I am updating my reseach on the James Hall family of Iredell County, North Carolina. This large Hall family has been extensively document by Mrs. T. L. Adams in a book published about 1950 called Hall Family History.
This book is very detailed from the 1700s to 1950 on the Halls of this family that continued to live in or near Iredell county; however, as a descendant moved away, the detail becomes more vague. My research now is focused on descendants of Fergus Hall who is a grandson of James and moved with his family to middle Tennessee in early 1800s, settling in Bedford county.
This article looks at a different line. I found a fairly comprehensive tree for this family on Ancestry. In checking out the tree, I discovered that the author of the tree is descended from one of James’s younger sons, Rev. Robert Hall.
From the Hall Family History, by Mrs. Adams (pp. 417-418):
The Descendants of Robert Hall (B-9)
Robert Hall (B-9), son of James Hall (A-1) and Prudence (Roddy) Hall, was born in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, in 1749. “He was educated at the Clio School, near Snow Creek, was licensed by Orange Presbytery in the year 1784, and the next year was called to the Churches of Upper Long Cane and Saluda, in South Carolina, where he was ordained, July 27th, 1785, at a stand midway between the two congregations… Soon after his ordination his health became much impaired, and at length in April 1793, he was dismissed by the Presbytery from his pastoral charge. He had then for a long time been unable to preach. He removed to Pendleton District, South Carolina, and soon after died, while traveling West for his health… He is reported in the minutes of the General Assembly of 1797 as without charge, and his death is reported as occurring August 31st, 1797. He left two sons, Roddy and John. His widow married Hugh Reed, after which the family removed to Georgia.” (from “Sketches of the Ministers of the Gospel who have descended from James and Prudence Hall”; Bethany Centennial, 1875.)
According to Reverend Robert J. Hall, in a letter dated December 2nd, 1873, he died in Greenville, Tennessee. He married Mrs. Mary Warson.
Issue 3:
i. Roddy Hall (C-53)
ii. John Hall (C-54)
iii. Prudence Hall (C-55) *
* The writer has been told that Prudence Hall (C-55) married George Gresham, but has been unable to verify the statement.
The tree on Ancestry I found added 3 records concerning the marriage of Robert Hall and that is what I am writing about. Two of the records are “interpretations” of a marriage bond found in the Rowan county, North Carolina, collection. As the bond is undated, they show a date of 1760. If that were real, this bond would not be for Rev. Hall. But the bond is actually over 20 years later.
There are three primary clues about the dating. (see image)
1/ The bond is titled to be from the “State of No. Carolina” which means that the bond was issues after the Revolution.
2/ It mentions “Alexander Martin Esquire Governor NC”. He was governor from 22 April 1782 to 13 May 1785 and also 17 December 1789 to 14 December 1792.
3/ Bond is from Rowan county. As the Halls were from Iredell county, and Iredell was not formed until 1788, it is likely during Gov. Martin’s first term.
The biography in the Hall book tells us that by about 1785 Robert Hall had gone to South Carolina so the likelihood is that he married before going there.
Now we still do not know if she was Mrs. Mary Warson or Miss Mary Wasson, but we can say that she married Robert between 1782 and 1785.
It might be interesting to know if there is some family connection between the Andrew Reed here and the Hugh Reed that widow Mary Hall married.
