George Hall

• Retrieved from http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=halldb&id... 8/4/2008 George Hall and his wife Mary were the ancestors of the Halls of Taunton.They emigrated, supposedly, from Devonshire County, England, in 1636-37. George Hall is recorded as a proprietor of land in Duxbury, Mass. in, 1637, about the date of his settlement in "Cohannet,"--Taunton. He was one of the forty-six original proprietors of the first territorial "purchase" of the Indian Sachem Massasoit, including a tract of eight miles (an oblong, square, which in 1883 consisted of the territories of Taunton, Berkley, Raynham, extending to Mansfield). George had a twelve acre share, in connection with Richard Williams, John and Walter Dean and others, who had similar shares, spanning Taunton River, on the banks of which they erected their first dwellings. Their homesteads were on Dean Street. George was one of the founders of the town of Taunton in 1639, was propounded as a freeman in 1643, was enrolled to bear arms that year, was admitted as a freeman and was town constable in 1645, was a member of the board of the supervising council in 1657, and was chairman of the board of selectmen from 1666 to 1669, the time of his death. He was one of the founders of the Pilgrim Congregational Church and Society of Taunton and contributed liberally to its support. He was also one of the stock proprietors of the first iron "bloomery"which was established by the Leonards and other citizens of Taunton; he was its first clerk in 1656 and was succeeded after his death by his son John. The "bloomery" became known as the Taunton Iron Works.

The bar iron manufactured from the native ore dug in the area was made a "circulating medium" in business transactions because of the shortage of specie.

A freeman was one who owned land and belonged to the Church and then could vote and hold public office.

History of Taunton, Massachusetts by Samuel Hopkins Emery, published in 1893 by D. Mason & Co., Syracuse, N.Y., p. 618, reveals that George Hall, with others, was originally involved in the organization of the Iron Works Company in 1653-54. On p. 619 the statement is made that "At this time, 1660, an arrangement was made by the shareholders to lease the works to George Hall and his associates, Hezekiah Hoare and Francis Smith." The three took into partnership the following men: William Pole, Walter Deane, Joseph Wilbore, John Dean, Anthony Slocum, Thomas Linkin, Sr,. William Parker, James Leonard, Jonah Austin, Sr., John Parker, Peter Pitts, James Philips, and Henry Withington (of Dorchester). The lease was for five years.

In October of 1669, he became seriously ill; he called his friends, Deacons Richard Williams and Walter Dean, and made his will on the 16th, witnessed by them, and died on October 30. His widow Mary was appointed executrix, and the will was probated in March, 1670. After his death, his widow and sons John, Joseph, and Samuel were shareholders in the iron works. George Hall was one of the largest landholders in Taunton, and he divided it among his sons. They were also among the proprietors of the large tract, called the "Taunton North Purchase," which included the towns of Norton, Easton, and portions of Mansfield and Raynham, where Halls settled as farmers and business men. The children mentioned in the will were six in number.

WILL OF GEORGE HALL

"Oct. 16, 1669--The Last Will and Testament of George Hall, of Taunton, deceased, exhibited to the court held at New Plymouth, the first day of March 1669, on the Oath of Richard Williams:

In the name of God, amen--I George Hall, of Taunton, in the jurisdiction of New Plymouth, being in health and memory, blessed be the Lord, do here make my last will and testament in manner and form as followeth: I commit my spirit into the hands of the Lord and do dispose of my goods as followeth:

ITEM--I give to my wife during widowhood, the part of my dwelling house, that

part which I built last, and the garden joining to it, and half my new barn and

half the stall against the barn:

ITEM--I give her that I bought from Benjamin Wilson, lying between Richard

Williams and that which was Nicholas Whites's which is eight acres which lyeth

on the North side of the great River:

ITEM--I give unto my Wife the land that is called by the name of Cobb's neck,

and the land that I broke up in the neck that John Hall hath and one acre more

if she want it:

ITEM--I give her more at Broad cove, a carriage of hay, half in Samuel's and

half in Joseph's, if she doth want it for herself, this is my wife's during her

widowhood, after to be disposed of as followeth, and make her my executrix:

ITEM--I give unto my son Joseph half the neck of land called by the name of

Jane Wyatt's bed, and the land the house stands upon, and the four acres that

reaches against John Cobb's land, and the neck called by the name of Cobb's

neck, and seventy-six acres by the great River at the further side of Thomas

Deane's land on the east side, to him and his heirs forever:

