John Hall ( 1818 - 1868 )


John Hall was born on 3rd October 1818 in Middleton-by-Wirksworth, he was the eldest son and second child of Gilbert Hall and Elizabeth Slack. The 1841 Census records John as a lead miner, aged 20.

John married Mary Spencer, daughter of John Spencer and Hannah Brooks, on 24th January 1844. Mary Spencer signed her name in the register, John Hall made his mark; the witnesses were John's sister Ann Hall (who also made her mark) and John Doxey, who had been the husband of his mother's late sister, Hannah Slack. At the time of his marriage John was still a lead miner but a major career change was just around the corner and by the time of the 1851 Census John and Mary were living at (22) Broad Street, Sheffield Park, and John was employed as a silversmith in his brother Ebenezer's firm (Martin, Hall & Company). At some stage between 1861 and 1868 John and Mary moved to live at Green Oak House, Totley, John presumably had acquired some land at Middleton-by-Wirksworth by this time as he is recorded in the Poll Book for 1865 as an elector residing at Shrewsbury Works, Sheffield.

John and Mary had a large family:
  • Ann Hall, born in 1844, died 14th December 1850 in Sheffield
  • Agnes Hall, born in 1847, married Arthur Spencer
  • Ebenezer Hall junior, born on 7th July 1849 in Sheffield, died on 19th June 1934 in Sheffield, married Eliza Bowling ( born around 1847 in Sheffield, died 2nd February 1908 in Sheffield) on 10th January 1876
  • Elizabeth Hall, born in 1851 Sheffield, married F. J. Burnett
  • John Clement Hall, born around 1854
  • Joseph Hall, born 22nd March 1856 Sheffield, died 16th September 1937 in Sheffield, married (1) Louisa Wilson on 21st September 1892 and (2) Mary Unwin on 10th February 1906
  • Herbert Hall, born around 1859, married Mary ??
  • Samuel Hall, born around 1862
John Hall died on 11th December 1868 aged 50 years and was buried in a vault in Sheffield General Cemetery on 15th December. His widow Mary, his eldest son Ebenezer and his daughter-in-law were later interred in the same vault. The inscription reads:
John Hall's family vault in Sheffield General Cemetery
The Hall Family Vault
Sacred to the memory of John Hall silversmith who died Dec 11 1868 after a brief but severe afflication aged 50 years - 'in such an hour as ye think not the son of man cometh'. Sacred to the memory of Mary, relict of the forenamed John Hall who died Jun 17th 1891 aged 70 years - 'There remaineth therefor a rest to the people of God'. Also in sweet memory of Eliza the beloved wife of Ebenezer eldest son of John Hall who died Feb 2nd 1908 aged 61 years. Also of the above Ebenezer Hall who died Jun 19th 1934 aged 84 years. Sacred to the memory of Ann beloved daughter of John and Mary Hall who died Dec 14th 1850 aged 6 years and was interred at St. John's.
John Hall left no will; when administration was granted to his widow Mary Hall at Derby on 27th August 1869 John's brothers Ebenezer Hall and Benjamin Hall, silversmiths of Sheffield, acted as sureties. By this time Mary had moved from Green Oak House, Totley to Alderson Road, Highfield, Sheffield. By 1881 she was living at 68 Norfolk Road, Sheffield Park, where she died in June 1891 at the age of 70.

Sources:
  1. 1841 Census for Middleton-by-Wirksworth (HO 107/198/17 folio 20)
  2. 1851 Census for Sheffield Park (HO 107/2341 folio 62R)
  3. Marriage certificate
  4. White's Sheffield Directory, 1868
  5. Sheffield General Cemetery burial register


This document is © Chris Newall 2003 and is freely available to members of the Hall family.
It is not for sale or general publication.

Author : Chris Newall
File created : 22nd January 2000
Last modified : 26th July 2003