Individual Details

Event

William Hall of Londondisappears from the London records in 1638, the year in which he appears in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

Event

He was one of the founders of Portsmouth, and one of the fifty-nine men who were admitted inhabitants of the island of Aquidneck, August 8, 1638. He was in Newport in 1639.

Event

A parcel of land at Portsmouth was granted to him May 27, 1644.

Event

He was a part owner of Canonicout Island and Dutch Island, and September 6. 1654, sold to Richard Sisson a one three-hundredth share of each. Hall was a commissioner to the general court from Portsmouth in 1654, 1656, 1660 and 1663; deputy to the general assembly in 1665, 1666, 1667, 1668, 1672 and 1673, and was on the town council in 1672. In 1673 he was on a very important committee to treat with the Indian chiefs about drunkenness and "seriously council them and agree on some way to prevent extreme excess of Indian drunkenness." The five chiefs named in the order appointing the committee were: King Philip, of Mpunt Hope; Mawsup and Mirecraft: Weetano, of Pocasset, and Awasunk, of Seaconnet.

Event

His name appears on the list of freemen in 1655.

Death

Will from Portsmouth RI Land Evidences, Vol 1 on FHL film #945,375. p. 138
... Will ... of William Hall of Portsmouth ... I do ... apppoint ... Mary my wife to be my whole and sole executrix, ... into whose hands and possession I doe give and bequeath my whole estate duringe her life, ... and, considering the weakness of my said wife, I do appoint my two younger sons William Hall and Benjamin Hall to be assistants to their said mother in the managing of whatever business she shall have need ... . and after her decease, I do hereby give power to my above named two sons to see my will performed as following, ... my son Zurill Hall shall have and enjoy that 20 acres of land whereon his dwelling house now stands. Next ... my will is that my son Benjamin Hall shall have my now dwelling house and land thereto adjoing; [Zuriel and Benjamin were to make payments to their siblings.] and, futher my will is that my three sons, Zurill, William and Benjamin, shall have after and upon my decease all my land in the Narragansett which I purchased of Thomas Lawton, to be equally divided between them. And, further, I do give ... unto my son Benjamin my cart horse, with my cart and plow, and the takckling thereto belonging; and as for the remainder of my estate, together with that which I have lent to my son William, shall be divided into four equal parts, viz. 1/4 ... to my son William; 1/4 to my daughter Elizabeth; 1/4 to my daughter Rebeecka, and other fourth part to my daughter Deliverance. 22 Nov 1673.
Wit: John Heath, Samuel Cornell William Hall
Proved: 23 Feb 1675
Inventory from Portsmouth RI "Scrapbook" on FHL film 945,383.
The "Inventory of the estate of the late deseased Mr. William Hall senr." was take the 19th Feb 1675 and totaled £364, 15s. This included £230 "his dwelling houses barns & land, £50 for the "20 acres Zuriel Hall livs on". Under the list is a statement that the inventory did not include lands in Narigansiett and some lands in Portsmouth.