Person:Jonathan Hall (8)

Name^[1]^[2]	Jonathan Hall, I
Gender	Male
Birth`^?`	Abt 1700	Unknown
Marriage	23 Dec 1727	Stow, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[intentions] to Thankful Taylor
Death^[3]	28 Dec 1747	Grafton, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
Alt Death`^?`	28 Jan 1748	Grafton, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States

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Origins

There have been conflicting theories about who his parents were; but examination of Grafton land deeds clarifies that he was the son of Captain Samuel Hall (b. 1655 Concord; d. 1750 Stow) and Hannah Sawtell:

In 1733/34, Jonathan Hall sold land in Grafton, MA to Nehemiah How; the deed indicates Hall is selling land belonging to “the right of my Honoured Fater Samll Hall.” /S5

A later land deed in 1747 also has Jonathan Hall selling Grafton land (this time to Solomon Prentice), land that was initially “the right of Samll Hall.” /S6

Additional, but more circumstantial evidence, supporting this includes:

There was a HALL family in Stow (i.e., Samuel and Hannah) of the right generation to have a child the right age to marry in 1727;

Subsequent Grafton records identify Jonathan Hall as "of Stow": when the first church was formed at Grafton, Dec 28, 1731, Jonathan Hall "from Stow" was a member. Continued active. In Sept 29,1731 he had a grant of land of 25 acres at Hassanamisitt. [See History of Grafton.]

The names of Jonathan & Thankful's children reflect the names of other children of Samuel and Hannah.

While Jonathan Hall and Thankful Taylor recorded their intention to marry in Stow, MA, there is no record of their marriage; neither are any children recorded to them in Stow. (This implies that Jonathan and Thankful left Stow after declaring their intention to marry.)

Unfortunately, no record has been found of Jonathan Hall's 1701 birth in Marlborough or Stow VRs. Nor is there are a Grafton marriage record for him.

Therefore, contrary to The Halls of New England, (pp 715-716), Jonathan of Grafton is NOT the son born 22 May 1702 in Dorchester of Jonathan Hall (b. 1659 Dorchester; d. 1718 Dorchester) and Elizabeth Clapp. Their son Jonathan, according to the Dorchester vital records, died Oct. 13, 1729. See: "Transcriptions of Dorchester, MA Gravestones," NEHGS Register, volume 5, 1851, p. 258: "Here lyes buried ye body of Jonathan Hall who died October 13, 1729 in his 28th year." That places his birth about 1701-1702, matching the son born to Jonathan Hall and Elizabeth Clapp.

Gravestone in Grafton reads: "Ensign Jonathan Dec 28, 1747 in 47th yr" placing his birth in 1701, not 1702.

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Life in Massachusetts

23 Dec 1727: MARRIAGE (intention) to Thankful TAYLOR ("of Sudbury") at Stow, Middlesex Co., MA.

Some genealogies show a second marriage intention of this Jonathan Hall to Sarah Esty 12 Apr. 1755. There is a marriage in Stow vital records (p. 158) of Jonathan Hall and Sarah Easty, Apr 12. 1755 (intention). This cannot be the same Jonathan Hall of Grafton because the latter died 28 Dec 1747.

By 1731, he was buying land in Grafton: History of Grafton, Worcester Co., MA, Chapter Third, From p. 49:

"The land purchased of the Indians included seven thousand five hundred acres. This land was divided among the proprietors at three different stated times. The following gives the number of acres each proprietor received, and the date of the receipt."

p. 52:

"September 29, 1731, Jonathan Hall, 25 acres. [Division of land.]"

Same source, p. 166: [Dec 28, 1731]

"The following are the names of the persons then gathered into a church, with the places from which they came, and in which most of them had been previously connected with churches: ... Jonathan Hall... of Stow."

Same source, p. 412: Selectmen:

1741: Jonathan Hall...

1747: Jonathan Hall...

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