Claiborne Hall in Smith County - 1812 - 1820 records

25 March 1812, Smith County, Tennessee Deed Book D, page 127

Claiborne HALL purchased 37 acres of land by estimation for $100 on the waters of Taylors Branch from John WALTERS.  It mentions WALTERS and TAYLOR’s lines.   Witnesses to the deed were William HEROD (father-in-law) and Daniel M. LANE (who had married Mary Ann HEROD, another daughter of William). 

The land purchased by Claiborne HALL on this date is in the First District of the county north of Carthage and south of present-day Monoville, near the Tanglewood Community.  Taylors branch was a branch of Peyton’s Creek.  The area in which Claiborne HALL lived his entire adult life became known as Hall’s Hill and is still listed as such on present day maps. 

7 February 1812, Smtih County, Tennessee Deed Book D, pages 104-105

John WALTERS of Smith Co. TN deeded a gift of land to his beloved daughter Jean WALTERS (also listed as WATERS) of Smith Co. TN.  270 acres all the tract or parcel of land (exclusive of 25 acres thereof by him heretofore conveyed to Claiborne HALL by deed bearing date on the __ day of ___) where I now live in Smith Co. bounded by Richard TAYLOR.  WALTERS states he reserves the use and privilege and free occupation of said premises to himself during the said John WALTERS’ natural life.  The will was witnessed by Joel DYER and James MCNUTT. 

Since this deed is dated 7 February and the Claiborne HALL deed is dated 25 March, it is apparent that Claiborne HALL had already intended to purchase the land. 

John WALTERS has been found in records in both Stafford Co. VA and Spotsylvania Co. VA and appears to be connected with William HEROD as they are in documents together in both locations.

Joel Dyer will be an important individual and appears to be connected with Charlton HALL who died in Smith County in the 1790s. What is that connection??   The land Claiborne HALL is purchasing was earlier owned by Joel DYER when one traces it history.    Sure wish I could find this Charlton HALL before his arrival in Smith/Sumner County.  I believe he left two children - Reuben and Margaret HALL for whom William WALTON is appointed guardian in 1802 after the death of their mother Elizabeth HALL.    What is connection with DYER family???  

From later court records, it appears John WALTERS deeded this land as a gift to his daughter Jean.  Jean married John MORRIS in 1818 and died in 1819.  MORRIS lived in Carthage at that time and took in John WALTERS for a while.  The court records indicate WALTERS sued his own son Jesse WALTERS and his former son-in-law John MORRIS who were supposed to maintain he and his wife throughout their lifetime but did not.  These court records do indicate he was from Virginia.  I have followed John WALTERS to his death in 1832 in Smith Co. TN and have found no further reference of a connection with Claiborne HALL.    

Smith County, Tennessee County Court Minutes 1813 – 1815, page 306

8 May 1815 – Claiborne HALL (and others) were permitted to return to the county court a list of their taxable for the year 1815. 

November term 1816 – Smith County, Tennessee Will Book D, page 44

Clabron HALL purchased 6 pewter basons and trowel at estate sale of James PIPER, deceased.  Other purchasers included: Alexander PIPER, Willie WILLMORE, Edward CARTER, Widow PIPER, John MORGAN, Patrick GARROTT, Norman MATHEWSON, William H. GREGORY, John E. BAKER, John PIPER, John MCKINNIS, Alexander MCKINNIS, David MCKINNIS, Lewis SHEPHERD, William PHILLIPS, Braddock BEASLEY, Dilcy PIPER, Christopher DUDLEY, Alfred DAWS, Laban GREGORY, William GREGGORY, John AKINS, Jonathan KEY, Allen MITCHEAL, John LANEFORD, Robert CLARK, Joel DYRE, Abraham PIPER. 

Note the Deed Book D of Smith Co. TN, page 218 indicates that on 21 July 1812 Abraham PIPER, Sr. granted to Alexander PIPER, Charles MUNDINE, and James PIPER, Baptist Church org. on Peyton’s Creek, 1 acre, on road from Carthage to DYER’s Mill, then northwesterly to my north boundary line near Burwell KEMP’s Spring to use for religious purposes.  Witnesses: John HODGES, Neill SMITH.    Some Hall descendants were members of Peyton’s Creek Baptist Church.  

