Clara A Hall (1843 - 1916)

Born 1843 in Pennsylvania

Wife of Thomas B Abrams — married 19 Apr 1860 in Brooklyn, Kings, New York

Descendants

Died 17 May 1916 at about age 73 in Brooklyn, Kings, New York

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Biography & Timeline

Clara Hall is a part of US Black heritage.

Clara Hall was born in Pennsylvania.

Clara Hall was born about 1843 in Pennsylvania, her father Ebenezer was 26, Ebenezer J Hall (abt.1817-1890)and her mother, Catherine Greenly was 23 Catherine Wilson (Greenlees) Greenly (1820-1866).

Her family was a free family of color in the 1847 Philadelphia African American Census. Clara is described as 1 of 2 children under 5 years old, living with her family of 6 members. Ebenezer Hall her father the head of household, is the only family member identified by name. Her father worked as a waiter, her mother Catherine was a washer.

At the time of the 1855 New York State Census, Clara and family was living in Ward 11 Brooklyn City. She was living with 4 siblings, her father Ebenezer , head of the household and mother Catherine. They owned their home, dwelling #783, a frame house, valued at 1,000.

Census

Year: 1847; The African American population residing in Philadelphia in 1847. Name: Ebenezer Hall Residence Year: 1847 Residence Place: Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ^[1]

Year: 1855; New York, U.S., State Census, 1855 Name: Ebenezer Hall Birth Year: abt 1817 Age: 38 Gender: Male Relation to Head: Head Residence: Brooklyn City, Ward 11, Kings, New York, USA District: E.D. 1 Household Number: 283 Line Number: 13 Household Members Age Relationship Ebenezer Hall 38 Head Catherin Hall 35 Wife George Hall 14 Child Clara Hall 12 Child Anna Hall 10 Child Ebenezer Hall 5 Child Francis Hall 2 Child ^[2]

1860 Marriage

1860 finds Clara marrying her next door neighbor Thomas Abrams Thomas B Abrams (abt.1840-1905). The Halls and Abrams were next door neighbors for many years. Their marriage was reported in the The Weekly Anglo-African as taking place April 23, 1860, by Rev. G.W. Le Vere. Name: Mr Thomas Abrams Marriage Date: 22 Apr Residence: Brooklyn, L I Event Type: Marriage Publication Title: The Weekly Anglo-African Publication Date: 19 Apr 1860 Column Number: 4 ^[3]

Two (2) families from early New York the Murrys since 1762; represented by Mary Ann Murry (1814-1903) the Mother of the Groom. The Abrams since 1789; William H Abrams, (1810-1848) the Father of the Groom, deceased. A family of early immigrants to the U.S. the Halls since 1835, Ebenezer J Hall (abt.1817-1890) The Father of the Bride, Catherine Greenly (1820-1866) The Mother of the Bride; all converged at this place and time in history for the union of Thomas and Clara, that produced us

Military Service

Clara's husband Thomas served in the 26 Regiment, United States Colored Troops New York Infantry. Clara is listed in the General Index of Pension Files as her husband Thomas' widow. ^[4]

Occupation and Life

1865 Finds Clara, living with her husband Thomas, and 3 of their children. Their neighbors the Halls, living at dwelling 131 and her family at dwelling 132. Thomas occupation is a Butcher and Civil War Veteran. Clara had four sons and six daughters with Thomas B Abrams between 1860 and 1883.

1870-1875 Clara her husband Thomas the head of house hold, with 7 of their 9 children in the 25th ward, 129 Fulton Ave. Thomas and Clara were listed as owners of building 129 valued at 2,000. Thomas is working as a Butcher and Clara as a seamstress. Clara's brother George Hall and his wife Mary are living in the same building.

Clara is living at 393 Ralph Ave in Brooklyn, New York; with her 9 children and husband Thomas as head of household in the 1880 Census. She is keeping house, Thomas is a Butcher working with his son Thomas Jr at the Butcher Shop. Her son James, and daughter Catherine are listed as employed.

1900 United States Federal Census for Clara A Abrams has her living in the household of her Daughter Catherine. Catherine's husband John Coss is head of household, identifying Clara as his mother in law, and 5 year old Mary J. Jones as his daughter.

Census

Year: 1865; New York, U.S., State Census, 1865 Name: Clara Abrams Gender: Female Relation to Head: Wife Birth Year: abt 1843 Age: 22 Residence: Brooklyn, Kings, New York, USA Ward: 10 Line Number: 11 Page Number: 18 Household Members: Name Age Thomas Abrams 24 Clara Abrams 22 James Abrams 5 Catherine Abrams 2 Thomas Abrams 1^[5]

Year: 1870; Census Place: Brooklyn Ward 9, Kings, New York; Roll: M593_950; Page: 162AName: Clara Abrams Age in 1870: 26 Birth Date: abt 1844 Birthplace: New Jersey [Pennsylvania] Dwelling Number: 602 Home in 1870: Brooklyn Ward 9, Kings, New York Race: Mulatto Gender: Female Post Office: Brooklyn Occupation: Seamstress Inferred Spouse: Thomas Abrams Household Members Age Thomas Abrams 32 Clara Abrams 26 James Abrams 11 Thomas Abrams 10 Catharine Abrams 8 Mary Abrams 6 Eliza Abrams ^[6]

