Thomas Hale (1768 - 1861)

Born 1768 in Norfolk County, Colony of Virginia

Husband of Sarah (Hodges) Hale — married about 1793 in Halifax County, North Carolina, USA

Descendants

Died 23 Dec 1861 at about age 93 in Smith County, Tennessee, USA

Biography

Thomas Hale, "United States Census, 1850
name: Thomas Hale
event type: Census
event date: 1850
event place: Smith county, Smith, Tennessee, United States
gender: Male
age: 80
birthplace: Virginia
birth year (estimated): 1770
house number: 169
family number: 169
line number: 7
affiliate publication number: M432
affiliate film number: 896
gs film number: 444852
digital folder number: 004202145
image number: 00136

Household ..Gender.. Age..Birthplace
Thomas Hale..M...... 80....Virginia
Sarah Hale.....F.......78....North Carolina

Citing this Record:

"United States Census, 1850," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MCDZ-FW7 : accessed 02 Mar 2013), Thomas Hale, 1850.

Thomas' obituary was printed in a Carthage Tennessee newspaper in 1861. It mentions that he was born in Portsmouth Parish, Virginia in 1768 and that he became a Methodist in 1792, which would have been while he was still in Halifax County, North Carolina. In 1797, Thomas and Sarah moved to Smith County, Tennessee, along with Sarah's father, James Hodges, and some of the Hogan family. This James Hodges is the same one who sold the land in Halifax County, North Carolina in 1778 to Patience Hale after Thomas' death in 1777 .

Will of Thomas Hale: I, Thomas Hale, - Knowing the uncertainty of life and being of sound mind & disposing memory do make & publish this my last will & testament hereby revoking all other wills by me at any time made. 1st I direct that my executor pay my funeral expenses and all my just debts as soon after my death as any money may come into his hands as such. 2nd To my grand children, heirs of Ezekiel Hale, Deceased, I give and bequeath the sum of one dollar and no more - as I in the life time of the said Ezekiel made advancements in real & personal estate & cash to him to an amount equal or more than equal to a distributive share in my estate. 3rd To my daughter Caty, who intermarried with John Stallings, I give & bequeath two negro women Hilley & Addeline and the children of the said Addeline - one bed and furniture, and one fourth part of my other personal estate not herein specially bequeathed, - and no more. 4th To my daughter Polly, who intermarried with Jessee Haynie I give and bequeath four negroes (viz) Hariet, Hester, Dana and Nance -in cash the value of one bed & clothing, and one fourth part of my other personal estate not herein specially bequeathed, and no more. 5th To my daughter Ednes who intermarried with Abram H. Cooper, I give & bequeath five negroes (viz) Eady, Judy, Lucy, Wesley & John with their future increase, and one hundred & fifty dollars in cash and one bed & clothing, and one fourth part of my other personal estate not herein specially bequeathed; all of which I give and bequeath to her (the said Ednes) during her natural life, and at her death, to go to her two daughters Francis and Mary; and to them I give no more. 6th To my son John Hale - I give & bequeath all my real estate, and one hundred & fifty dollars in cash and one bed & clothing and five negroes (viz) Harry, Rufus, Mandy. George and Amey and Amy's children and their future increase and one fourth part of my other personal property not herein specially bequeathed, and no more. 7th I direct my executor to sell at public auction all the personal estate I may die seized and possessed of, which has not been disposed of & bequeathed in this my last will and testament. Lastly - I do hereby nominate and appoint my son John Hale my executor. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal. This 14th day of July 1857. Thomas Hale (seal) The above will was signed sealed and published in our presence and at the special instance and request of the testator we have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses. David H. Campbell David T. Hodges Tennessee ) Smith Co ) Jany term County Court 1862. This the last will & Testament of Thomas Hail deceased was produced in open Court for probate and was duly proved in open Court by the oaths of David H. Campbell and David T. Hodges subscribing witnesses thereto ...said Last will & Testament was ordered to be filed and recorded. Attest: J A Su...