Smith County, Tennessee County Court Minutes, 1813 – 1818 – 1820, page 240

9 November 1818 – Claiborne HALL was appointed as road overseer in the stead of John GOODREN and is to have the same hands and bounds.

First Records Found of Claiborne Hall

Here are the first records I have for my ancestor Claiborne Hall.  Note he is listed as addressee of a letter with Nathan Hall as early as 12 January 1810.  This indicates to me perhaps a family member out of the area may have been contacting them.    These letters continue through 1813.  Sure wish I knew who wrote these letters, however, note that Thomas Hall first appears in Smith County records in 1813 and then the letters stop!   More on Thomas in a later post. 

 

 

 

1787-1789         Birth in VA, date indicated by age in census records of Smith Co. TN.

                        1850 census - he was 61 years old; 1860 census - he was 72 years old;

                        1870 census - he was 82 years old.  All birthplaces listed as VA. 

 

The first record I have located of him is in Smith County, Tennessee dated 12 January 1810. 

Carthage Gazette, 12 January 1810, from www.genealogybank.com

A list of letters remaining in the Post Office, Carthage, T. which if not taken before the 1^st of April next, will be sent to the General Post Office as dead letters: Nathan or Claibourne HALL

Carthage Gazette,18 April 1811, from www.genealogybank.com

A list of letters remaining in the Post Office, Carthage, which if not taken out before the 31^st of June next, will be sent to the General Post Office as dead letters: HALL, Nathan and Claiborne

Carthage Gazette, 25 April 1811, from www.genealogybank.com

A list of letters remaining in the Post Office, Carthage, which if not taken out before the 31^st of June next, will be sent to the General Post Office as dead letters: HALL, Nathan and Claiborne

27 December 1811  - Claiborne HALL signed an affidavit in 1872 regarding a marriage that occurred on 27 December 1811of James ALEXANDER to Elizabeth HOOVER in Smith Co.TN.  William HAYNIE, Jr., age 80 also signed an affidavit on 29 November 1872 as to the marriage.  HAYNIE indicates he was also a War of 1812 pensioner, having served in Capt. Anthony METCALF’s Company.   

State of Tennessee

County of Smith

On this 5^th day of December 1872 personally appeared before me the undersigned a Justice of the Peace in and for said County and State Claiborne Hall, aged eighty four years, whom I certify to be a resident of the County and State above given and credible and entitled to full faith and credit and who being sworn as to his statement in regard to the marriage of James Alexander and Elizabeth Hoover who now applies for pension under Act of Feby 14, 1871 by virtue of the services of James Alexander: -- says – I was well acquainted with James Alexander – knew him before the War of 1812 and a good many years afterwards – heard of his marriage and suppose sometime after it happened but have no recollection as to the date – I know the fact of marriage was never questioned or doubted among the acquaintances of Alexander nor by any one else that I ever heard of, I am certain in my recollection as to their being regarded as married ever since the war and always so lived so long afterwards as I knew them.  I know the above from living some 4 miles from where Alexander and wife lived.  I am not interested in this claim directly or indirectly.

Attest  John L Young                                                              his

                                                                                        Claiborne   X   Hall

            W. E. Payne                                                                            Mark

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 5^th day of December 1872 and I further certify that I am not interested in this claim directly or indirectly and that the foregoing affidavit was read over and understood by the affiant before signing.

                                                                                    J. E. Haynie JP

                                                                                    For Smith County

I am intrigued by this affidavit as this is someone that Claiborne knew James Alexander before the War of 1812.  Is there a family connection?  Who is James Alexander and where did he come from?  The fact that the Alexanders lived in Rutherford County (from other affadavits) for many many years and they knew that Claiborne was still living in 1872 tells me the families obviously kept in contact.  There are some Halls in Rutherford County that "could" be related - discussion later blog.    William Haynie, Jr. who signs the other affidavit is listed in 1820 as the father of a bastard child by one Jane Hall whom I suspect is a sister of Claiborne and Nathan. 