Year: 1875; New York, U.S., State Census, 1875 [database on-line] Name: Clara Abrams Age: 30 Gender: Female Birth Year: abt 1845 Residence Date: 1 Jun 1875 Residence Place: Brooklyn Ward 25, Kings, New York, USA Election District: Ward 25, E.D. 04 Household Number: 192 Relation to Head: Wife Spouse's Name: John Abrams Line Number: 25 Sheet Number: 20 Household Members Age Relationship John Abrams 34 Head Clara Abrams 30 Wife James Abrams 14 Son Cathrine Abrams 11 Daughter Thomas Abrams 10 Son Mary Abrams 9 Daughter Clara Abrams 6 Daughter Sarah Abrams 4 Daughter Anne Abrams 2 Daughter^[7]

Year: 1880; Census Place: Brooklyn, Kings, New York; Roll: 856; Page: 184C; Enumeration District: 250Name: Clara Abrams Age: 37 Birth Date: Abt 1843 Birthplace: Pennsylvania Home in 1880: Brooklyn, Kings, New York, USA Street: Ralph Av. House Number: 240 Dwelling Number: 300 Race: Mulatto Gender: Female Relation to Head of House: Wife Marital Status: Married Spouse's Name: Thomas Abrams Father's Birthplace: Pennsylvania Mother's Birthplace: Pennsylvania Occupation: Keeping House Neighbors: View others on page Household Members Age Relationship Thomas Abrams 40 Self (Head) Clara Abrams 37 Wife James Abrams 19 Son Catherine Abrams 17 Daughter Thomas Abrams 16 Son Marian Abrams 14 Daughter Clara Abrams 11 Daughter Sarah F. Abrams 9 Daughter Annie Abrams 5 Daughter William Abrams 3 Son Andrew D. Abrams 1 Son ^[8]

Year: 1900; Census Place: Brooklyn Ward 23, Kings, New York; Page: 8; Enumeration District: 0397; FHL microfilm: 1241061Name: Clara A Abrams Age: 56 Birth Date: Jun 1843 Birthplace: Pennsylvania, USA Home in 1900: Brooklyn Ward 23, Kings, New York Ward of City: 23 Street: Madison Street House Number: 470 Sheet Number: 8 Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation: 106 108 Family Number: 166 Race: Black Gender: Female Relation to Head of House: Mother in Law (Mother-in-law) Marital Status: Widowed Father's Birthplace: England Mother's Birthplace: Pennsylvania, USA Mother: number of living children: 1 Mother: How many children: 1 Occupation: School Can Read: Yes Can Write: Yes Can Speak English: Yes Neighbors: View others on page Household Members Age Relationship John J Coss 48 Head Catherine Coss 27 Wife Mary A Jones 5 Step Daughter Clara A Abrams 56 Mother in Law (Mother-in-law)^[9]

Death of Clara Hall

She died on May 17, 1916, in Brooklyn, New York, at the age of 73. See was buried at The Evergreens Cemetery, Brooklyn, Kings, New York.

Year: 1916; New York, New York, Death Index, 1795-1952 Clara Ahanes Death 17 May 1916 Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States Female 72 Widowed White Home 06 Jun 1843 Pa. 20 May 1916 Evergreen Ebenezer Hall England Catherine Greenly Pa.^[10]

Note

The 1875 NY StateCensus worker recorded the wrong first name and occupation for Clara's husband head of house hold. They wrote John Abrams instead of Thomas.

The Brooklyn neighborhood the Halls and Abrams lived in is significant to New York history and our families place in it. The Halls owned their home in the then Village of Brooklyn, the birthplace of the Burrough of Brooklyn. Today this neighborhood is called Brooklyn Heights or Clover Hill. In 1966 the neighborhood was put on the National Register of Historic Places. ^[11]

Clara Abrams name is misspelled on the death record. It is spelled Ahanes.

Sources

1. ↑ Original data:African-American Census of Philadelphia. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania: Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College.
2. ↑ Original data: Census of the state of New York, for 1855. Microfilm. Various County Clerk Offices, New York.
3. ↑ Original data: Negro Newspapers for the American Council of Learned Studies. Washington, D.C.: The Library of Congress.
4. ↑ U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 for Clara A Abrams The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; NAI Title: General Index to Civil War and Later Pension Files, ca. 1949 - ca. 1949; NAI Number: 563268; Record Group Title: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 1773 - 2007; Record Group
5. ↑ Original data:Census of the state of New York, for 1865. Microfilm. New York State Archives, Albany, New York.
6. ↑ Original data: 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.Minnesota census schedules for 1870. NARA microfilm publication T132, 13 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.
7. ↑ Original data: Census of the state of New York, for 1875. Microfilm. New York State Archives, Albany, New York.
8. ↑ Original data: Tenth Census of the United States, 1880. (NARA microfilm publication T9, 1,454 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
9. ↑ Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls.
10. ↑ citing death 17 may 1916 Clara Ahanes (Abrams) microfilm 1,324,299
11. ↑ https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/83227626/?terms=village%20of%20Brooklyn&match=1