Thomas HALL of Smith County, Tennessee

   Thomas HALL

                                (before 1775 - after 1820)

This man appears to have been the father of Claiborne and Nathan HALL of Smith County, Tennessee, however, his first appearance in the county records is in 1813, fully three years after Claiborne and Nathan's first reference in the county (1810).  

28 Sept. 1813              Smith County, TN County Court Minutes, WPA transciption, 1813 -

                                    1815, p. 13

                                    Thomas HALL summoned as a juror to December term of court.

11 March 1815            TN General Land Grants, Roll 33, Book I, page 238 (Also found in

                                    Smith County, Tennessee Deed Book E, page 206)

No. 6716.  By virtue of part of certificate No. 1722 dated 11 March 1814 issued by the Register of West Tennessee to John C. MCLEMORE and entered on 25 March 1814 by No. 12414 unto Thomas HALL, assignee of the said John C. MCLEMORE, 30 acres lying in Smith County in the first district on the waters of Paytons Creek beginning at a buck on William HEROD’s west boundary lines running north 49 poles to a sugar tree west 98 poles to a beech south 49 poles to a sugar tree and walnut east 98 poles to the beginning surveyed 23 Sept. 1814 by Josiah HOWELL.    Signed at Nashville 11 March 1815 by Willie BLOUNT, Gov. Tennessee.

The above 30 acres was sold as follows less than a month later. 

4 April 1815    Smith Co. TN Deed Book E, page 188

Thomas HALL of Smith Co. TN and William HEROD, Senr. Of Smith Co. TN for $60 30 acres in the first district : (same description as above 30 acres). Having reference to a grant bearing date 11 March 1814.  Witnesses - Samuel THOMASSON, Thomas PORTER, Senr., and Thomas PORTER, Jr.  Proven in Smith Co. TN Court by oaths of Thomas PORTER, Senr. And Thomas PORTER, Junr. At August 1815 term.  Recorded 22 Sept. 1815.

William HEROD was father of Elizabeth HEROD who married Claiborne HALL and also the father of Nancy Frances HEROD who married Nathan HALL.  

4 May 1815     TN General Land Grants, Roll 35, Book L, page 929.

No. 8504.  By virtue of part of certificate No. 314 dated 6 Oct. 1810 issued by the Register of West Tennessee to Josiah HOWELL and entered on 3 March 1815 unto Thomas HALL, assignee of the said Josiah HOWELL, six acres by survey bearing date 4 May 1815 lying in Smith Co. in the First District on the waters of Paytons Creek and bounded as follows to wit: Beginning at beech tree marked TH running south twenty two poles to a dogwood and sugar tree thence west 44 poles to three sugar trees thence north 22 poles to a white ash thence east 44 poles to the beginning.  Signed at Nashville 23 January 1816 by Jos. MCMINN, Governor of Tennessee.

No deed of sale has been found for this 6 acre tract?  What happened to it?  My theory is below! 

NOTE: This Josiah HOWELL was born 5 June 1763 in Bertie Co. NC and died 21 March 1849 Oregon Co. MO.  He was married to Sarah LASSITER, born 1 May 1765 Chowan Co. NC or VA; died 15 June 1857 Howell Co. MO.  HOWELL was sheriff of Oregon Co. and Howell Co. MO was named for him.  Interested in Chowan Co. NC -  see reference to Charlton HALL later.    Unsure of any connection. 

9 July 1816 – Carthage Gazette

List of Letters in Post office at Carthage:……. Thomas B. HALL…… 

                                                                  By A. A. ALLISON, A. P. M., Carthage, July 2d, 1816

NOTE: If this is my Thomas HALL, it gives us a middle initial – B!   I have found reference to a Thomas HALE also living in Smith County during this time frame but NOT another Thomas HALL. 

  16 August 1816          Smith County, TN County Court Minutes, 1815 - 1817, WPA

                        transcription, page 369

                        Thomas HALL summoned as juror to next term of county court.

1820 Census   Smith County, Tennessee, page 61, dwelling 827

Thomas HALL

1 male under 10, 1 male 26 and under 45, 1 male 45 and upward, 1 female 10 and under 16, 1 female 16 and under 26.

Smith Co. TN County Court Minute Book 10, 1820 – 1824, pages 223 – 229

Tuesday morning, 11^th February 1823

I, William GOODALL Sheriff and Collector of the public taxes for the County of Smith do hereby report to court the following tracts of land, town lots, &^ c as having been given for taxation for the years hereafter named and that the taxes thereon remains due and and unpaid and the respective owners or claimants thereof have no goods and chattels within my county, on within my county on which I can distrain(?) for said taxes.

