HALL

POMFRET, CONN., BRANCH

BIOGRAPHY

AS RECORDED IN:

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF
TOLLAND AND WINDHAM COUNTIES CONNECTICUT.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF PROMINENT AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS AND OF MANY OF THE EARLY SETTLED FAMILIES
PUBLISHER: J.H.BEERS & CO., CHICAGO; 1903 P. 214

HALL (Pomfret Conn., branch). Through the courtesy of John Partridge Jepson of New York, a lineal descendant of Rev. David Hall, D.D., of Sutton, Mass., we are enabled to give from reliable family records, in connection with other data gleaned from Massachusetts and Connecticut publications, the genealogy and a part of the history of the distinguished Hall family of Sutton, Mass., and Pomfret, Windham Co., Conn., among whom was Rev. David Hall, D.D., of Sutton, Mass., from whom descended many distinguished persons, notably Dr. David Hall, of Pomfret, Conn., and later of Vermont; his brother, Dr. Jonathan Hall, of Pomfret, and the latter’s sons: Hon. Jonathan Prescott, a jurist and eminent lawyer of New York, Hon. Charles Henry, also a prominent lawyer of New York, Dr. David Priestly Hall, and their sister Miss Anne Hall, an artist of celebrity.

(I) John Hall, the progenitor of this branch of the Halls, came from Coventry, England, in 1630, and settled at Charlestown, Massachusetts Bay, New England. He afterwards married a Larned (Miss Bertha, says one authority) and settled at Yarmouth on Cape Cod, where twelve sons were born to them, seven of whom, namely John, Gersham, William, Joseph, Nathaniel, Elijah, and Benjamin, the late Rev. David Hall, D.D., of Sutton, said he had seen, and two of whom were alive in 1733, aged about eighty years.

(II) John Hall (2) married a Boyse, of Barnstable, and had three sons and many daughters, the sons being Joseph, John and Nathaniel. These sons and two of the daughters were alive in 1733, at Lovetown, near Philadelphia; Nathaniel settled in the province of Pennsylvania, or in Maryland.

(III) Joseph Hall settled on the paternal inheritance and married Hannah Miller, daughter of Rev. John Miller, the first minister of the Gospel in that place. She died in September, 1710, and he afterward married Mrs. Mary Morton, a widow. His children born to the first marriage were Joseph, Daniel, Josiah, David and Hannah, Priscilla and Margaret; and those born to the second marriage were Mary, Peter, John and Barthsheba.

(IV) Rev. David Hall, D.D., was born Aug. 5, 1704, and received his education at Harvard College, from which he was graduated in 1724. He was ordained to the pastoral charge in Sutton, Mass., in October, 1729. He received the degree of D.D. from Dartmouth College in 1777. On June 24, 1731, Rev. Mr. Hall was married to Elizabeth Prescott, of Concord, Mass., a daughter of Jonathan Prescott, Esq., of that town, a near relative of Col. William Prescott, of Bunker Hill fame. Dr. Hall was an able and learned divine. He died in the eighty-fifth year of his age and the sixtieth of his ministry. He had twelve children: (1) David Hall, born May 5, 1732, married Sept. 11, 1755, Mrs. Mary Barret. He studied medicine, was a physician in Sutton and later removed to Pomfret, Conn. The following reference to him is from the “History of Windham County”: “Dr. Thomas Morton, the first physician of Pomfret, is believed to have removed his residence prior to 1760. His place was filled by Dr. David Hall, of Sutton, who removed to Vermont after the loss of his wife and several children, and was succeeded in practice by Albigence, son of Zachariah Waldo.” Dr. Hall was a poet as well as physician. He was the author of the witty epigram on Ethan Allen ascribed to Dr. Hopkins in Goodriche’s “Poets of Connecticut.” (2) Elizabeth Prescott, born in February, 1734, married Dr. Hale, of Concord, N.H. (3) Rebecca Hall, born Sept. 1, 1736, married Rev. Aaron Putnam, of Pomfret, Conn. She was killed when under thirty years of age in a runaway, and left three daughters, who settled in Cherry Valley, N.Y. (4) Mary Hall, born Dec. 4, 1738, married Col. Putnam, of Sutton, Mass. (5) Hannah Hall, born Aug. 31, 1740, married Asa Grosvenor, of Pomfret. (6) Sarah Hall, born Dec. 5, 1742, married Gen. Chase, of Vermont. (7) John Hall, born Feb. 27, 1744, died in childhood. (8) Benjamin Hall, born Feb. 27, 1745, married a Morgan, and resided at St. Albans, Vt. (“The History of Sutton” has it that he married Elizabeth Mosley and removed to Cornish, N.H.). Seven children were born to them, among them Charles Hall, a physician of eminence in St. Albans; and Benjamin, also a physician, who settle in 1812 in Canada. (9) Lucy Hall, born March 19, 1748, married Capt. Paine, of Vermont, thought to be a native of Ashford, Conn. (10) Joseph Hall, born Sept. 8, 1751, married Chloe Grosvenor, of Pomfret, daughter of Eleazer Grosvenor, of that town. Their children were Joseph, who became a physician and lived at Northville, Tenn.; David, of Sutton, also a physician; Lemuel Grosvenor, a minister; and Lucy, who married Dr. Smith, of Sutton, Mass., a son of Professor Smith, of Dartmouth College. (11) Jonathan Hall, born Jan. 20, 1754, is referred to below. (12) Deborah Hall, born March 5, 1756, married Rev. Daniel Grosvenor, of Grafton, Mass. Many distinguished persons descended from this highly honorable family.

