Robert Hall Esq. (abt. 1458 - 1536)

Born about 1458 in Ore, Sussex, England

Ancestors

Husband of Anne (Dudley) Hall — married about 1495 in Sussex, England

Descendants

Died 30 Dec 1536 at about age 78 in Sussex, England

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Brad Stauf [send private message]

Biography

All facts sourced from NEHGR vol 173 unless otherwise noted.^[1] Also see his entry in the "History of Parliament" for additional information including his service of 1515, possibly as early as 1505.^[2]

Robert Hall was the son of Henry Hall & Anne, daughter of John Stockton (Stokden) per the Visitations of Sussex.^[3] An exact birth date is not available but his heir & oldest known son William was born by about 1496 ("age 40 years and more" at Robert's 1536 IPM) so assume Robert & Anne Dudley were married by 1495 and Robert was probably born by 1470 and possibly earlier. Anne's birth date is estimated at 1462 although without a specific source so Robert's is placed a bit earlier at 1458 but these are all very rough estimates.

Robert may have had a brother John based on a 1492 grant from Edward Hextall of Dover to Robert & John Hall, "gentlemen of Sussex" to take over and run (for the crown) Edward's port properties in Dover. See "Appearances in Records" below). Again we see a connection to maritime commerce and the Cinque Ports for multiple generations of this family.

The Hall family (spelling obviously varies) pedigree appears in the "Visitation of Sussex" with Goddard & siblings being the last generation shown.^[3] Hawle arms are described as Arms. — Quarterly : 1, Sable three talbots' heads erased argent [Hawle] ; 2, Gules, a bend argent, fretty azure [Ore] ; 3 and 4, [blank]. Interestingly, there is a brief paragraph entry for the Hall pedigree in the "Visitations of Essex" since the family moved there from Ore. The Essex entry clarifies that Ore is actually in Sussex and that the family's full pedigree appears in that county.

Marriage

Robert's first marriage to Ann Dudley is estimated at 1495 given the 1496 estimated birth of first son Goddard.

Problem with Visitation of Sussex

Per this source, Robert Hall also married Ann daughter of Roger Fines & Elizabeth Echingham but the date of this union is also unknown. Roger Fines/Fynes does not appear in the Fynes family pedigree in the Visitation of Sussex although he was probably related to the family in some way.

It must be noted that the Visitation of Sussex shows on the Hall pedigree that Ann, daughter of Roger Fiennes and Elizabeth Echingham married this Robert Hall (p.11) but on the Echingham pedigree on page 125 it shows the same Ann marrying John Windsor. Let's try to resolve this seeming contradiction.

Richardson in his "Magna Carta" and "Plantaganet" works which are well-sourced does not address in any way this marriage of Robert Hall to Anne Fiennes; he only gives Robert a marriage to Anne Dudley. Additionally, he says that Roger Fiennes and Elizabeth Echingham had no daughter Anne, In summary:

• Thomas Echingham, knight of Etchingham and Udimore, Sussex & Margaret West had 3 daughters, Elizabeth-1 (died young), Margaret who married William Blount, then John Elrington and Elizabeth-2 who m. Roger Fiennes, then Goddard Oxenbridge. Richardson lists only 1 son of Elizabeth-2 Echingham viz. Thomas Oxenbridge who married Anne Fiennes widow of John Windsor and daughter of Thomas Fiennes, Knight of Claverham (in Arlington, Sussex) by Anne, daughter of Thomas Urswick, Knight. He does not give Roger Fiennes and Elizabeth Echingham any children. Therefore per Richardson the Anne Fiennes who married John Windsor and then Thomas Oxenbridge was the daughter of a Thomas Fiennes, Knight of Claverham, NOT a daughter of Roger Fiennes and Elizabeth Echingham. Richardson states (by omission) that Robert Hall DID NOT marry ANY Anne Fiennes although Robert Hall of Ore does appear a few times in Richardson's books so clearly the author was well aware of Robert Hall. This makes the "Visitation of Sussex" incorrect although Richardson listed it among his sources.^[4] Page 15 of the Visitation (Oxenbridge pedigree) makes a complete hash of this by showing Goddard Oxenbridge marrying both Ann Echingham, daughter of Thomas and Anne Fiennes, daughter of Thomas of Claverham. But Thomas Echingham had no daughter Ann, just Elizabeth and Anne Fiennes married Thomas Oxenbridge son of Goddard. Basically the Oxenbridge, Fiennes and Echingham pedigrees contradict each other and the Hall pedigree seems to be just plain wrong.

