Jonathan Hall (1735 - 1776)

Born 30 Mar 1735 in Grafton, Worcester, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Stow) Hall — married 19 Jan 1758 in Grafton, Worcester, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 8 Sep 1776 at age 41 in Grafton, Worcester, Massachusetts

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This profile is part of the Hall Name Study.

Biography

Jonathan HALL was born on 30 March 1735 in Grafton, Worcester County, Massachusetts, the son of Jonathan Hall and Thankful Taylor. He died on 8 September 1776 in Grafton, Worcester County, Massachusetts, two days after he wrote his will.

He married on 18 January 1759 in Grafton, Worcester County, Massachusetts to Mary STOW.^[1]

Mary STOW was born on 10 July 1734 in Grafton, Worcester County, Massachusetts to Abner STOW and his wife Mary ADAMS.^[2]

Children

Children of Jonathan HALL and Mary STOW^[3]:

1. Jonathan Hall (Daughters of the American Revolution Ancestor, A049848; Born: 19 June 1759 in Grafton, Massachusetts;^[4] Died: 21 August 1825; married in Grafton 12 Oct 1780 Mary Kimball.^[5]
2. Mary Hall (Born: 18 July 1761 in Worcester County, Massachusetts)^[4]; was she the Mary Hall who married in Grafton 25 Dec 1783 Elijah Brooks?^[5]
3. Sarah Hall (Born: 31 December 1763 in Worcester County, Massachusetts)^[4]
4. Aaron Hall (Born: 19 June 1766 in Grafton, Worcester County, Massachusetts;^[4] Married: 8 August 1790 in Grafton, Worcester County, Massachusetts to Sarah Brigham)
5. Elijah Hall (Born: 12 May 1770 in Worcester County, Massachusetts);^[4] was he the Elijah Hall who m 14 Feb 1799 Lucy Knowlton of Shrewsbury?^[6]
6. Samuel Hall (Born: 5 March 1774 in Worcester County, Massachusetts)^[4]

Last Will & Testament

Last Will & Testament of Jonathan Hall^[7]

I, Jonathan Hall of Grafton, in the County of Worcester, and the state of Massachusetts Bay, in N. England Husbandman being under great weakness of Body, but of a sound and Disposing mind, knowing the certainty of death, & yet the uncertainty of the time when I shall therby be call,d to my long Home, do think fit to make this my last Will & Testament in manner & Form following.

Imprimis, I do solemnly & earnestly commend my Immortal Spirit into the Hand of God who gave it, in humble hope of his mercy to eternal Life, & my Body to the Dust, to be decently buried, at the discretion of my Executrix herafter Named, in expectation of a happy Resurrection through Jesus Christ my Lord.

With Respect to the World substance with which it pleased God to bless me, I dispose of in the following manner.

I give & bequeathe to Mary my well beloved Wife, all my Houshold Furniture & a sorrel Colt one year old, now on y Farm, & a Right to & free use off, one third Part of the Income & Profit of my Estate; also a Right to possess & inhabit the Western Rooms & Chambers over them, in my Dwelling House, together with one third part of the Cellar under the same, & Fire wood sufficient for her use, cut fit for the Fire so long as she remains my Widow: but if she marry, then to acquit her Right to the abovementioned Thirds, house &c, & in Lieu of that to receive Thirteen Pounds, Six Shilling & Eight pence, in money out of my Estate. & I do constitute her the sd Mary the sole Executrix of this my Last Will; & order that, out of my Estate, she Discharge my just Debts & funeral Charges.

My wearing apparel & whatsoever is not comprehended in this will, to be Disposed off at the discretion of my Executrix.

Item, I give & Bequeath to my sons Jonathan & Aaron Hall, my Dwelling House (they paying six pounds, thirteen shillings & four pence to the Heirs of my Hon’d Mother at her Decease), & all my Tenements & Lands …. Five acres at the South side of … Lot of land on George Hill, so called; they paying the Respective Legacies herafter noted. Sd. Lands & tenements to be equally divided between them when Aaron shall be twenty one years old, Jonathan to have the Profits of the Whole after he is Twenty one years old until Aaron be twenty one years old, Aaron to Live & Labor on the Farm, until that time; sharing such a maintenance as his guardian shall think suitable to his age & station & that Aaron when twenty one years old pay to his Brother Jonathan thirty three pounds, six shillings & eight Pence, to balance what Jonathan Hall pay to his sister, more than Aaron. & that as much quick stock as is usually on the Farm be Equally Divided betwixt them, when Aaron is of Lawful age viz, Twenty one years. Farming Tools I bequeathe wholly to Jonathan.

I give to Mary, my eldest Daughter, Thirty three pounds, six shillings & eight pence, to be paid her, when she is twenty one years old, to be paid by her Brother Jonathan, & a Cow to be given her by the same Brother if she marry.

I give & bequeathe to my youngest Daughter Sarah, Thirty three Pounds, six shillings & eight Pence, to be Paid her by her brother Jonathan when she is twenty one years old, & a Cow to be given her by the same Brother if she marry.

I give & bequeath to my sons Elijah & Samuel Hall, Thirty five Acres, on the South Side of a Lot of Land, Lying on the aforsd George hill, to be divided equally betwixt them by an East & West Line, This to be thus Divided & set off to them when Jonathan shall be Twenty one years old, & then Rented or Leas,d, the Income to be still Let out to Use – all to be in their Possession & use, when, ye shall Res… be twenty one years old.

In Testimony of this being my Last Will and Testament, I do herunto Set my Hand & Seal. This Sixth Day of September in the year of the Lord one thousand seven Hundred & Seventy Six.

[Signed, in a different hand than wrote the will] Jonathan Hall.

Sign’d, Seal’d & Deliver’d, in presence of us

Daniel Grosvenor [his handwriting matches the handwriting of the will’s text]

Andrew Adams

Samuel Flagg

Sources

1. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FH9V-R2L : 13 July 2016), Jonathan Hall and Mary Stow, 18 Jan 1759; citing Marriage, Grafton, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 751,414.
2. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F46Y-2F8 : 13 July 2016), Mary Stow, 10 Jul 1734; citing Birth, Grafton, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 751,414.
3. ↑ A listing of children was found on the same page of this record: "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F46T-BDZ : 13 July 2016), Aaron Hall, 19 Jun 1766; citing Birth, Grafton, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 751,414.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5} Franklin P. Rice, “Vital Records of Grafton, MA to 1849,” Worcester, MA (1906), p 63; p 64
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Grafton Vital Records, Marriages, p 218
6. ↑ Vital Records of Grafton, Mass., Marriages, p 217 (bottom of page)
7. ↑ Worcester County Probate Records, database at AmericanAncestors.org (membership required)