Edward Hall was born on 18 Jul 1727 in Wrentham, Norfolk, Massachusetts, as the second child of Edward Hall and Hannah Fisher. He had six siblings, namely: Ezekiel, James, Hezekiah, Hannah, Mary, and Seth. When he was a teen, he moved with his family to Uxbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts.

When he was 20, Edward Hall married Lydia Brown, daughter of John Brown and Sarah Taft, on 17 Aug 1747 in Leicester, Worcester, Massachusetts.

Edward Hall and Lydia Brown had the following children:

1. Hannah Hall was born on 30 Sep 1749 in Uxbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts. She married Ezekiel Powers on 28 Jan 1767 in Uxbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts. She died in Croydon, Sullivan, New Hampshire, on 10 Aug 1819.
2. Ezekiel Hall was born on 05 Feb 1752 in Uxbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts.
3. Abijah Hall was born on 07 Jun 1754 in Uxbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts. He served as a private in Captain Josiah Russell’s company of Rangers, and in 1777, as a corporal in Col. Jonathan Chase’s New Hampshire regiment. (DAR Ancestor #: A049386) He married first, in 1780, to Sarah Read. She died in 1791. He then married on 12 Aug 1792, to Mary Read. Abijah drowned on 19 Aug 1812 in Croydon, Sullivan, New Hampshire.
4. James Hall was born on 19 Apr 1757 in Uxbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts. While living in Croydon, Sullivan, New Hampshire, he enlisted and served at a private in the New Hampshire Rangers. He first served for three months beginning in Aug 1776 with Captain Russell’s company. Then from 14 May 1780 until late Jul 1780, he was in Captain Samuel Paine’s company, with one of those months in Captain Russell’s company. He was in Captain Moses Whipple’s company for three weeks in Oct 1780 after the burning of Royalton and then served for one week in Mar 1781, again under Capt. Whipple. (DAR Ancestor #: A049692) After his first tour of duty, he married Huldah Cooper, on Thanksgiving Day, 30 Nov 1775, in Croydon, Sullivan, New Hampshire. He died in Croydon, Sullivan, New Hampshire, on 28 Jul 1835.
5. Captain Edward Hall was born on 04 Oct 1760 in Uxbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts. He served in Captain Josiah Russel’s Ranger Company from 24 Sep – 08 Oct 1776 and again in Col. Joshua Handee’s Co. Colonel David Hobart’s Regiment from 23 Jul to 25 Sep 1777. He participated in the battle of Bennington in General John Stark’s brigade. He married Abigail Pond in 1785. He died on 14 Mar 1817 in Croydon, Sullivan, New Hampshire.
6. John Hall was born on 14 Feb 1763 in Uxbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts. He married Jerusha Woodbury in Croydon on 09 Oct 1783. He died in Croydon, Sullivan, New Hampshire on 26 Mar 1813.
7. Lydia Hall was born on 10 Jul 1765 in Uxbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts. She died in Croydon, Sullivan, New Hampshire.
8. Betty Hall was born on 05 Jul 1768 in Uxbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts. She married John Loverin on 16 Jun 1786 in Croydon, Sullivan, New Hampshire. She died on 21 Mar 1848 in Springfield, Sullivan, New Hampshire.
9. Ezra Hall was born on 20 Jun 1770 in Uxbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts. He married Mary Leland on 19 Jan 1789 in Croydon. He died 27 Oct 1862 in Lansing, Tompkins, New York.
10. Darius Hall was born on 19 Aug 1772 in Uxbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts. He married Betsey Brown. He died 12 Oct 1850.

On the eve of the Revolutionary War, Edward Hall moved from Massachusetts to “the flats” of Croydon, New Hampshire. He brought with him his wife, ten children, and a niece.

Edward Hall was known by the title of Lieutenant.

Edward was a Royalist, commissioned by the crown, and rose to the rank of lieutenant in the colonial service. Conditions in the colonies changed though. Edward was in his late 40s when the Revolutionary War broke out and he saw four of his sons serve in the Continental army against the crown he had once defended. While Edward Hall was originally a Loyalist, he is recognized by the DAR as a Patriot. His DAR number is A202772 .

After the war, Edward served as selectman in Croydon in 1784, 1785, and 1786. He also held the positions of constable, collector, and moderator at times. In addition to his public service, he was a tavern keeper.

