John Hall

John Hall (Elizabeth King1) was born around 1700 in Taunton,Bristol Co.,MA, and died 1766 in Raynham,Bristol Co.,MA. He married Mary (Unknown) ABT 1725 in Taunton,Bristol Co.,MA. She was born ABT 1694, and died ABT 1727 in Taunton,Bristol Co.,MA. He married Hannah Williams ABT 1728 in Taunton,Bristol Co.,MA. She was born ABT 1695.

Children of John Hall and Mary (Unknown) are:

1. Freelove Hall was born ABT 1716 in Taunton,Bristol Co.,MA. She married Jacob Woodward ABT 1745 in Raynham,Bristol Co.,MA. He was born ABT 1725.
2. Brian Hall was born 9 JUL 1727 in Taunton,Bristol Co.,MA, and died 13 DEC 1788 in Norton,Bristol Co.,MA.

Children of John Hall and Hannah Williams are:

1. John Hall was born 26 JAN 1728/1729 in Raynham,Bristol Co.,MA, and died 1809.
2. Hannah Hall was born 11 NOV 1730 in Taunton,Bristol Co.,MA.
3. Elkanah Hall was born DEC 1732 in Raynham,Bristol Co.,MA.
4. Elisha Hall was born 10 SEP 1735 in Raynham,Bristol Co.,MA.
5. Joseph Hall was born 18 MAR 1736/1737 in South Raynham,Bristol Co.,MA, and died 4 NOV 1813 in Bristol Co.,MA.
6. Noah Hall was born 26 DEC 1741 in Raynham,Bristol Co.,MA, and died 6 MAY 1835 in Gouldsboro,Hancock Co.,ME.

The Halls of New England

John was a large landholder and farmer, resided in that section of Taunton which became Raynham in 1731, and held town offices several years, as well as other positions of trust. He and his family were members of the First Congregational Church.

Crows, blackbirds, blue jays and woodpeckers were very numerous and did much injury to the grain crops of the first settlers so that a price was put upon their heads. May 23, 1715 the town voted to pay three half pence a head for every flying blackbird or Jaw’s head that should be killed in this town, and the heads brought to the selectman, or John Smith, or Eliezer Fischer, between this time and next March. It may be interesting for some of our readers to know who the hunters were in those days and we therefore make the following extract from the town records”

Sept 19th, 1715 voted to pay –

To John Hall for killing six birds 00 09

John’s children were by Mary, his first wife, and by Hannah Williams, his second wife (who is mentioned in probate records ) .

Mary may have had a former husband, Joseph Hall, as on the 14th of Feb 1721, Nicholas Morey (her grandmother’s 3rd husband) deeded to Mary Hall, widow of Joseph Hall of Taunton, twenty acres of land in that town, and on the 1st of March, 1726, he deeded to the heirs of Joseph Hall, late of Taunton, deceased, "for love and affection" a "little lot in Dighton." (Bristol Co. Deeds, 59, 190: 45, 41).

Mary was born to William Brettun of Taunton (born abt 1679, deceased prior to 1732, possibly 1724) mother is Lydia Leonard daughter of Capt. James Leonard and his wife Lydia Gulliver, both of whom are buried in Neck-O-Land Cemetery (see photos), on Summer Street in Taunton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. Lydia Britton was among the petitioners at the Taunton church meeting on 7 October 1731 for an independent church at Raynham, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. She died 20 May 1735, according to one record, while another places her death on 13 March 1773, aged 94 years. William probably died on 1732. .

Name: William Brittun (Britten, Brittain, Breadon, Breedon)

Spouse: Lydia Leonard

Marriage Date: 26 Oct 1698

Marriage Place: Taunton

Source: Vital Records of Taunton

Full Text: BRITTUN, William (Britten) and Lydia Leonard, Oct. 26, 1698.Intention not recorded.

Siblings include: William, Abiall, Ebenezer, Pendleton, Lydia, Sarah, Elizabeth, James & Abigail (all mentioned in grandmother’s will – “children of my son William Brettun dcd., late of Taunton”).

Mary’s great-great grandfather Brian Pendleton (emigrant from Birmingham parish) died during the winter of 1680-81, either in Winter Harbor or Wells, Maine, at the home her grandmother Mary (Pendleton, Brettun, Cross, Morey). Two Wells men were appointed to take the inventory of his estate, indicating he may have died there .

