George Hall and his wife Mary were the ancestors of the Halls of Taunton. The
y
emigrated, supposedly, from Devonshire County, England, in 1636-37. George Hall
is recorded as a proprietor of land in Duxbury, Mass. in, 1637, about the date o
f
his settlement in "Cohannet,"--Taunton. He was one of the forty-six original
proprietors of the first territorial "purchase" of the Indian Sachem Massasoit,
including a tract of eight miles (an oblong, square, which in 1883 consisted of
the territories of Taunton, Berkley, Raynham, extending to Mansfield). George
had a twelve acre share, in connection with Richard Williams, John and Walter
Dean and others, who had similar shares, spanning Taunton River, on the banks of
which they erected their first dwellings. Their homesteads were on Dean Street.
George was one of the founders of the town of Taunton in 1639, was propounded a
s
a freeman in 1643, was enrolled to bear arms that year, was admitted as a
freeman and was town constable in 1645, was a member of the board of the
supervising council in 1657, and was chairman of the board of selectmen from
1666 to 1669, the time of his death. He was one of the founders of the Pilgrim
Congregational Church and Society of Taunton and contributed liberally to its
support. He was also one of the stock proprietors of the first iron "bloomery"
which was established by the Leonards and other citizens of Taunton; he was its
first clerk in 1656 and was succeeded after his death by his son John. The
"bloomery" became known as the Taunton Iron Works.
The bar iron manufactured from the native ore dug in the area was made a
"circulating medium" in business transactions because of the shortage of specie.
A freeman was one who owned land and belonged to the Church and then could vote
and hold public office.
History of Taunton, Massachusetts
by Samuel Hopkins Emery, published in 1893 by D. Mason & Co., Syracuse, N.Y., p.
618, reveals that George Hall, with others, was originally involved in the
organization of the Iron Works Company in 1653-54. On p. 619 the statement is
made that "At this time, 1660, an arrangement was made by the shareholders to
lease the works to George Hall and his associates, Hezekiah Hoare and Francis
Smith." The three took into partnership the following men: William Pole,
Walter Deane, Joseph Wilbore, John Dean, Anthony Slocum, Thomas Linkin, Sr,.
William Parker, James Leonard, Jonah Austin, Sr., John Parker, Peter Pitts,
James Philips, and Henry Withington (of Dorchester). The lease was for five
years.
In October of 1669, he became seriously ill; he called his friends, Deacons
Richard Williams and Walter Dean, and made his will on the 16th, witnessed by
them, and died on October 30. His widow Mary was appointed executrix, and the
will was probated in March, 1670. After his death, his widow and sons John,
Joseph, and Samuel were shareholders in the iron works. George Hall was one of
the largest landholders in Taunton, and he divided it among his sons. They were
also among the proprietors of the large tract, called the "Taunton North
Purchase," which included the towns of Norton, Easton, and portions of Mansfield
and Raynham, where Halls settled as farmers and business men. The children
mentioned in the will were six in number.
WILL OF GEORGE HALL
"Oct. 16, 1669--The Last Will and Testament of George Hall, of Taunton,
deceased, exhibited to the court held at New Plymouth, the first day of March
1669, on the Oath of Richard Williams:
In the name of God, amen--I George Hall, of Taunton, in the jurisdiction of
New Plymouth, being in health and memory, blessed be the Lord, do here make my
last will and testament in manner and form as followeth: I commit my spirit int
o
the hands of the Lord and do dispose of my goods as followeth:
ITEM--I give to my wife during widowhood, the part of my dwelling house, that
part which I built last, and the garden joining to it, and half my new barn and
half the stall against the barn:
ITEM--I give her that I bought from Benjamin Wilson, lying between Richard
Williams and that which was Nicholas Whites's which is eight acres which lyeth
on the North side of the great River:
ITEM--I give unto my Wife the land that is called by the name of Cobb's neck,
and the land that I broke up in the neck that John Hall hath and one acre more
if she want it:
ITEM--I give her more at Broad cove, a carriage of hay, half in Samuel's and
half in Joseph's, if she doth want it for herself, this is my wife's during her
widowhood, after to be disposed of as followeth, and make her my executrix:
ITEM--I give unto my son Joseph half the neck of land called by the name of
Jane Wyatt's bed, and the land the house stands upon, and the four acres that
reaches against John Cobb's land, and the neck called by the name of Cobb's
neck, and seventy-six acres by the great River at the further side of Thomas
Deane's land on the east side, to him and his heirs forever:
ITEM--I give unto my son Samuel Hall my great lot viz: all my land lying
from the great river to James Leonard's land, the one side is against Hezekiah
Hoar's land the other side against Mr. Pool's land, and twenty-two acres against
the Great River on the north side of Thomas Deane's:
ITEM--I give unto my son Samuel my twenty acres and the meadow belonging to it
at the three mile River, calle Rumford, and half my meadow at Broad cove:
ITEM--I give unto my daughter Charity six pounds:
ITEM--I give unto my son Joseph Hall my home lot, which is eight acres, two
acres where I bought of William Harvey, and six acres over the great river, and
I give unto him that which I bought of Benjamin Wilson which is eight acres upon
the north side of the great River, the east side against Richard Williams:
ITEM--I give him half my meadow at Broad cove--Samuel is to parcel it equally
and Joseph is to choose the half he will have, and I give him my purchase and
ten acres from the town of my division:
ITEM--I give to each of my grand-children forty shillings:
ITEM--I give to my daughter Sarah twenty pounds, and if she do not match to
her mother's mind she is to have but fifteen pounds:
ITEM--I give to the church in Taunton, forty shillings to buy cups:
ITEM--I give to William Evans twenty shillings:
ITEM--I give to my son John, my new purchase:
ITEM--I give to my daughter Mary, forty shillings:
ITEM--I give to my son Samuel, six acres of land that is due me from the town
and three acres of swamp:
(Signed) George Hall.
Witnessed
by Richard Williams,
Walter Deane."
The foregoing is a copy witnessed by Wm. S. Danforth, Register of Deeds for
Plymouth County. J. W. D. Hall
Extensive research has been conducted by English genealogists, at the behest of
Robert Hall, to determine the English home of George and Mary. One source shows
that a George Hall was baptised in 1603 at Woodbury, Devonshire, England. No
other information pertaining to George was found in the church records of
Woodbury.
One report, by a recent member of the N. White family, the source which was not
documented, stated that George Hall, the emigrant, came to America on the ship
"Ann." A manifest for the ship has not been located, although Archbishop Laud,
who headed the English church at the time, required a list of all passengers
leaving England to be filed at the ports of departure. Such records were not
forwarded to London.

• Married: ABT 1630 in England ²

1. John Hall b: 1639/1640 in Taunton,Bristol Co.,MA
2. Joseph Hall b: 1641/1642 in Taunton,Bristol Co.,MA
3. Samuel Hall b: 11 DEC 1644 in Taunton,Bristol Co.,MA
4. Charity Hall b: 1634/1635 in Taunton,Bristol Co.,MA
5. Sarah Hall b: 1647/1648 in Taunton,Bristol Co.,MA
6. Mary Hall b: 1649/1650 in Taunton,Bristol Co.,MA

1. Title: R122
   Abbrev: R122
   Text: p. 568
2. Title: R122
   Abbrev: R122
   Text: p. 567