Person:Thomas Hall (1)

Notes

Thomas Hall, Sr. Will, 1827, Grayson Co., VA The Will of Thomas Hall, Sr. In the name of God, amen, I, Thomas Hall, of the county of Grayson and state of Virginia, being in a low state of health, but of a sound mind and disposition & memory, then I profess to make this my last will and testament in a manner form following to wit. It is (my) will and desire that as much of my property be sold such as can best be spared as will pay all my just debts and buy my daughter Eliza a dress for her particular attention to me and be disposed of according by executors herein and after manner. 2nd. It is my will and desire that my beloved wife Anne should enjoy all the rest of my estate, both real and personal, during her natural (life) or widowhood and after her death, the balance of my estate except the land, be disposed of as will make my three youngest daughters (equal) with the two eldest that had already received a bed and bedsteads and furniture a chest and cottonwheel apiece and the balance of any equally divided amongst all my daughters Anna, Martha, Eliza, Polly, Frances. 3rd. It is my will and desire that the land with its appertances should be equally divided amongst or jointly (? --- ?) by my sons Lankford, Thomas, John & Richard in consequence of there should not be enough perishable property to make the youngest daughters equal with the two oldest. The above named sons shall bear an equal part in making them equal and 4th and lastly, I do hereby constitute and ordain my son Lankford Hall & Peter Worrell my lawful executor to this, my last will and testament in witness hereof have hereunto set my hand & seal this 2nd day of August, 1827.

Thomas Hall (seal) In presence of us:

  Samuel Ashworth
  James Dehaven
  Abraham Dehaven

Grayson September Court 1827 This last will and testament of Thomas Hall dec. was presented in court and proven by James Dehaven and Abraham Dehaven, subscribing witnesses and ordered to be recorded. And Lankford Hall and Peter Worrell executor therein named, came into court and entered into bond with Thomas Baldwin and Jesse Worrell their securities in the penalty of two hundred dollars with conditions as the law directs and took the oath of executor whereupon a certificate is granted then in due form of law. Lester M. Dickenson C. C. File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Ron Hall rwhall@@mmm.com

Biography

Carroll County Heritage, Vol. 1: Carroll County, Virginia 1842-1994, page 141 The Hall Family The Hall name is likely a Norman surname and has been traced to Lincolnshire County, England where the Halls were granted land in 1066 just after the Norman Conquest. Over the next 300 years they spread into Scotland and Ireland and by the 1600s had developed numerous branches and clans producing both notable statesmen and scoundrels. In the 1600s the attraction of the New World and the religious and political unrest in Europe caused many to emigrate. Hall was and is a very common name and there were emigrants settling all along the eastern American Colonies. I have not yet traced our line to the original emigrant. Of the two Hall lines in Carroll, my branch are descendents of my G-G-G-Grandfather Thomas Hall, Sr. who came from Franklin County in 1824. He was probably born in Halifax County about 1780. He married Nancy Ann Semones who was the daughter of Thomas Semones of Patric County and they produced 10 children, all of whom were born in either Halifax or Franklin. Their children were Martha (1804), Susan Jane (1805), Anna (1806), Thomas Jr. (1810), John P. (1813), Elizabeth (1814), Mary Ann (1815), Lankford (1817), Richard Groom (1820), and Frances R. (1824). He owned land on the Pigg River near Rock Mount where it is rumored that he got into financial trouble as a result of a slander suit having accused a man of the theft of his pigs. In fact, I have found several documents where he borrowed large sums of money, offering as collateral all his land, possessions and his two slaves. He must have at least lost the slaves as I have found no reference to them in later years. Family legends say he moved into North Carolina for a short time and in fact, a couple of the children made reference to being “from Guilford County, NC” on some documents. At any rate, it appears he suffered hard times before coming to Carroll. He was a wagon maker as evidenced by the wagon makers tools listed on the appraisal of his property after his death. He and his family settled in the Hardscuffle Community north of US 58 and sold their Franklin County land after they came to Carroll. He carried on his trade and farmed until his death in August 1827 at which time he made a deathbed will naming all of his children except Susan. Nancy raised the younger children alone and lived on until 1865, dying of old age at 80. Most of the children of Thomas and Nancy lived out their lives in Carroll and their descendents are mingled with the Horton, Semones, Webb, Worrell, Akers and Ashworth families of Carroll. Few of the next two Hall generations would learn to read and write and fewer still were prosperous; they were plain country folk who wer etypical of the good people who build and are the history of this great county. Submitted by: Ronald W. Hall, 13877 N. 21st St., Stillwater, MN 55082. Sources: Private research by the author.

1. ↑ US Gen Web Archives
   http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/va/grayson/wills/hallwil2.txt, 12/29/06.