at night. Immates were encouraged to read the Bible supervised by patrolling warders in the evening, again the real reason for the candle. The sentence may also have involved hard labour and possibly whipping at the end, something the Judge would have decided and passed to the Governor for action.