Children

Per the "Visitation of Sussex" and the NEHGR V. 173 article by Robert Battle listed below, Robert Hall had these children: With Ann Dudley:

1. William m. Ann Erley
2. Richard who appeared at the General "Brotheryeld" (meeting of the Brotherhood) at Romney on 21 April 1528 as the bailiff and representative from Hastings to the Cinque Ports Confederation. Richard was listed as "Esquire" and Richard Calverye was his deputy.^[5]
3. Elizabeth m. Richard Lee

With Ann Fines per the Visitation but note as above that this marriage & children are completely discarded by Richardson:

1. Lawrence
2. Thomas
3. Ann m. Nicholas Dering before 1545 as his second wife per "Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families" by Richardson.
4. Dorothy
5. Jane
6. Margery

Appearances in Records

Based on searches at the UK National Archives, Robert Hall appears several times as witnesses to property deeds from 1469 onwards. It would seem the earliest of these would be an older man born before about 1445 in order to be such a witness. Searches at local records office in Sussex would probably turn up additional items.

• 16 Apr 1492 Grant by Edward Hexstall, of Dovorr, co. Kent, 'gentilman,' to Henry Hexstall in co. Surrey, 'gentylman' and Robert Halle, John Halle, in co. Sussex, 'gentylmen,' William Waren, and Hugh Shereve of Dovorr' 'yemen,' of all his land, etc. both within the liberty of the port of Dovorr' and in the parishes of Hougham and Charlton, or elsewhere, co. Kent; to hold to them, etc. doing therefore services to the king according to the custom of the port aforesaid, and to the other lords of that fee, etc. 16 April, 7 Henry VII. Witnesses:—Robert Vyncent, mayor, William, Broke, bailiff, Henry at Wode, common clerk (in another hand) [Alexander] Leche, vicar of Hougham, and others (named). 16 April, 7 Henry VII.^[6]
• 20 Mar 1506 Quitclaim Robert Halle gent, Nicholas Tofton gent, William Trodys, chaplain, Nicholas Celye, William Stone, Ingelram a Broke, Robert Van and William Hoope to Richard Brownyng of Beckley. Their claim in piece of land (3½a) next to Salcotstret, Playden; W: land late John Goodwyn; S: William Parnell's land; E: Thomas Potyn's land; N: the gardens of several inhabitants of Salcotstret, in which (with other lands) they were lately enfeoffed by RB^[7]
• 17 Apr 1515 at Romney, Sussex Robert "Haule" appears as a representative of Hastings to the Cinque Ports at a "General Broderyeld" (Brotherhood?) meeting as did Henry Hall, Esquire (presumably his father) in 1493 and 1494.^[8] Robert appears more than once in this book (pages 211, 213 so later in date) but searching is limited on Google Books so additional dates are not always viewable.
• 25 Mar 1528 Lease for life from Robert Hall of Hastings, esq., to Thomas Walter of same, 'Ropeer' and w. Margaret Robert Hall' of Hastings, esq., to Thomas Walter of same, 'Ropeer' and w. Margaret - Shop at the 'Takle Weys' under St. Georges Hill near Hastings with the 4 tackleweys lying under the hill, a garden (114ft. x 34ft.) at the S. end of the shop now in occ. of (b) Proviso for entry and distraint on non-payment within 15 days, and for expelling tenants if rent withheld 1 yr. and 15 days (Ref:AMS109)
• 12 Dec 1530 Conveyance By WILLIAM HALL of Ore, gent., to JOHN LYVET, gent., - for £100 - of an annual rent charge of £9. 13s. 4d. payable to the said Wm. Hall out of the demesnes of Charleton manor in Westdene by virtue of deed of 12 Sep., 22 Hen. VIII. Subject to a yearly payment of £6. 4s. 4d. to the said William Hall during the life of his father Robert Hall and after his death £4. 11s. 0. only yearly. (Ref: SAS-N/475)
  • NB: Robert clearly alive at this point.
• 1533-1538 Hall v Fynes. Plaintiffs: Robert Hall of Hastings, esquire. Defendants: Giles Fynes, esquire. Subject: Promise to convey lands to complainant's son which defendant did not possess. NB: this entry is interesting as it shows the intersection of another pedigreed & armigerous family of Susses, the Fines/Fynes/Fiennes.
  • NB: The named GIles Fynes married Elizabeth Ernley, daughter of noted jurist of Sussex Sir John Ernley. The NEHGR 173 article linked to this profile speculated that William Hall, son of this profile Robert had married Ann "Ernley" rather than Ann "Erley" and noted that other research made Ann Ernley a daughter of Sir John. Review of Sir John's will^[9] shows no mention of a daughter Ann or a "Hall" relative, so it seems Ann wife of William Hall and daughter-in-law of this profile was not Sir John's daughter. While Giles does appear in the Sussex Visitation pedigree of the Fynes family; Roger Fynes (father-in-law of this profile) does not.
• 10 May 1536 WESTDEAN: Bargain and Sale By WILLIAM HALLE son and heir apparent of Robert Hall of Hastynge and late of Ore, esq., to RICHARD A BROKE senr. of Selmyston, of the reversion of the manor of Westdeane alias Erlescourte in Westdeane, Fryston and Excett (Ref: SAS-M/1/409)
  • NB: Robert was still alive at this point per his IPM and proven by the phrase "heir apparent"
• 1538-1544 (posthumous) Hall v Hall. Plaintiffs: Lawrence, son of Robert HALL of Pepsam. Defendants: William HALL of Ore. Subject: Manor of Gensing, windmill and rents in St Clement's, Hastings, and lands in St Leonard's, Hollington, and Hastings Castle. Sussex (Ref: C 1/1010/4)
  • NB: Lawrence suing his possible step-brother William. Note that William is "of Ore" as he inherited his father's estates and presumably Lawrence, eldest of the second set of children seemed to be unhappy about his lack of inheritance. But per Richardson, there was no second set of children so who was Lawrence Hall and who was Robert Hall of Pepsam?

