The name 'John', scribbled inside a tiny box on the ancient census paper (I was looking at a microfiche screen) caught my eye; and for a minute it was all I could do to swallow. In less than a week after I had settled upon Hiram Hall and Charity as the parents of my grandfather, here was the name of my great-great-grandfather! It was tangible evidence. Maybe not absolutely conclusive, but solid evidence. And in the next small rectangular box, where my grandfather's mother's name was supposed to be, was Mary! And, God be my witness, their place of birth and the year each was born were there!

The family tree had just grown a whole new set of roots!

John Hall was born near Charlestown, South Carolina, in 1769, one year before the name was changed to Charleston. There it was, on an official federal census for the county of Carroll in the state of Georgia for the year of our lord 1840! That meant the branch of the Hall family to which I belonged had been in this country before it was a republic, indeed while it was still just a scattering of colonies! Furthermore, it meant that my ancestor was living near Charleston before it was Charleston! Well, a little before. In 1770 the rapidly-growing seaport town of Charlestown would decide to christen itself Charleston.

Mary, according to the bleary, difficult-to-read census, had been born in 1770, in the same area.

Since the federal census did not begin until 1790 (and then only as a bare bones listing of heads of households), I knew there was little likelihood I would find farther-back relatives (and be able to positively identify them). John and Mary were fine names, respectable names, but they were so common it would be most difficult singling them out from all the other such combinations.

But I went to work and found a John Hall who had married a Mary Ann Dodd on April 10, 1774, in the Charleston area. Girls marry young in the South, but there was no way my farthest-back relative would give up his freedom at the age of 5! In the 1790 census for York County, South Carolina, a John was listed as "free white male under age 16." In the 1800 census for York County this or another John was listed, but York County is a long way from the Charleston area. In 1820 there was a John B. Hall listed, and in 1840 there were two John Halls on record. Sometime during the following decade he must have died or moved out of the county, for there was no further census record for him in York County.

At least now we could say with some certainty that our first American Hall was in the Charleston area in the last half of the Eighteenth Century. And although guessing and speculation are frowned upon by serious family historians, it will be permitted on this occasion. John's and Mary's parents almost certainly arrived (together perhaps) in this country by ship around 1750. Immigration from England, Ireland, and Scotland was at an all-time high during that period.

John and Mary raised a family in the Charleston area, and we are now convinced that our Hiram Hall was one of their children. It is altogether possible, while we're surmising, that Hiram had an older sister, named Percilla (b. 1794), and a younger brother (Green Berry, b. 1805. Later, we will look at this individual a bit closer and attempt to make a case for him as a member of our family. Regrettably, we have been unable to find tangible proof that Hiram and Mary were the parents of these two.

After countless hours of poring over ships' passenger lists, I concluded that while it is interesting to speculate about all the John Halls and William Halls that came to this country in the early 1800's, it is unlikely that I will find proof positive that any of these belonged to my family.

In Volume One of the World Book of Halls, a John Hall arrived in Charles Town, South Carolina, in 1719 (Coldham, Peter Wilson. Bonded Passengers to America. Balt: Gene. Publ. Co., Inc., 1983, Vol. 3, page 31). This could be our JohnÕs grandfather. Another John Hall (b. 1792) arrived in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1820. He was 28. (United States Dept. of State, Letters from Sec'y of State, List of Passengers.... Baltimore: Genealogical publishing Co., 1967, page 30). A William Hall (b. 1775) arrived in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1804 (Holcomb, Brent H., South Carolina Naturalizations, 1783-1850. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1985, page 14). A William B. Hall (b. 1791) arrived in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1823 (U. S. Dept. of State, Passengers Who Arrived U. S., Sept. 1821ÑDec. 1823... Baltimore: Magna Carta Book Co., 1969, page 203). A John Hall (b. 1785), his wife Susannah, and five children arrived in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1824 (Holcomb, Brent H., South Carolina Naturalizations, 1783-1850. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1985, page 116).

Seventeen Halls, ranging in age from three to thirty-nine, arrived in Charleston, South

Carolina, in 1767. There were three Williams and three Johns, and this would seem to be about the time our family came to this country.

The Halls of England, Scotland, and Ireland were descended from the Normans who settled in northern France and later invaded and conquered England. The word hall, variously spelled halle, hal, and even alle, was a common word meaning a building made out of stone, a big impressive structure just short of castle. When it was written down, there being no standard spelling system or a desire to have one, it took a variety of forms, as mentioned above.

Among the Normans, who weren't Frenchmen at all but civilized Vikings dressed up like Frenchmen, there were a number of clans that were referred to by their place of residence or for some atrocity or accomplishment associated with them. One such clan, or group of families actually, was called Hall to distinguish between the younger and the older sons of the noble house of Arthur FitzWilliam. Arthur Hall, who was born Arthur FitzWilliam the Younger, became the first Hall of record, which dates back to about 1090 A. D.

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The Second Generation