            (note there are many pages of names here)

For the year 1819

Nathan HALL                  5 acres land 1 w.p.      .58 ¼

For the year 1820

Nathan HALL                 5 acres land Peytons Creek 1 w.p.          .60

Whereas William GOODALL, Sheriff and Collector of the public taxes for the county of Smith reported to court the foregoing tracts of land and town lots & c as having been given in for taxation for the years therein set forth and  that the taxes thereon remains due and unpaid and that the respective owners or claimants thereof have no goods or chattels within his county on which he can distrain for said taxes.  Whereup on it is considered by the court that judement be and it is hereby entered against the aforesaid tracts of land, town lots & c in the name of the state for the sum annexed to each and for the un___(?) sum of three and ninety cents cost on each tract, being the amount of the taxes, costs, and charges due severeally thereon for the years, 1817, 1818, 1819, 1820, 1821, and 1822.  And it is ordered by the court that the said several tracts of land, town lots & c or so much of as shall be sufficient of each of them to satisfy the taxes, costs and charges annexed to them severally and due thereon, be old as the law directs.

Court adjourned until tomorrow morning 9 o’clock.

NOTE: Could this be the missing 6 (5?) acres  that belonged to Thomas HALL now listed as belonging to Nathan HALL????  I wonder??  If so, how did Nathan get it?  Inheritance?  Unrecorded deed?  I am thinking if land was eventually sold for taxes, perhaps deed to Nathan went unrecorded.  I have searched to no avail for a deed of this land from Sheriff William GOODALL to someone. 

There is NO mention in the recorded deeds or Tennessee land grants as to how Nathan HALL could have obtained this land!  Is it possible he received it from his father Thomas but the deed went unrecorded.  There is NO recorded will for Thomas HALL.  If he had died and left it intestate, Nathan would have only an interest in the land not the entire property.    Thoughts?????

Smith County, Tennessee Microfilm Roll 80, 1827 – 1832, Inventories, page 59 - 65

Acct. Sales & Inventory of F. C. CORNWELL

Page 61 – A list of notes found on hand amongst the papers of the decd

…

1 note on Thos. HALL     $2.68 ¼

…

The above list of notes found amongst the papers I report as bad and doubtful debts.  Recorded 26 March 1828. 

Page 63 – An inventory of Accts. On the Books of Foucher C. CORNWELL, decd. On 21 December 1827

…

Thos. HALL                          $1.00

..

These claims I report as bad and doubtful debts

                                                                Silas C. CORNWELL

Recorded 26 March 1828             

NOTE: I suspect this is the same Thomas HALL as later Elijah TONEY’s daughter Elizabeth married a son of this Foucher C. CORNWELL.  There are several dozen bad notes listed, Thomas HALL’s being only one of the names listed.  I am not sure this indicates Thomas was still living or in the county at this time or if contracted these debts and then left the county or died.  I would think but not sure if he was deceased, wouldn’t that have been mentioned in the record???  This could have been an old debt.   

 I believe his grant of six acres may have been lost to taxes – Nathan HALL is listed in 1823 Smith Co. TN court records as owner of five acres on which the taxes had been unpaid for several years and was subject to sale.

Possible children of Thomas HALL are:  

1) Claiborne HALL, born about 1788 in VA; died 15 Nov. 1874 in Smith Co. TN; married

            Elizabeth HEROD

2) Nathan HALL, born about 1790 in VA; died after 1860 in Smith Co. TN

3) Hugh HALL, born about 1793 in VA; mentioned in Clarke Co. GA militia lists

            as under 18 in 1811 but served in War of 1812.  Listed as son of Thomas.  This

            connection is unproven as I’m not certain this is same Thomas HALL.

4) Jane HALL, born 1794 – 1800; died after 1840 in Jackson Co. AL.  Was one of

            “two base women, sisters by the name of HALL” who ran off with Elijah

            TONEY to Alabama in 1834.  She had several children out of wedlock

            and three children by TONEY who were legimitized by the Alabama state

            legislature.

5) Sarah C. HALL, born about 1805 in GA; died after 1876 probably in Jackson Co. AL;

            The other of the two base women mentioned above, Sarah C. married Elijah

            TONEY after he sister’s death and had one daughter by him. She was his widow

            he died in 1868.

Thomas HALL’s 1820 census entry in Smith Co. TN reads: 1 male under 10; 1 male 26 and under 45; 1 male 45 and upwards; 1 female 10 and under 16; 1 female 16 and under 26.  It appears there is a very faint mark of "1" in the category of white females 45 and upwards. 

Interested in the analysis and comments of other Hall researchers on all of the above.  In future blogs I will be sharing some of my other Hall research that appears to connect with this family in middle Tennessee and elsewhere.