Tom (T.W.) Hall Esq.

Tom Hall was born on November 18, 1819 in Kingston on Hull, Yorkshire, England. His parents were George Hall and Grace Williamson. George Hall. John's father, George was a master mariner and shipowner, who rose to the rank of Elder Brother of Trinity House, Hull. Grace died when the children were young, and they were lovingly cared for by Mildred, Grace's sister. Mildred married ... Fowler.

Tom was a merchant seaman. He married Sarah Young on 3 May 1845 at Wapping, London, England, They lived at Hull for a period. In 1849 Tom became a Master Mariner, when he bought a brig, probably named Grace.

Tom sailed the world as a young man on voyages to St Petersburg in Russia, Hamburg in Germany, Buenos Aires and Montevideo in South America, and later chose to settle near the sea at Timaru in New Zeland. He was instrumental in the early development of the port. (Moira Taylor, great granddaughter)

The couple emigrated to New Zealand with three young sons, arriving in Wellington in July 1853 having survived the shipwreck off the Australian coast of their immigrant ship The Mohammed Shah. The three Hall brothers farmed in partnership for a short while then went their separate ways.

Tom and Sarah's children

1. Tom (1848) - First child, born Hull
2. George Buceo (1850) - 2nd son, born Montevideo, Uruguay, named after the anchorage.
3. John (known as Jack) (1852) - 3rd son, (possibly born in London, sent to California abt. 1886)
4. William Henry (Willie) (1854) - 4rd son, born Kaiapoi
5. Richard Williamson Hall (9 Dec1856) born in Rakaia, Ashburton, Canterbury, New Zealand, died July 30, 1932 in Wellington, New Zealand

Tom was elected to the Education Board On 3rd October 1876 by the House of Representatives. (First session, 6th Parliament).

In 1886, Tom's eldest son, also known as Tom, was convicted of the attempted murder of his wife, Kitty, and the murder of his father-in-law, Captain Cain. The younger Tom was sentenced to life imprisonment.

This must have been deeply distressing and embarrassing for the rest of the family.

Thomas (T.W.) died on December 12, 1895 in Southland, New Zealand. Sarah died there a few years later.

Hall brothers of the Mackenzie, South Canterbury, New Zealand

Obituary

Star 28 December 1895, Page 7
A southern contemporary announces the death at Invercargill, at the age of 76, of Thomas Williamson Hall, who was one of the early settlers, and for many years a prominent public man in South Canterbury. The deceased, with his brothers, Sir John Hall and Mr George Hall, was a member of a well-known family of shipowners and shipmasters of Hull. He was educated in France and Germany, and at the age of sixteen went to sea, becoming an owner and master on his own account at an early age. In 1853, with his wife and two young children, he set sail for New Zealand. The vessel they came in as passengers, the Mohammed Shah, was burnt at sea off Australia, but the ship's company -were fortunate enough to be rescued by a brig "Ellen" belonging to Van Diemen's Land. Mr Hall, after a short look round, betook himself to pastoral pursuits. He took up a run on the Rakaia, and later became one of the pioneer pastoralists of the Mackenzie Country. He subsequently removed to Invercargill, where he resided until the time of his death. He was not a public man in. the same sense as his brother, Sir John, but he took an active interest in local affairs, being a member of the Timaru and Gladstone Board of Works, chairman of the Hospital Board, and member and some time chairman of the Timaru Harbour Board. He was one of the earliest and most energetic advocates for the construction of a harbour at Timaru, and had not a little to do with the selection of Mr Goodall's design for the work from among the competitive plans. Mrs Hall, a hale old lady, two years her husband's senior, survives him, as do several grown up sons.

Books and articles

Great-niece of Timaru man responsible for infamous Hall poisonings gives new focus to case by Joanne Holden, Jun 21 2019, published in the Timaru Herald

Gravesite

Memorial to Thomas Williamson Hall

Biography

Terrace Station - Thomas Williamson Hall

Research

FIRE AT TIMARU.
Timaru, July 12.
By a fire at Ellonghton Grange, three miles from Timaru, last night, Mr T. W. Hall lost three valuable horses ani a quantity of other property in hi 3 stables. His estimate i loss is £300, there being no insurance.
West Coast Times ISSUE 3827, 14 JULY 1881

Mr William Henry Hall, of Dunedin, was this day admitted and enrolled as a barrister aud solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand, by his Honor Judge Williams
Evening Star, Issue 4478, 6 July 1877

Death notice
HALL.—June 14, William Hall, of Addington; aged fifty-four.
Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 14399, 15 June 1907

References

Thomas's will
"New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Probate Records, 1843-1998," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2XG-SPG6 : 11 January 2017), Thomas Williamson Hall, 1896; citing Dunedin, , record number 531, Archives New Zealand, Auckland Regional Office; FamilySearch digital folder 102239453.