Richard Hall (abt. 1635 - bef. 1688)

Born about 1635 in England

Descendants

Died before 28 Aug 1688 before about age 53 in Calvert, Province of Maryland

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Biography

Richard Hall was a Maryland colonist.

Richard was a Friend (Quaker)

Richard Hall migrated from England to Maryland.

Disambiguation

He was not the son of John Hall and Bethiah (_____ Farmer?). See Great Migration Begins, p. 842-3. John Hall lived in Massachusetts, not Maryland. ^[1]

Origin

A book written in 1881 by George Johnston and searchable on Google Books is the source of some poorly sourced information on Richard Hall. Johnston states that Richard is the son of Bishop Joseph Hall of England no primary source evidence given to show any relationship.^[2] No actual record of the birth of Richard Hall has been found, but he was most likely born in England around 1635.

He emigrated to the Maryland Colony sometime before 1658 with his wife, Elizabeth and is called a carpenter in his claim for headrights.^[3] His first land acquistion was in 1663 when he claimed 50 acres on an island in the Patuxant River. ^[4]

Land Acquisitions

Over the next twenty years Richard Hall claimed large tracts of land in several different counties around Maryland. These claims are likely related to him bringing servants or transporting others into Maryland under the conditions of plantation:

1666: patent 1000 acs. Halls Hills, Calvert Co.^[5]

1666: patent 300 acs. Hogsdown, Calvert Co. ^[6]

1666: patent 375 acs. Newington Calvert Co. ^[7]

1669: patent 100 acs. Bare Neck Anne Arundel Co. ^[8]

1670: patent 150 acs. The Defense Calvert Co. ^[9]

1670: patent 200 acs. The Spittle Calvert Co. ^[10]

1672: patent 350 acs. Thatcham Calvert Co. ^[11]

1674: patent 100 acs. Mitcham Calvert Co. ^[12]

1674: patent 300 acs. Aldermason ^[13]

1679: patent 400 acs. Halls Choice Cecil Co. ^[14]

1679: patent 600 acs. Halls Lott Cecil Co. ^[15]

1679: patent 400 acs. The Hope Cecil Co. ^[16]

1684: patent 200 acs. Halls Fortune Dorchester Co. ^[17]

1686: patent 196 acs. Additional Spittel Calvert Co. ^[18]

Public Service

On 2 December 1665, Richard Hall is identified as one of the four representatives of Calvert County in the Provincial Assembly. ^[19] He sat in the Assembly from 10 April 1666 until 1670, and again from 1674 until 1685 ^[20] He was Delegate for the assessment of the Public Levy in 1678 and, in November 1683, he was appointed one of the Commissioners for laying out towns and ports in Calvert County. ^[21]

Richard Hall was a prominent member of the Society of Friends and his name appears frequently in their records.

Marriage & Family

Since Richard arrived with his wife Elizabeth and his wife is called Elizabeth in his will one can assume she was the mother of his eight children. Some have named her as Elizabeth Wingfield and this idea seems to come from the Jonston book mentioned above. The son of Elizabeth & Richard married the widow of a man named Wingfield (see his profile) and this seems to be the source of that incorrect information. The births of their children have not been recorded in any church register found, but they are all named in Richard's will:

1. Elisha b. abt. 1658 m. Sarah Hooper
2. Joseph b. abt 1660 m. Ann --?--
3. Benjamin b. abt 1662 m. Mary Brooke (dau. of Maj. Thomas Brooke)
4. Lucia b. abt 1664 m. John Smith
5. Rachel b. abt 1666 m. Walter Smith
6. Elizabeth b. abt 1668 m. Richard Evans & Dr. James Kingsbury
7. Aaron b. abt 1670
8. Sarah b. abt 1672 m. --?-- Bradley

Based on the content of the will and the way it is written, Richard Hall seems to have written it all out himself. It is a remarkably detailed document that seems to cover everything related to his property and his children.

Slaves

This information is being recorded based on the will abstract below:

1. Jaffee
2. Dick (age 10)
3. Hammon
4. jeffery
5. Judith
6. Soocah
7. Kate

Abstract of Will

This 17th day of the 7th month usually called September in ye yeare of our Lord 1687, I Richard Hall of Calvert County in ye province of Maryland, carpenter being in perfect sense and memory. . .