During his lifetime, Brian gave son James 140 acres of land in Sudbury and also 700 acres in Westerly, Rhode Island, that he had obtained in a business transaction. He also apparently turned over business interests in Portsmouth to James. The major's will left land on the Great Island in Portsmouth to grandsons Pendleton Fletcher and Brian Pendleton, Saco area property to his wife, and housing and land at Wells to Mary and Hannah Pendleton, daughters of James and his first wife. This included "three plantations or lotts."

The will of James-2 Pendleton, names wife, Hannah, sons: Joseph, Edmund and Caleb, daughters Ann Borwn, Eleanor Pendleton and Dorothy Pendleton, "children by my present wife, Hannah," and daughters Mary and Hannah "had by my former wife."

No reference is made by Capt. James Pendleton to his sons, James and Brian, named in his father's will in 1677, or to any heirs of these sons, and as no mention of any such has elsewhere appeared, it would seem indisputable that James and Brian died without issue.

Grandmother is Mary (Pendleton) Morey of Digton born abt 1653 (will dated 10/25/1732), She was married three times: William Brettun, Joseph Cross & Nicholas Morey dcd., her father is James Pendleton (mentioned in will, b abt. 1628 Eng – d. abt 1709 RI) , her grandfather is Briant Pendleton (mentioned in will, b abt. 1599 Eng – d. abt 1680 NH). Mary’s will mentions rights to lands in “the Province of Newhamshire” belonging to Briant Pendleton her grandfather .

Mary married (2) Joseph Cross, son of John Cross of Wells, Maine. He was a soldier from Wells in the Indian War of 1677, and died 18 Jun 1684, leaving no children.

His will, dated at Wells, 2 March 1683/4, proved 2 Aug 1684, names wife Mary as executrix and makes a bequest to "My wife's soun Willi: Breeden" (York Deeds, Book v, part 1, folio 28) .

Mary also married (3) Nicholas Morey before 25 May 1685 in Wells, Maine. Nicholas died 1731 in Dighton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts

Name Year of Birth Place of Birth Year of Death Place of Death Description Bibliography

Morey, Nicholas 1663 England 1731 Dighton Freetown HR 1721M; selectman 1688; M Mary (Pendleton) (Britton) Cross (c1653-1732) in c1685, no ch; innkeeper, carpenter; will. Three black slaves. Moved from Wells to Taunton, Freetown, and Dighton by 1722. No committees. 1956 Pendleton g 42-9; Torrey 518; Bristol Co Prob Abs 1:193, 195

The grandchildren are left ¾’s of her real estate to divide equally except James (executor) who gets ¼. Mary’s will states that her granddaughter Mary Hall is to enjoy her part during her lifetime but after her “deceased” her children to enjoy her part equally between them and their heirs . (Mary is the only grandchild that was called out separately perhaps indicating that she already had children) Land includes “land in the meadows” in the county of York in Massachusetts (now Maine), Leindy & Meadows in the Providence of New Hampshire, goes on to mention land of her father, grandfather & former husbands.

John Hall had 8 children all of whom lived to adulthood.

With Mary

-Freelove (Silence ?)

David Hall’s book, The Halls of New England lists a marriage to Jacob Woodward of Vermont in Raynhan, Brian Hall son of Mary and John Hall who married Abiah and died 1778 in his will mentions a brother-in-law Jacob Woodward who was married to Silence to whom he left property to in Providence RI .

1812 WOODWARD WOODWARD Jacob, in 85th year, at Providence, Aug. 5, 1822 Death Providence

1824 WOODWARD WOODWARD Silence, wife of Jacob, at North Providence, in 76th year, Nov. 26, 1816 Death Providence

-Brian

(Editor’s note: Brian is a direct descendant whose life is outlined in a separate entry under his name)

With Mary

-John

The First Book of Raynham mentions Children of John Hall & Hannah his wife: July 29, 1728 John - Monday

John is mentioned in his father’s probate record as eldest son.

We left of to John Hall eldest son of the deceased all the aforesaid of five lots of land:

Appraise 10 acres of land at a place called pine hill 4:0:0

One small lot in Taunton ____ and cedar swamp that lyeth South of end of that of _______ ________ Late Deceased 2:6:0

One small lot that lyeth North of ________ Lot 2:8:1

Small lot high to the North purchase ____ so called 1:6:0

One small right in the old iron works in Raynham and two seventh parts of purchase Rights in old Taunton township three lots of land for cash for forty seven pounds thirteen shillings and seven pence and also fire arms three swords and farming utensils agreeable to the inventory given to him turn other To the value of ten pounds ten shilling and seven pence all which we appraise at seventy five pounds fourteen shillings and ten pence an let of to the aforesaid John. John Hall as his full part or Dubbed portion 75:14:10

-Hannah

The First Book of Raynham mentions Children of John Hall & Hannah his wife: Nov 11, 1730 Hannah - Thursday

John Hall’s probate mentions grandchildren Thomas, Ebenezer, Hannah & Lydia Stetson (looks like Studson?). – Robert Leo Hall’s book pg/60-61 list these same grandchildren and states that John’s daughter Hannah married Ebenezer Stetson.