Death & Burial

Robert Hall of Ore died 30 December 1536 according to his Inquisition Post Mortem.^[10] He owned the manors of Ore, Gensing and Guestling in Sussex but immediately before & following his death, his son William and William's son Goddard sold these properties (see their profiles for land records). Given these and the debtor records found under William's name, the family may have been running short of money.

Sources

1. ↑ Battle, Robert. Who Was Ursula Woodgate? Identifying the Wife of Francis Quarles and Mother of Joanna¹ (Quarles) Smith of Boston, Massachusetts, and Lyme, Connecticut, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register (NEHGS, Boston, Mass., Spring 2019) Vol. 173, Whole No. 690, Page 102 "A Royal Descent for the Hall Family of Waltham Abbey" extract on familysearch.org
2. ↑ HALL, Robert I (by 1475-1536), of Ore, Suss. Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1509-1558, ed. S.T. Bindoff, 1982
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Visitations of Sussex 1530, 1633-34 Authors Thomas Benoit, John Philpot etc pub. 1905 at archive.org Hawle pedigree page 11 Armigerous pedigree of descendants of Robert Hawle of Hawland in Hothly in Sussex and his wife Anne Ore, daughter & heir of John Ore of Ore in Sussex.
4. ↑ Plantagenet ancestry : a study in colonial and medieval families by Richardson, Douglas, 1951- Publication date 2011 pp. 677-678 for Echingham & Fiennes and p. 591 for Robert Hall]
5. ↑ A Calendar of the White and Black Books of the Cinque Ports 1432-1955 edited by Felix Hull B.A., PH.D published London 1966 by Her Majesty's Stationery Office courtesy of PFAU Library CSUSB San Bernardino, California p. 203
6. ↑ UK National Archives Records created, acquired, and inherited by Chancery, and also of the Wardrobe, Royal Household, Exchequer and various commissions - Records of the Chancery as a legal registry and repository - Chancery: Ancient Deeds, Series C Ref: C 146/4814
7. ↑ UK National Archives East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office - Additional Manuscripts, Catalogue L AMS5789 - Phillipps Charters BATTLE ABBEY ESTATE Ref: AMS5789/11
8. ↑ A Calendar of the White and Black Books of the Cinque Ports, 1432-1955 Cinque Ports (England) H.M. Stationery Office, 1966 pg. 156
9. ↑ UK National Archives Will of John Erneley, Chief Justice of Sidlesham, Sussex 17 Nov 1520 Prerogative Court of Canterbury and related Probate Jurisdictions Register: Maynwaring PROB 11/20/32
10. ↑ Notes of post mortem inquisitions taken in Sussex. 1 Henry VII, to 1649 and after. Abstracted and translated by F.W.T. Attree publisher London Mitchell, Hughes and Clarke, printers c1912 p. 115