• I give to my son Elisha Hall & his heirs forever 750 acres of land being part of 1,000 acres of land called by ye name of Halls Hills where now my dwelling house & plantation is lying on ye east side of Patuxant River at ye head of a creek called Lands Creek.
• I give to my son Joseph Hall & his heirs forever two parcels of land one being 250 acres, the remaining part of ye thousand acres before mentioned (complete desc.) and the other parcel being 150 acres called —?— adjoing the southeast part of ye 250 acres. Also I give one negro woman called Jaffee her and her increase forever, further I give to my said son one negro man called Dick age ten.
• I give to my son Benjamin Hall & his heirs forever 100 acres of land called Mitcham lying upon ye east side of Putuxant River . . .Also 100 acres lying on the south side of the aforesaid being part of a parcel containg 300 acres called Hogsdown. Also I give to my son Benjamin one negro boy called Hammon, ye said negro to be delivered to my son at such times shall be hereafter mentioned.
• I give to my son Aaron Hall & his heirs forever 200 acres of land on ye west side of ye land called Spittle lying on ye east side of Patuxant River on branch of Cocks Creek adjoining on the west side aforementioned called Hogsdown as by patent . . .I also give to my son Aaron 100 acres called Addition to Spittle lying on ye north side of land called Spittle lying on the south side of a piece of land lately given to my son-in-law, John Smith, called Thacham . . .I further give one negro mulatto boy called Jeffery.
• I give to my daughter Elizabeth Hall and her heirs 300 acres of land being part of a parcel called Hope lying in Cecil County on ye north side of Octoraro Creek on the east side of the Susquehenna River.
• I give to my daughter Sarah Hall and her heirs 100 acres of land being ye remaining part of ye aforesaid land called Hope. Further I give to my daughter Sarah 200 acres of land being part of a parcel called Halls Lott lying on ye north side of the aforegoing land called Hope.
• I give to my eldest son Elisha Hall 200 acres of land being ye south part of 300 acres of land called Hogsdown. I further give to my sons Elisha & Benjamin two parcells of land, one called Halls Choice lying on Octoraro Creek in Cecil County and the other parcel being the remaining part of Halls Lott in equal division . . .
• My will is all goods, household stuff, servants, slaves, cattle & hogs either before bequeathed or otherwise belonging to my estate at ye time of my decease shall remain in the custody & possession of my well beloved wife, Elizabeth Hall, during her natural life so long as remains a widow and I grant her full authority to employ my estate to ye best advantage to provide education and maintenance of my children. I appoint my loving wife to be my sole executrix of my will.
• If it shall happen that my wife shall take another husband after my decease then her executrix is wholly to cease and all my estate aforesaid to be taken out of her custody & only one third part thereof (the negroes before bequeathed excepted) Which third part shall be delivered her upon an equal division to be made by any overseers hereafter named or any three of them & my said wife to accept of same in full of all joynture dower claim or demand whatsoever.
• If my wife do die or take another husband after my decease then my sons, Elisha Hall, Joseph Hall l& Benjamin Hall or so many of them as shall be then living to be joint executors of this my last will.
• If my wife marry after my decease, my youngest daughter, Sarah Hall, shall remain with my said wife under her tuition and education until she attains ye age of 14 years and have a yearly allowance of the sum of 1600 pounds of tobacco in casque every year to be paid her by my executors out of ye two-third parts of my estate, but in case my wife happen to die before my daughter attains to age then my daughter’s share to be returned to my executors to be taken care for & maintained out of my estate until she attains age 16 at which time the remaining two thirds of my personal estate shall be divided equally amongst all my sons that shall be then living (the negroes aforesaid excepted)
• I give to my wife Elizabeth Hall two negro women viz Judith & Soocah & one mullatto girl called Kate, them & their increase forever.
• Further my will is that in case my son Benjamin should happen to die before he arrives to age 21 then such lands or otherwise bequeathed to him shall descend to my son Aaron & his heirs except such lands bequeathed to him in Susquehenna River. further in case my son Aaron shall die before he attain age what I have bequeathed to him shall descend to my son Joseph.
• If my son Elisha should die without issue then such land before bequeathed to him in Susquehenna River shall descend to my son Benjamin.
• I give to my daughter Lucia, now wife of John Smith, one piece of plate of forty shillings price.
• I also give to my daughter Rachel, now wife to Walter Smith one piece of plate of forty shillings.
• I give to my daughter Elizabeth Hall one new feather bed & furniture to be worth 10 pounds sterling when she attains age 18 and two cows.
• I give to my daughter Sarah Hall one new feather bed & furniture to be worth 10 pounds sterling when she attains age 18 and two cows.
• My sons shall posses the lands when they shall attain the age of 18 years.
• I give to my friends called Quakers of the Western Shore here in Maryland 2 pounds sterling.
• My earnest desire is my children may be brought up & educated in ye way of truth and as becomes ye everlasting gospel of ye Eternal god . . . held forth by ye people (in scorne) called Quakers in which faith & belief I hope & desire ye lord may & will preserve me to my last breath.
• I hereby nominate my loving friends William Richardson, Edward Talbott, Samuel Chew & Nehemiah Birkhead whom I do hereby empower to be overseers of this my last will and testament, and as a token of my love, I give to each of my overseers a pair of gloves of five shillings price.
• In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal to four sheets of paper written on one side & containing twenty-six articles numbered in the margin the day & year above written. Richard Hall. Witnesses: George Lingan, E. Baylor, John Baty, George Cole & Ann Canehill. Probated 28 AUG 1688^[22]