(V) Dr. Jonathan Hall was born in Sutton, Mass., Jan. 20, 1754. He was bred to the profession of medicine under his brother-in-law, Dr. Hale, of Concord, N.H. He settled in Pomfret, Conn., where he was married, lived a highly useful and honorable life, and died Aug. 19, 1815, when in his sixty-second year. “Dr. Jonathan Hall,” says a "History of Windham County,” “was at the same time (about 1790) settled in Pomfret and in the early years of his practice gave promise of future eminence. He was held in high repute at home and abroad, both professionally and socially, and his children, as they came upon the stage of action, were shining ornaments of that polite and refined society which distinguished Pomfret at that day.” Dr. Hall measured up to the early predictions. He became an eminent physician – one of celebrity. He was married at Pomfret to Bathsheba Mumford, daughter of Peter Mumford, of Newport, R.I., who had retired to Pomfret during the Revolutionary war, and they reared a remarkable family, eleven in number, all of whom made their mark in the world. Their children were: (1) Charles Henry Hall, born Dec. 26, 1781, married Sarah Mullet, daughter of Thomas Mullet, of London, England. Mr. Hall was bred to the law and became a shining light in the profession. He was a speculator in real estate and owned at one time nearly the whole of Harlem, N.Y., and in its purchase gave evidence of a correct idea of New York’s future, but death claimed him ere he could take advantage of his own ideas. He died Jan. 8, 1852. Mr. Hall was also a breeder of fine horses and sheep and imported to this country or owned the first blooded horses of his day. The first Merino sheep in this country were imported by him. He owned flocks in Pomfret, many thousand sheep, and many so valuable as to be protected by cloth covering to keep the dirt out of their wool. To his marriage with Miss Mullet were born children as follows: Charles Mullet, who died at Harlem, N.Y., when aged twenty-five years; Mary Jane, born in 1819, who died in New York, Jan. 29, 1893, aged seventy-three years, unmarried; and Eliza Ann, born Jan. 19, 1822, who married Dr. Louis A. Sayre, an eminent physician and surgeon of New York, had four children, Charles, Louis, Mary and Reginald Hall, and died in New York, Jan. 7, 1894. (2) Hon. John Mumford Hall, born Aug. 10, 1783, was never married. He died at Cadiz, Spain, March 11, 1823, while serving as United States consul at that point. (3) Peter Prescott Hall, born May 9, 1785, died Jan. 11, 1787. (4) Bathsheba Hall was born Jan. 4, 1788, and in 1806 was married to George W.L. Partridge. To this marriage came children as follows: George S., born Nov. 7, 1807, who died May 15, 1876; Ellen M., July 1, 1811, who died Nov. 12, 1888; Eliza Ann, in 1818; Emily, in 1816, who died July 22, 1881; and John M. H., Feb. 15, 1820, who died Oct. 12, 1845. The mother of these died Oct. 13, 1864. (5) Eliza Hall was born Nov. 30, 1789, and died March 16, 1872. She married Henry Ward, eldest son of Col. Samuel Ward and his wife Phoebe Greene, and resided at No. 23 Bond street, New York. They had one son, Henry Hall Ward, born in New York April 19, 1820, who died at Saratoga, Aug. 27, 1872, He was a Knight Templar. (6) Ann Hall was born May 31, 1792, and died Dec. 11, 1863, at No. 23 Bond street, New York City. She was an accomplished woman, and an artist of rare ability. Her miniatures are surprisingly beautiful and probably cannot be excelled by any in