Edward¹ Hall of Rehoboth, Massachusetts
Samuel² Hall married Abigail Pratt
Jonathan³ HallJonathan³ Hall, the first of that name, was born August 22, 1686 to Samuel Hall and his wife, Abigail Pratt (Taunton Proprietors’ Records) in that part of Taunton, Massachusetts that became Raynham, Massachusetts in 1731. Jonathan was probably named after his maternal grandfather, Jonathan Pratt.

Jonathan³ was a Freeman, although it is unknown in what year he took the Oath of Fidelity; a farmer, a large land owner through his own acquisitions in addition to lands he inherited from his father. Jonathan’s family was one of the 15 founding families of Raynham when it was incorporated as a town on April 2, 1731. Jonathan was prominent in the town government and affairs as well as an original member, and deacon, of the first church in Raynham, Massachusetts.

• 1728/29 Jonathan Hall was assessed for a town meeting hall (Taunton records).
• 1731 he was named fence viewer by the Selectmen in the newly organized town of Raynham, and again in 1732/33.
• 1734/35 Jonathan was named surveyor of the highways, and again in 1744.
• 1735/36 he was named constable and again in 1746.
• 1747 he was named “hog reeve”.
• February 1748 Jonathan’s name was drawn to serve on the jury at the March court.

A couple of other items of interest have been found on Jonathan Hall:

Jonathan Hall (Raynham Yeoman) v. Solomon Leach (Bridgewater Husbandman) by atty. James Hovey, Gent. Case, on 5-month note dated 10 January 1744/45 for “Seven Loads of Cole Delivered at the old Iron Workes in Raynham…being of Value Fourteen pounds old tenour,” to pltf.’s damage of L10. Default by deft. Judgment for L3.10s (n.t.) and L1.8s. (n.t.) costs. Appealed by deft., with Joseph Haskall, Gent. (Rochester) and George Holmes (Plimouth Cordwainer) sureties. [No further record] PCR 7:50 (Court of Common Pleas, December 1745).

The above record is of interest because the “old coaling/coling place” is mentioned in deeds of Samuel Hall as lands passed down to his sons, Jonathan and Samuel.  Perhaps the Halls owned land where coal was obtained to support the Iron Works in Raynham. This needs additional research.

Another item of interest was found in The Diary of Isaac Backus, 3 volumes edited by William G. McLoughlin, Brown University Press, Providence, 1979; vol 1, p. 53, mentions a letter that Elder Backus received from Jonathan Hall, dated June 17, 1749, in which Jonathan warned Elder Backus of an itinerant preacher named Blanchard who was coming his way “Be ware of him for I Dout not But he is a woulf in sheeps Clothing.”

Jonathan³ married Sarah Ockington about 1714.  Sarah was born August 28, 1691 in Dedham, Massachusetts to Thomas Ockington and his wife, Rebecca Mason (Vital Records of Dedham, Revised 1997).  Sarah was the sister to Hopestill Ockington who married John Hall of Newton, Massachusetts (son of Andrew Hall), Jonathan’s first cousin.  Sarah died March 28, 1726 and is buried in the Town Cemetery at Raynham Center, now called the Pleasant Street Cemetery.

On July 4, 1737, just 39 years before that date would become known as Independence Day, Jonathan³ Hall deeded to the Town of Raynham one acre and eight rods of land for a Burying Ground for the inhabitants of that town (Bristol County Deeds Book 25, Page 389).

Know all men by these Presents that I Jonathan Hall in the county of Bristol, Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, yeoman, for the love and respect that I have and bear unto the Town of Raynham aforesaid…do fully freely and absolutely give grant and confirm unto the Town of Raynham forever one acre and eight rods of land situate lying and being within the same town of Raynham to be for the use of a Burying place for the inhabitants of the said town…. Signed by Jonathan Hall on the 4th day of July 1737 and witnessed by Stephen Wood and Solomon White.

By 1737 several deaths had already occurred in the Hall family and it is likely that Jonathan donated this particular tract of land to the town of Raynham for a burying ground in order to preserve the family burials on the Hall property. His parents, Samuel² and Abigail had died in 1716 and 1734 respectively; his wife, Sarah in 1726, and his daughters, Rebecca⁴ and Sarah⁴ in 1723 and 1725/26. Although his headstone has not been found, it is possible that his brother, Samuel³, who died in 1736/37 is also buried here.

Jonathan and his first wife, Sarah Ockington had six children.

• Jonathan⁴ born May 3, 1716 in Taunton, Massachusetts, died February 25, 1789 in Raynham Center, Massachusetts. There will be a full post on Jonathan Jr. in the near future.
• Sarah⁴ Hall, born July 16, 1718 and died February 11, 1725/26 in Taunton.
• Amos⁴ Hall, born April 5, 1720 in Taunton, married Abigail Blake on December 20, 1744, died February 29, 1816, buried in the town cemetery at Raynham Center. Their children were John⁵ Hall (1745-1830) married Huldah Hall, daughter of Philip and Huldah (Leonard) Hall (see October 2016 post) and probably died in Wilton Maine although a death record/burial site has not yet been found; Lewis⁵ Hall (1747-1812) married Fear Alden. Both Lewis and Fear are buried in the town cemetery at Raynham Center; Amos⁵ Hall (1750-1752), buried Raynham Center.
• Rebecca⁴ Hall, born May 21, 1722 and died May 15, 1723 in Taunton.
• John⁴ Hall, born May 15, 1724 in Taunton and died at the age of 21 years, May 26, 1745 in the battle of Cape Breton (now Nova Scotia, Canada).
• Mason⁴ Hall, born January 28, 1725/26, married his first cousin, Mercy Hall (daughter of Samuel and Mercy Willis Hall) on January 16, 1748/49 and died April 6, 1795.  Their children were Patience⁵ Hall born 1750; Sarah⁵ (1753-1816) married Philip Ellis; Mercy born 1758; and Mason⁵ Jr. who married Hannah Willis.

Children by Jonathan³ Hall and his second wife, Sarah Smith:

• Elizabeth⁴ Hall, born May 29, 1828 in Taunton, married Nathaniel Shaw on December 10, 1745. She died January 19, 1784 in Raynham.  Their children were: Nathaniel⁵, John⁵, Betsey⁵, Asel⁵, Jarius⁵, and Sarah⁵ Shaw.
• Hannah⁴ Hall was born March 29, 1734 in Raynham.  Nothing further is known about Hannah.

Jonathan³ Hall wrote his will on February 10, 1745/46 and he died April 19, 1750 in Raynham Center.  Although we cannot know, it is possible that Jonathan died from “Quick Fever” that was epidemic in the area for about one year from the fall of 1749 through the fall of 1750.

In his will Jonathan mentioned his wife, Sarah, sons Jonathan⁴, Amos⁴ and Mason⁴, and daughters, Elizabeth⁴ Shaw, wife of Nathaniel Shaw, and Hannah⁴ Hall.  His eldest son Jonathan and his son-in-law, Nathaniel Shaw were designated as joint executors of his estate.

Jonathan³ is buried in the town cemetery at Raynham Center, now Pleasant Street cemetery.