Sources

• https://books.google.com/books?id=fSgUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA292&lpg=PA292&dq=Richard+Hall+Maryland+Historical+society+Elizabeth+wingfield&source=bl&ots=3-qLw5Ysc_&sig=ACfU3U1J4_nYaVb9PBQ9lGSR-dpm4p65wg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi6-pmbgMfpAhXSknIEHVRGAY04ChDoATACegQIBhAB#v=onepage&q&f=false

1. ↑ John Hall Mass Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 10 September 2019), memorial page for John Hall, Jr (1609–17 Jul 1696), Find A Grave: Memorial #122075033, ; Maintained by Our Family History (contributor 47719401) Body lost or destroyed.
2. ↑ George Johnston. History of Cecil County, Maryland and the Early Settlements Around the Head of Chesapeake Bay and on the Delaware River. Sketches of Some of the Old families of Cecil County. Elkton, Maryland, 1881.
3. ↑ Maryland Patent Records Liber 5/416
4. ↑ Maryland Patents Records Liber 49/44
5. ↑ MD Patents 6/214 & 10/322
6. ↑ MD Patents 9/163 & 9/348
7. ↑ MD Patents 9/163 & 11/281 & 9/346
8. ↑ MD Patents 12/312
9. ↑ MD Patents 12/586 & 14/80 & 17/434 & 15/18
10. ↑ MD Patents 12/336 & 17/434 & 14/24 & 17/229
11. ↑ MD Patents 16/493 & 14/525
12. ↑ MD Patents 17/623 & 15/233
13. ↑ MD Patents 15/291 & 19/174
14. ↑ MD Patents 20/275
15. ↑ MD Patents 20/272&273
16. ↑ MD Patents 20/274
17. ↑ MD Patents 21/548 & EB&ILC/68
18. ↑ MD Patents 22/213 & NSB/375
19. ↑ Archives of Maryland Vol. 2 pg. 8
20. ↑ Archives, ibid pg. 10 & Vo. 7 pgs. 4, 6, 113, 266 & 526
21. ↑ Archives Vol. 7 pg. 611
22. ↑ Will of Richard Hall, Patuxent, September 1687, Maryland Colonial Wills Liber 6/13

• Book by Johnston on Cecil County Halls [[1]]

• Article in Maryland Historical Society Magazine about Smith Family & Hall Family [[2]]

• Richard Hall of Mount Welcome on geni.com
• Baltimore Sun Newspaper Feb 3 1907

Has references to it.

• https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Richard_Hall_%2875%29

• http://www.firstfamiliesofmaryland.org/qualifying-ancestors