“The family were shrewd, and fond of amusements.”

Biographies of Croydon, Sullivan County, New Hampshire from 1866 proceedings at the centennial celebration

Edward Hall died of consumption, at age 80, on 28 Dec 1807 in Croydon, Sullivan, New Hampshire, and was buried there in Putnam Cemetery. Note that when he lived and died there, Croydon was in Cheshire County. Sullivan County didn’t yet exist.

Edward’s death record, transcribed a century after his death, doesn’t have a lot of information, and doesn’t accurately reflect his birth date.

It doesn’t appear he had a Last Will and Testament, or perhaps that record has been lost. But, probate records do give a little more proof of Edward and his family. For example, several family members were listed in the inventory of the estate. It seems that Edward had loaned money to many people.

Lydia was named in the records as Edward’s widow as there were a few appeals made to get her more than the one-third of the estate that she was originally allotted because that wasn’t enough to support her.

“…John Hall in behalf of his mother wife of Edward Hall Late of Croydon Deceased that one third of the Estate of his father Edward Hall would be insufficient for her support we therefore give it as our opinion that one half of the Estate will not be too much…”

“…Lydia Hall the widow of said deceased is very infirm, so much so, that she is altogether incapable of doing anything toward her support, that the interest left by her husband is amply sufficient for her maintenance, and it has been the wish of the heirs to said estate that a __ of said property should be appropriated for her use. That you did in 1810 decree to said Lydia the sum of fourteen hundred dollars, which sum has already been expended so that the said Lydia has not, at present, any property at all…”

Finally, his sons John and Darius were named because they served as executors of the estate. Son John Hall was originally named the executor but he died in 1813, so son Darius took over.

Edward lived his 80 years during an interesting time in American History. He went from being a Massachusetts-born Loyalist to a New Hampshire Patriot, raising a large family and being a respected public servant throughout his life.

Where is he in the tree?

Selected sources:

Ancestry.com, 1790 United States Federal Census (Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2000), www.ancestry.com, Year: 1790; Census Place: Croydon, Cheshire, New Hampshire; Series: M637; Roll: 5; Page: 123; Image: 69; Family History Library Film: 0568145.

Ancestry.com. History of Cheshire and Sullivan Counties, New Hampshire [database on-line]. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.Original data: History of Cheshire and Sullivan Counties, New Hampshire. Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1886.

Ancestry.com. Inhabitants of New Hampshire, 1776 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

Ancestry.com, Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 (Online publication – Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.Original data – Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook).Original data: Town and C),

Ancestry.com, New Hampshire, Death and Disinterment Records, 1754-1947 (Online publication – Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.Original data – “New Hampshire, Death and Disinterment Records, 1754–1947.” Online index and digital images. New England Historical Genealogical Society. Citing New Hampshire Bureau).

Ancestry.com, North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016), Ancestry.com, Book Title: Lineage Book of the Charter Members of the DAR Vol 069

Ancestry.com. The Halls of New England : genealogical and biographical [database on-line]. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2005.Original data: Hall, David Brainerd. The Halls of New England : genealogical and biographical. Albany, N.Y.: Joel Munsell’s Sons, 1883.

Boston, Massachusetts; Vital Records of Wrentham, Massachusetts to the Year 1850.

Clarke, John B., Sketches of Successful New Hampshire Men [google books] (Manchester: 1882), google Books: books.google.com, p. 51.

Edmund Wheeler, Croydon, N.H., 1866: proceedings at the centennial celebration (Claremont Manufacturing Co., 1867), ancestry.com, Selectmen of Croydon, from 1766 to 1866, p. 165.

“New Hampshire, County Probate Estate Files, 1769-1936,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WH-VZPS?cc=2040042&wc=M7MY-L6D%3A383109201%2C383491001 : 22 May 2014), Cheshire > Case no H136-H208 1806-1813 > image 428 of 1323; county courthouses, offices of register of probate, and historical societies, New Hampshire.

Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, NARA, National Archives Catalog ID: 300022; Roll: 1161; State: New Hampshire; Veteran: Hall, James; Pensioner: Hall, Huldah; Pension Number: W. 16,025; Fold 3 ( https://www.fold3.com/image/1/22602781 : accessed 1 Jul 2019).

The Compendium of American Genealogy [database on-line ancestry], ancestry.com, Lineage records, First Families of America, p. 435.