 

 

Carthage Gazette, 23 July 1813, from www.genealogybank.com

List of Letters remaining in the Post Office at Carthage, Tenn., on the first of July, 1813, which if not taken out before the first day of September next, will be returned to the General Post Office as dead letters: Nathan or Claiborne HALL

NOTE: The fact that there were at least four letters addressed to Claiborne and/or Nathan HALL leads credence to the fact that they were brothers.  As they were young men in the late teens or early twenties at this time, it is believed family members were writing to them.  Why were they living apart from their families? 

Both Claiborne and Nathan HALL married HEROD sisters.  Claiborne HALL married Elizabeth HEROD before 1810 as evidenced by the fact they had a daughter age 10 and under 16 in the 1820 census.  Nathan HALL married (Nancy) Frances HEROD before 1812.  Nathan and Frances’ r only known child Louisianna HALL was born about 1812. 

Elizabeth and (Nancy) Frances HEROD were daughters of Revolutionary War soldier William HEROD.  William HEROD was born on 25 December 1748 (New Style) in Overwharton Parish, Stafford Co., Virginia, the son of John and Mary HEROD.  William HEROD served in the Revolutionary War from Stafford Co.  In 1792 he moved to Spotsylvania Co. Virginia and purchased 150 acres there on Pigeon Run.  He sold this 150 acres in 1808 and removed to Smith Co. Tennessee.  (I have additional documentation on his life).   William HEROD resided in Smith Co. TN in what was called Herod’s Crossroads on Peyton’s Creek.  This area later became known as Pleasant Shade.  HEROD died on 4 March 1836 and was buried on his farm.  A conflict over his will went to the Supreme Court of Tennessee in 1838 (Source: Middle Tennessee Supreme Court Records, Box 56, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville.)  

According to an interview with Smith County historian Carmack KEY on 26 October 1989, Nathan HALL and Claiborne HALL were brothers.  This man was a walking encyclopedia on early Smith County families.  He knew exactly where Claiborne Hall lived and that his daughter Susan had five children but never married!  He also indicated his belief that the young men married the HEROD sisters in Smith County Tennessee though early marriage records of that period do not survive. 

The question is how did Claiborne and Nathan HALL get to Smith County, Tennessee as there is no apparent parent for them there.  Why did they come and with whom?  Who was writing to them? 

Hall family Research - Middle Tennessee

The purpose of this blog is to share and collaborate on Hall family research, particularly those Halls who lived in the middle Tennessee area.  In my research, I have determined there is a wide-ranging group of potentially interrelated Hall family members in middle Tennessee in the early 19th century.  I would like to share what I have found with others and collaborate with others on the possibilities for the origins and relationships among the Halls of middle Tennessee. 

Please post record transcriptions or speculations (clearly labeled as such) on this blog. 

My particular line is from Claiborne Hall, who was born about 1788 in Virginia.  He is in Smith County, Tennessee by 1809 and married Elizabeth Herod, daughter of Revolutionary veteran William Herod.  Oral tradition indicates that Claiborne Hall had a brother named Nathan who married Frances Herod, sister of Elizabeth.  Indeed Claiborne and Nathan are found together in "lost" letters left in the post office at Carthage in the years from 1809 - 1813.   Circumstantial evidence leads me to believe they are the sons of one Thomas Hall who is first found in Smith Co. in 1813 and is last found there in the 1820 census.  I will discuss this evidence in a later post. 

I have searched for many years for the origins of this Thomas Hall.  He was apparently in Georgia about 1805 - 1807 - a possible daughter's birthplace as given in later census records.  I now believe it is very likely that this Thomas Hall was found in Montgomery County, Virginia and Washington County, Tennessee in the 1780s and 1790s.

I believe this branch of Halls MAY have connections to the following locations:

Tennessee - Sumner County, Smith County, Robertson County, Montgomery County, Rutherford County, Wilson County, Bedford County

Kentucky - Wayne County, Pulaski County

Indiana - Jefferson County, Warrick County

Illinois - Pope County, Massac County

Alabama - Jackson County

I will be posting more later beginning with information on Claiborne and Nathan Hall.