ITEM--I give unto my son Samuel Hall my great lot viz: all my land lying

from the great river to James Leonard's land, the one side is against Hezekiah

Hoar's land the other side against Mr. Pool's land, and twenty-two acres against

the Great River on the north side of Thomas Deane's:

ITEM--I give unto my son Samuel my twenty acres and the meadow belonging to it

at the three mile River, calle Rumford, and half my meadow at Broad cove:

ITEM--I give unto my daughter Charity six pounds:

ITEM--I give unto my son Joseph Hall my home lot, which is eight acres, two

acres where I bought of William Harvey, and six acres over the great river, and

I give unto him that which I bought of Benjamin Wilson which is eight acres upon

the north side of the great River, the east side against Richard Williams:

ITEM--I give him half my meadow at Broad cove--Samuel is to parcel it equally

and Joseph is to choose the half he will have, and I give him my purchase and

ten acres from the town of my division:

ITEM--I give to each of my grand-children forty shillings:

ITEM--I give to my daughter Sarah twenty pounds, and if she do not match to

her mother's mind she is to have but fifteen pounds:

ITEM--I give to the church in Taunton, forty shillings to buy cups:

ITEM--I give to William Evans twenty shillings:

ITEM--I give to my son John, my new purchase:

ITEM--I give to my daughter Mary, forty shillings:

ITEM--I give to my son Samuel, six acres of land that is due me from the town

and three acres of swamp:

(Signed) George Hall.

Witnessed

by Richard Williams,

Walter Deane."

The foregoing is a copy witnessed by Wm. S. Danforth, Register of Deeds for Plymouth County. J. W. D. Hall

Extensive research has been conducted by English genealogists, at the behest of Robert Hall, to determine the English home of George and Mary. One source shows that a George Hall was baptised in 1603 at Woodbury, Devonshire, England. No other information pertaining to George was found in the church records of Woodbury.

One report, by a recent member of the N. White family, the source which was not documented, stated that George Hall, the emigrant, came to America on the ship "Ann." A manifest for the ship has not been located, although Archbishop Laud, who headed the English church at the time, required a list of all passengers leaving England to be filed at the ports of departure. Such records were not forwarded to London.

George Hall and his wife Mary were the ancestors of the Halls of Taunton. They emigrated, supposedly, from Devonshire County, England, in 1636-37. George Hall is recorded as a proprietor of land in Duxbury, Mass. in, 1637, about the date of his settlement in "Cohannet,"--Taunton. He was one of the forty-six original proprietors of the first territorial "purchase" of the Indian Sachem Massasoit,including a tract of eight miles (an oblong, square, which in 1883 consisted of the territories of Taunton, Berkley, Raynham, extending to Mansfield). George had a twelve acre share, in connection with Richard Williams, John and Walter Dean and others, who had similar shares, spanning Taunton River, on the banks of which they erected their first dwellings. Their homesteads were on Dean Street.

George was one of the founders of the town of Taunton in 1639, was propounded as a freeman in 1643, was enrolled to bear arms that year, was admitted as a freeman and was town constable in 1645, was a member of the board of the supervising council in 1657, and was chairman of the board of selectmen from 1666 to 1669, the time of his death. He was one of the founders of the Pilgrim Congregational Church and Society of Taunton and contributed liberally to its support. He was also one of the stock proprietors of the first iron "bloomery" which was established by the Leonards and other citizens of Taunton; he was its first clerk in 1656 and was succeeded after his death by his son John. The "bloomery" became known as the Taunton Iron Works. The bar iron manufactured from the native ore dug in the area was made a"circulating medium" in business transactions because of the shortage of specie.

From Halls of Taunton genealogy typed by Lena Hall: "George Hall the Immigrant is said to have come from Devonshire, England. He was of Duxbury Mass in 1637, and that year or next settled in Taunton MA, where the died in 1669. He was a large landowner and heavily engaged in iron manufacture. The iron forge in which he had a large interest existed for more than 200 years. His descendants for 3 or 4 generations are known as the Iron Halls. His children were John, Joseph, Samuel, Charity, Sarah, and Mary. See Taunton Records"