Transcript:Miller, Richard S. Hall Records/p012

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name of the ancient Castle Halla, now City Halle, in Saxony, as extensive salt works are known to have been located there. Or the castle may have taken its name from its chief, who of course was haele, hero.

The great mass of English Halls undoubtedly are the posterity of the men of Halle who came in the successive Saxon invasions of England. They were called De La Halle, which became a surname, and is now simply Hall.

William of Normandy, who conquered England, and his followers, "insulted dreadfully over the ancient Baron nobility and spoiled their estates," whose descendants four hundred years later, still groaning under oppression, glad to embrace so good an opportunity for enjoying their ancient rights and love of liberty, emigrated in great numbers to America.

It is said that the Halls of Great Britain exceed in number any other name except those of Smith, Jones, Brown and Robinson.

CORRESPONDENCE.

In answer to the "introduction" sent out in 1879, I received the appended letters:

Letter from Hon. E. B. Hall

SANTA BARBARA, CAL., Dec. 26, 1878. DEAR Sir: Yours of the 17th is just received. I shall be much interested in your proposed family record, and will gladly render you any aid I can. And to begin, allow me to correct two or three items in your "introduction. 1st. The Hall family are not of "Dutch descent,'9 as you state, but are of Scotch descent. The very name is Scotch, and could not be Dutch. Scotland is full of Halls, whilst there is not one in Holland or all Germany unless they have strayed thither.

2d. You say, "the forefather of the Halls was Asa Hall." Not so; but you must go back another generation to Thomas Hall and Rebecca, his wife, who lived in Delaware. Thomas Hall died in Delaware, leaving his widow, Rebecca, with five children, to-wit, Jordan, Asa, Rynear, Nathan and Rebecca Hall. With these children she came via Braddock’s Trail and settled on or near Cheat river. After a short time she moved with her