Tag Archives: Bristol County Massachusetts

Last Will and Testament of Jonathan Hall, Jr.

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In the Name of God Amen!

I Jonathan Hall, the Eldest of that name in Raynham in the County of Bristol and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, being advanced in age, but thro’ devine goodness of a sound and disposing mind, do in the first place give my soul to that God who gave it, and my body to the grave, decently to be interr’d by my Executor, In a firm belief a Resurrection to come, and in regard to my worldly interest, I give and dispose of it in the manner following ~ viz

1. I give to my beloved Wife Hannah Hall, after the payment of my just debts and funeral charges — the best room in my dwelling house with a privilege in the Buttery, Oven and Cellar, as much as may be necessary for her own use; Also the easterly half of my Barn with a right of passing to and from it, at all times; To have, use and enjoy all the above privileges during her natural life — Also I give to my said wife the improvement of all my land lying on the south easterly side of the Brook which comes thro’ the land of Samuel Jones, below his barn, and on said Brook as it now runs, to the bridge below my house — Together with one half of my orchard, adjoining to ye house, during her natural life; also I give unto my sd wife, ye use of my half of the pew in the Meeting House during her life and after her, I give it to my Son Seth Hall, to him and his Heirs forever.

2. I give to my Son Linus Hall, the remainder of my dwelling house together with a strip of land from the Brook below the house to the road before the door, to be two rods wide from the line which passes between my Son Seth Hall’s house and mine, a straight line from the Brook to the road — To him, his Heirs and assigns forever, together with the whole of my dwelling house after the death of my said wife.

3. I give to my Son Seth Hall, half an acre of land where his barn now stands, to him and his Heirs, immediately after my decease, together with the westerly part of my barn, one half my orchard, with all the remainder of my lands lying on the westerly side of the above mentioned Brook, immediately after my decease, with all the lands on ye other side of the Brook, after my wife’s decease, to him and his Heirs and assigns forever on condition that he the said Seth Hall pay out the following Legacies ~ viz,

Unto my Son Silas Hall five pounds, in one year after my decease, — To my Son Hezekiah Hall, ten pounds, in two years after my decease, provided he brings no account against my Estates, which if he does, Tis my will that the amount be deducted from the above named sum — also, that he pay unto my Son Jonathan Hall in three years after my death the sum of twelve pounds. And in four years after my decease that my Son Seth Hall pay unto my Son Obed Hall, the sum of twelve pounds — and that he also pay unto my Son Ebenezer Hall the same sum within five years after my decease — also I order my Son Seth Hall to pay to my Daughter Lydia Richmond two pounds in six years after my decease — and to my Daughter Jemima Williams one pound ten shillings in seven years after my death; all the above Legacies I order to be paid out in farm produce at the Common Market Price — I also give to my Wife Hannah Hall, all the household goods she bro’t with her upon marriage, with all the household goods that she and I have procured since we lived together, with two of my best cows and one swine to be at her own disposal — The remainder of my stock, cattle, swine and moveables not disposed of before, I give them all unto my Son Seth Hall and to his Heirs forever — and I do Constitute and appoint my Son Seth Hall to be the Sole Executor of this my Last Will and Testament.

In Witness Whereof I do here unto set my Hand and Seal, Signed, Sealed and Delivered this 21st Day of Feby, 1788.

Jonathan Hall

In Presence of Us:

Perez Fobes
Anonyma Fobes
Molly Wales Fobes

The Last Will and Testament of Jonathan Hall was filed March 12, 1789; Proved May 2, 1789. On March 17, 1791 Seth Hall, Administrator of his father’s estate, filed a petition with the court to have his father’s estate declared insolvent and requested that the court appoint a commission to examine into the claims of debtors against his father’s estate. What these debtors claims were, we do not know, as no further Administration papers have been found. Neither do we know what happened to the extensive land holdings that Jonathan had inherited from his father. We are trying to secure and sort out all of the various deeds for Jonathan Hall. What we do know is that the Legacies that Jonathan had requested in his Will, to be distributed to his children over a seven year period after his death, did not happen. An inventory of his Estate was conducted by Major Shaw, Samuel Hall, and Daniel White on March 16, 1792; it amounted to 21 Pounds, 2 Shillings and 3 Pence. The inventory was allowed April 2, 1792.

The Children of Jonathan3 Hall, Sr. and His Wives, Sarah Ockington (1691-1726), Sarah Smith (1691-1753)

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Edward1 Hall of Rehoboth, Massachusetts
Samuel2 Hall
Jonathan3 Hall, Sr.
Jonathan4 Hall, Jr., Sarah4 Hall, Amos4 Hall, Rebecca4 Hall, John4 Hall, Mason4 Hall, Elizabeth4 Hall, Hannah4 Hall

Jonathan3 Hall, Sr. married Sarah Ockington, daughter of Thomas and Rebecca (Mason) Ockington, about 1714 probably in either Dedham or Taunton, Massachusetts. No primary record of their marriage has been found to date. Jonathan and Sarah lived in that part of Taunton, Massachusetts that became Raynham in 1731, where Jonathan was a farmer, a large land owner, and a Deacon of the First Congregational church. Jonathan and Sarah had six children.

For the sake of historical “correctness” all births, marriages or deaths prior to Raynham’s incorporation in 1731 will be written as occurring in Taunton even though this family had always lived in that section of Taunton that became Raynham, and more specifically Raynham Center.