Cemetery records in Dighton (NEGHS) Sacred to the memory of Mrs. Anna wife of Mr. Ebenezer Stetson she died May 21st 1796 aged 63 years, Dighton Bristol Co. Massachusetts , US, Old cemetery at site of First Church . In Ancestory, the 1840 census of Dighton mentions an Ebenezer Stetson of Dighton, age 79 who was in the war.

-Elkanah

The First Book of Raynham mentions Children of John Hall & Hannah his wife: Dec 6, 1732 Elkanah - Wednesday

NEGS, Taunton Graveyards - King Burying Ground: (1124) In memory of Elkanah son of Lt John Hall who died Dec 14, 1755 in ye 23d year of his age.

Not mentioned in his father’s probate record but is deceased for 11 years already in 1766.

-Elisha

The First Book of Raynham mentions Children of John Hall & Hannah his wife: Sept 10, 1735 Elisha – Wednesday

Not mentioned in his father’s probate record.

-Joseph

Joseph is mentioned in his father’s probate record.

Probate records state that nothing is left to Joseph Hall son of deceased because he already got a gift in his lifetime of 95 acres estimated at 3 quid and 50 pounds.

-Noah

Noah is mentioned in his father’s probate record.

Probate records state that nothing is left to Noah Hall son of the deceased because he already got a gift in his lifetime of four (?) pieces of land which are estimated at three hundred pounds the land being about 84 acres.

NEHGS.org, Henry Andrews of Taunton pg 18 & 19 includes a map of land drawn in 1728 called Neck Plain which lists J. Hall. The text speaks of the Neck formerly being called Calves Necke . In 1683 deeds list land as of John Hall, in 1698 it is listed as land of Hannah, widow of John Hall (John’s mother).

Hannah Hall widow of Lieutenant John Hall deceased and her sons Joseph, James, Benjamin & Jacob all of Taunton, for 5 pounds give to the eldest son John of said John Hall deceased...twenty acres of land in Taunton, eastward from the meeting house lay six acres on the Neck Plain so called and ten acres of land bounded Eastward by 6 acres of plain and Westward by the land of Phillip King and four acres of land joining to the northward side. Ten acres of land is bounded Eastward, Northward and Westward by the land of Thomas Dean which twenty acres of the land by agreement and settlement of the estate of the above Leiutenant John Hall deceased did belong to the above Hannah Hall for her material life.... Signed June 3,1700, 5th year of the reign of Queen Anne over England, Scotland, France & Ireland (Bristol County deeds 16:310) .

John later buys additional land on the Neck Plain: Nathanial Williams of Taunton in exchange for 10 pounds 6 shillings paid by John Hall junior of Taunton son of John Hall deceased, for or a certain parcel of land in Taunton called Neck Plain about 6 acres. Bound Eastward by a stake & heap of stones, between said 6 acres and common land, Southward the land of Thomas Caswells, Westward & Northward by land of said John Hall. Witnesses: John Leonard, Benjamin Williams, April 5, 1707 (not filed until 1764 - Bristol County deeds 47:166).

John King of Taunton for 10 pounds paid by John Hall son of John Hall of Taunton deceased, 2 certain tracts of land in Taunton, easterly from the meeting house on the so called Neck Plain 15 acres, NW corner a stake & stones, land out to Benja Hall and running on a direct line to John Hall's pasture, running northerly to an old fence and stake with stones then in a line to stones & back to the start. Witnesses Jacob Hall & Phillip King. Signed 4/19/1720. (Bristol County deeds 47:172).

John Andrews & Hannah H. Andrews his wife of Norton to John Hall of Taunton land near so called pale brook (note: see map) in Taunton, 20 acres more or less by Elisha Dean. Dated: June 12, 1727, May 22, 1747 signed by Justice of Peace, filed June 30, 1764. Witnesses: Elisha Dean & Seth Dean (Bristol County deeds 47:324).