John William Hall

[This document has been in my family for many years. I do not know who gave it to us. I think it contains some inaccuracies, particularly the Hall legend regarding the cabin boy, but remains very interesting. I retyped it from the typewritten original. George’s grandfather was my 3rd great grandfather—Samuel Hall, Sr.] – submitted by Jan Mueller

Part of the Hall Family History As Written by George Perry Hall Chico, California, 1933. (now deceased)

The first dim dawn of the history of the Hall family of which I have any knowledge dates from about the year 1754. This early history is purely legendary and may be more or less incorrect in detail but I am led to believe that some of the outstanding legends must be founded mainly on fact by the great number of members of the Hall family who possess a knowledge of them. I have found that some of the legends are known by members of the Hall family spread practically all over the North, and in some instances the South American continents. Perhaps, the greatest discrepancy in the outstanding legends is the different opinions held as to what the Christian name of the man who is considered to be the founder of this branch of the Hall family in America really was. Members of this family who are spread out over the South and Southwest part of the United States usually consider his name to have been William, while that group farther to the North believes that his name was John. Possibly his name was John William. But the legend is so nearly the same in every instance as to leave no doubt that the man known The legend follows .....
Some time near the year 1755, a baby boy was rescued from a derelict ship on the Atlantic Ocean, all others having died of Asiatic cholera. He was found in one of the hallways of the ship and was too young to walk or talk. The ship had sailed from somewhere in Western Europe and carried a number of emmigrants bound for America, but what this baby's name was or nationality was, there was no way of knowing. The Captain of the rescue ship cared for the baby waif and kept him on his ship and when old enough he became the Captain's Cabin Boy. One theory is that he was given the name of Hall because he was found in the hallway of the ship. Another is that the Captain of the rescue ships name was Hall and he took or was given the name of the Captain. Even my father, John P. Hall, who was removed only two generations, and was perfectly familiar with this legend could not answer this question, but he often told me that his grandfather was once a sea captain's cabin boy. My father described him as being a small man, who weighed little if any over one hundred pounds. After arriving at manhood, he left the sea and probably lived somewhere around Chesapeake Bay. There is evidence that he married and lived near the sea for some time, as my father told me once that his father used to gather oysters. His wife's maiden name was Mary Pyle. She, like her husband, was small. She was a woman of strong personality and indomitable character. She was intensely religious, being a convert of the noted Pioneer Evangelist, Benjamin Abbott. She died in 1846 and is buried in Shelby County, Illinois where a marble slab marks her grave. The year 1814 found the Halls and a contingent of the Pyle family living on Haw River in Chatham County, North Caroline. John Hall probably died there as his family had grown to manhood, had married and had families. I only have knowledge of three sons. Their names were Joseph, William and Samuel. Whether there were other sons and daughters, I don't know. In the spring or summer of 1814, Joseph and Samuel and some of the Pyle’s moved to Hopkinsville, Kentucky with their families. I know that a number remained there at Hopkinsville and their descendents are still there for I have met some members of the family from Hopkinsville in California. One man was related to my mother and his wife was related to my father, but neither of them knew it until I told them. I suppose that the Halls and Pyle’s made the trip from North Carolina by ox team as I have often heard my father, John P. Hall, who was a son of Samuel Hall, speak of the long and arduous journey over the Blue Ridge. There is a considerable contingent of both the Hall and Pyle families now living in Brazil, with whom I have corresponded and they inform me that the descendents of members who remained in North Carolina, mostly drifted South and Southwest into South Carolina and Georgia, and perhaps many followed the westward trend of emigration all over the Southwest. There is a considerable contingent living at Columbia, South Carolina, and I have met members in Oklahoma and Arizona. There is a very strong evidence that a very considerable branch of the Hall family drifted into some of the New England states. However there are numerous Halls who do not seem to belong to this line at all. These are all as far as I have been able to determine, of English descent, and I am informed that Hall is a common name in England. I will now go back and consider the history of my grandfather's descendents or as many of them as I can. As already stated a number of the Hall and Pyle families moved from Chatham County North Carolina to Hopkinsville, Kentucky, in the spring of the year 1814. After arriving at Hopkinsville, they engaged in agriculture. But after two years in Kentucky, Joseph and Samuel Hall crossed the Ohio River with their families and settled at Lebanon, near Bellville, in St. Clair County, Illinois. All of the Pyle family and I believe some of the Halls remained at Lebanon one year, and the country being low lying, maleria proved to be so bad that they again decided to change their residence. Once more they moved their families about one hundred miles northeast of Lebanon. Joseph settled near Vandalia and Samuel about twelve miles south of what is now Shelbyville, where both their families grew to manhood and womanhood and where they spent the remainder of their lives. As already stated, Joseph Hall settled near Vandalia which at that time was the capitol of Illinois. Joseph Hall's wife Christian name was Nellie, but what her family name was I do not know. I only have knowledge of one son whose name was Cyrus and who was a Colonel in the Union Army in the Civil War of 1861 and afterwards postmaster at Shelbyville. I believe there were other sons and daughters but have no absolute knowledge of them. I have been told that one daughter married one of the McCormicks of harvester fame and that Cyrus Hall McCormick was their son. I cannot verify nor dispute this. I know that Preston Hall who lived near Tower Hill was my fathers cousin, but who his father was I do not know. Some of the descendents of Preston Hall went to Oregon many years ago and settled on the lower part of the Willamette Valley, near Woodburn and spread out all over the entire lower part of the valley many are now living near Hillsboro. My grandfather, Samuel Hall took up his residence on the East side of Mitchells Creek, about due east of where Old Williamsburg afterwards stood. My grandfathers wife's maiden name was Nancy Steele. She was of English descent. They were married, I believe, in North Carolina. Their children were Susan - born 1803; Jehu, born 1805; John P., born 1807. 1 cannot give the dates of the other births but they were - Cyrena; Thomas Dow; Mary; Samuel; William and Nancy.

• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Jul 27 2016, 22:52:52 UTC