1. Jonathan4 Hall, Jr., born May 3, 1716 in Taunton, died February 25, 1789 in Raynham. He married Lydia Leonard, daughter of Seth and Dorcas (White) Leonard. Lydia was born about 1721/22 and died in Raynham on June 26, 1763. Jonathan married second, Hannah (Keith) Leach Hall, daughter of John and Hannah (Washburn) Keith. Jonathan and Lydia are buried in the Cemetery at Raynham Center, now known as the Pleasant Street Cemetery. This family will be treated fully in a future post. After Jonathan’s death, Hannah married her fourth husband, Israel Washburn.

2. Sarah4 Hall was born July 16, 1718 in Taunton, and died February 11, 1725/26.

3. Amos4 Hall was born April 5, 1720 in Taunton and died February 29, 1816 in Middleborough, Plymouth, Massachusetts. He married Abigail Blake, daughter of Samuel Blake (Bristol Deeds 53:435) on December 20, 1744 (First Book of Raynham Records). Abigail died November 23, 1804 and she and Amos are both buried in Raynham Center. They had three known children:

  • John5 Hall, born November 15, 1745 in Raynham, died February 8, 1830 in Wilton, Franklin, Maine. He married Huldah Williams on January 1, 1770.
  • Lewis5 Hall, baptized November 15, 1747 (Raynham Church Records) in Raynham, died September 23, 1812 in Raynham.  He married his second cousin, Fear Alden, daughter of Joseph and Hannah (Hall) Alden on February 23, 1775 in Middleborough (MA marriages before 1800). Fear died March 29, 1841 in Raynham and they are both buried in the Town Cemetery at Raynham Center.
  • Amos5 Hall, baptized August 26, 1750, died July 4, 1752 and is buried in Raynham Center.

4. Rebecca4 Hall born May 21, 1722, died May 15, 1723 in Taunton.

5. John4 Hall, born May 15, 1724 in Taunton died May 26, 1745 during the siege of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada.

6. Mason4 Hall, born January 28, 1725/26 in Taunton, died April 6, 1795. He married his first cousin, Mercy Hall, daughter of Samuel and Mercy (Willis) Hall, January 16, 1748/49 in Raynham (Raynham Church Records). Mason and Mercy had four children.

  • Patience5 Hall, baptized October 28, 1750 in Raynham.
  • Sarah5 Hall, born about 1753 in Raynham, died May 11, 1816 in Bridgewater, Plymouth, Massachusetts.  She married on March 18, 1783, Philip Ellis, son of Philip and Mary (Staples) Ellis.
  • Mercy5 Hall, baptized August 13, 1758 in Raynham.
  • Mason5 Hall, Jr., born about 1769, died June 1821 in Middleborough, Plymouth, Massachusetts.  He married on July 29, 1789, Hannah Willis, daughter of Beriah and Abigail (Hayward) Willis.

Sarah (Ockington) Hall died on March 28, 1726 in that part of Taunton that became Raynham, and was buried in the Town Cemetery in Raynham Cemter.

Jonathan Hall married on April 11, 1727 in Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts as his second wife, Sarah Smith, daughter of Asahel and Elizabeth Smith. She was born August 7, 1691 in Dedham, Massachusetts Bay Colony and died in Raynham on July 15, 1753. Jonathan and Sarah had two children.

1. Elizabeth4 Hall, born May 29, 1728 in Taunton, died January 19, 1784 in Raynham. She married on December 10, 1745, Deacon Nathaniel Shaw, son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Hodges) Shaw. Nathaniel was born August 4, 1723 in Taunton and died May 4, 1804 in Raynham. Elizabeth and Nathaniel are buried in the cemetery in back of the school house in South Raynham. They had six known children shown below, names and birth dates taken from Mayflower Families through Five Generations, volume 16, part 3, John Alden, p. 213; no primary sources have been found to date.

  • Nathaniel5 Shaw, Jr., born August 6, 1746 in Raynham.
  • John5 Shaw, born February 25, 1748/49 in Raynham.
  • Betsey5 Shaw, born September 28, 1753 in Raynham, died June 1820.  Married Sergeant George King, son of Benjamin and Abiah (Leonard) King.  He was born November 27, 1744 in Raynham and died January 16, 1827.
  • Asel5 Shaw, born November 25, 1754 in Raynham.
  • Jairus5 Shaw, born September 28, 1755 in Raynham.
  • Sarah5 Shaw, born November 21, 1758 in Raynham.

2.  Hannah4 Hall, born March 25, 1734 in Raynham. No further information as to whether Hannah ever married, or when she died, has been found.

Informal listing of some sources used for this post:
1. Vital Statistics and Early Town Records, 1699-1807, Town of Raynham, Vol. 1 (Raynham Town Clerk).
2. Raynham Church Records, Vol. 1 (Old Colony Historical Society, Taunton, MA).
3. Mayflower Source Records (First Book of Raynham Records).
4. Massachusetts Vital Records for Taunton, Bridgewater, Dedham, Middleborough.
5. Mayflower Families through Five Generations, volume 16, part 3, John Alden, p. 213.
6. Massachusetts marriages before 1800.
7. Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire.
8. Maine: A History, Maine Historical Society, 1919.
9. US Federal Census, 1790, Raynham, Bristol, MA.
10. The Diary of Isaac Backus (3 volumes).
11. Headstone Inscriptions, Town Cemetery at Raynham Center (Pleasant Street Cemetery).