this country. A collection of them is now owned by her kinsman, John Partridge Jepson, of New York; few of them have been seen by the outside world. Mr. Jepson has, too, a portrait of Miss Hall (who was a noble looking woman), the work of the artist Alexander, of Killingly, Conn., and Boston, Mass. (7) Peter Hall was born May 5, 1794, and died unmarried at Pomfret, Jan. 10, 1854. (8) Hon. Jonathan Prescott Hall, jurist, was born July 9, 1796, in Pomfret. “In 1820 at Pomfret were lawyers John Holbrook, Elisha B. Perkins and Jonathan Prescott Hall. The Bar of Windham county at this time boasted a very creditable array of legal talent, and held a good position in the State.” Mr. Hall early attained eminence as a lawyer in New York City and during the administrations of Tyler and Fillmore was United States district attorney for the southern district of New York. He was the author of “Reports of Cases in the Superior Court of the City of New York, 1828-29” (2 Vols., N.Y., 1831-33). Mr. Hall was married to Harriet DeWolfe, daughter of James DeWolfe, of Bristol, R.I., but had no issue. He died at Newport, R.I., Sept. 28, 1862. His widow died one year later, Sept. 28, 1863. (9) Abigail Mumford Hall was born Nov. 7, 1800, and died March 7, 1801. (10) Abby Maria Hall was born March 16, 1802, and died Feb. 6, 1887. She married William Greene Ward, son of Col. Samuel Ward and Phoebe Greene, his wife, and one of the firm of John Ward & Co., bankers, 52 Wall street, New York. (11) David Priestly Hall was born July 15, 1798, and died in New York, Nov. 22, 1868. He entered Harvard College in September, 1816, and was graduated with the class of 1820. He studied law with Henry Wheaton, Esq., of New York, and was admitted to the Bar in 1824. He was married to Caroline Minturn, daughter of Jonas Minturn, of New York. To this marriage came the following children: John Mumford, born Jan. 22, 1833, who died Nov. 5, 1840; Rowland Minturn, born Sept. 3, 1834, who was graduated from Harvard College in July, 1856, read law with his father and was admitted to the Bar of New York in 1860, and who was a volunteer soldier in the Union Army from October, 1861, until the autumn of 1864; Caroline M., born Sept. 16, 1838, who died Feb. 1, 1857; Elizabeth Prescott, born Oct. 6, 1841, who died April 25, 1893; Frances Ann, born July 29, 1843; and David Prescott, born Nov. 15, 1845.

Referring to the old Mumford family into which Dr. Jonathan Hall of Pomfret married, the parents of the wife of the Doctor, Peter and Abigail (Martin) Mumford, were born and died respectively, March 16, 1728, and May 8, 1798, and Jan. 11, 1728, and June 30, 1809. Another of their daughters, Nancy Mumford, married in July, 1785, Col. Thomas Grosvenor, whose daughter Hannah Grosvenor, married Edward Eldridge, to whom were born children as follows: Mary Ann, who died unmarried at Pomfret; Harriet, also unmarried, who died at Cambridge, Mass., Dec. 24, 1899; Edward, who died in New York, Jan. 19, 1876, aged forty-nine years; Henry G., married to Eliza Davis; and Helen G., who married Feb. 13, 1868, Charles W. Goodhue. Col. Thomas Grosvenor died in Pomfret, July 1, 1824, aged eighty years.

The burial ground at Pomfret, situated on Pomfret street, was given to the town by the Hall family and was part of their estate; in it lie buried many prominent persons, namely: Grosvenors, Halls, Mumfords, Eldridges, Jepsons, Chandlers and many others.

Reproduced by:

Linda D. Pingel

Return to Main Page