David T. Hodges was a nephew of Sarah Hodges Hale. I have no information as to whether David H. Campbell was related in any way. Thomas lived along Plunkett's Creek in Smith County the entire time he resided there. He is buried there somewhere near the old home. The homestead was last used by Grigg Hale and is now in the hands of new owners. The house has had new siding and additions built onto it and no longer looks like the log home it once was. In the 1850 Census of Smith County, he is shown as being 80, a laborer (as were all the farmers in that county), owning $500 worth of real estate, being born in Virginia and being deaf and dum. He may have been deaf, but it's highly unlikely he was dumb. (Page 640, 169/169). His daughter, Ednes Cooper, lives next to Thomas and Sarah, who is 78 years old. In the 1860 Census of Smith County, he is 90 years old, a farmer, born in Virginia, with real estate valued at $2,000 and personal property worth $5,000. Sarah is not listed with him and had died by that time. Ednes still lived next to him. He is not listed as either deaf or dumb in the 1860 Census. 141/145. The following affidavit was sworn to by Thomas Hale for Frances Turner Haynes, widow of Christopher, located in the Revolutionary War Pension file for Christopher Haynes, who died in Hawkins County, Tennessee: State of Tennessee ) Smith County ) I John Bridges a justice of the Peace for said county have this day at the office of Joseph G. Pickett, Esq. taken the deposition of Thomas Hale aged 85 years, who being duly sworn deposes as follows: State Mr. Hale if you were acquainted with Christopher Haynes and his wife Frances and whether you know that they were married and had children. Ans. I have seen them together as husband & wife. They said they were married. I saw one of their children in this county thirty years ago. I have not seen them since May 1897 (sic). I never saw them married but they lived together and had children. State what you may know of the services of said Christopher in the war of the Revolution. Ans. I have heard him talk about it frequently. He was in the war I suppose beyond all doubt though. I did not see him in service. It was never denied in the community in which we lived that he had been in that service. It was well understood by every body that he had been in the service. I think Haynes & Miss Fanny Turner were married in 1897 (sic). I don't think I am mistaken about the date. I did not see the ceremony performed. I was not in the military service myself. This was in Halifax County N. Carolina. Miss Haynes was pregnant when I left that county. his Thomas X Hale mark I John Bridges justice of the Peace for Smith County Tennessee hereby certify that the foregoing deposition was taken by me that it has not been altered in any manner and that it is a full and correct statement of the language of the witness, and that it has not been out of my possession. Given under my hand and seal this 7th day of April 1854. John Bridges L.S. Justice of the Peace State of Tennessee ) Smith County ) I W.V.R. Hallum clerk of the county court of Smith County hereby certify that John Bridges whose name is signed to the above certificate was at the date then an acting justice of the Peace for said county dully commissioned according to Law. Witness my hand and seal of office this 7th day of April 1854. W.V.R. Hallum Clrk State of Tennessee ) Smith County ) This day Thomas Hale appeared before me and made oath that the date was heard wrong in the foregoing deposition. It should have been 1797 instead of 1897 in both instances. his Sworn to & subscribed Thomas x Hale 21st April 1854 mark John Bridges Justice of the Peace There was no reason given for Thomas having signed with his mark. He was literate and had signed his name elsewhere, including his Will. Perhaps he was ill at the time he gave the affidavit and did not feel like signing or perhaps the person who prepared the affidavit prepared it for his mark and Thomas merely complied.

Sources

• #108 OLD CARTHAGE CEMETERY, West Third AV. Carthage, TN
  

SMITH COUNTY CEMETERIES NORTH OF THE CUMBERLAND RIVER
Section 100 Carthage

• http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tnsmith/hg/cems_north/oldcarthage.htmAccessed: January 7, 2014
  

Acknowledgments

Thanks to James Hodges for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by James and others.