William Hall (ca. 1805-1885)

The Hall family most likely emigrated from Scotland to Belfast. Although one family story suggests they had some roots in Sweden. 

William Hall was born around 1805 in either Scotland or Ireland. His age was estimated as 80 in the death registration 4^thQtr 1885. 

His wife’s name was Elizabeth Smith. 

In the 1852 Directory of Belfast, William Hall was listed at 30 William’s Row, working “in pork store”. 

William and Elizabeth Halls’s children were Samuel, Hugh, Catherine, William John, and James. Brief biographies follow.

Elizabeth Smith Hall died at 12 Annette Street, where her son James Hall was living, on December 23, 1893. She is buried in City Cemetery, Plot O230 along with her son James, son William John and his wife Sarah. 

I’m not sure of William Hall’s death, so I’m leaving that off for now.

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Next generation of Halls

Samuel Hall (about 1828-1901)

Samuel Hall’s birth is based on the United States Census of 1880. Samuel emigratee to the US, settling with his family in Hyde Park, Wabasha County, Minnesota.  

He married Elizabeth “Betty” Marshall (1825-1897), who was the daughter of Alexander Marshall, in Ireland on January 18, 1850.

They had 6 children: Jennie Hall (1852-1897), Sarah Hall (1859- ), Robert Hall (1861-1937), George Hall (1863-1886), Fred Hall (1868- ), Francis Henry Hall (1871-1955).

Samuel Hall died April 7, 1901 in Millville, Wabasha, Minnesota. His wife Elizabeth died March 18, 1897 in Minnesota.  They are both buried in Hyde Park Cemetery.  

Our Doran family matches up with his descendants on autosomal DNA tests. 

Hugh Hall (1828-1912)

Hugh Hall was christened on March 16, 1828 at St. Anne’s Church of  Ireland. 

Hugh was married at St. Anne’s Church of Ireland, Belfast, Shankill, on February 11, 1851 to Mary McKee, daughter of Michael McKee, labourer. Their witnesses were Samuel and Margaret Fields. Hugh’s father is recorded as William Hall, pork cutter. Rev. C. Allen. His date of birth/baptism as noted above. His mother’s maiden name is Elizabeth Smith. Source: Ulster Historical Foundation, Marriages. Feb 11, 1851. 

Hugh and Mary Hall were witnesses at the marriage of his brother William John Hall to Sarah Tierney in 1861, which also took place at St Anne’s Church of Ireland, Belfast.

Hugh’s wife Mary died in 1863. 

Hugh left Ireland the following year, sailing from Glasgow, Scotland taking his young family with him. The date of arrival in New York was May 28, 1864. The children who came with him were William John, William, George, Margaret Ann, Samuel, Eliza, and Thomas. His occupation on the passenger record was farmer. He lived at first in Granger, Allegheny County, New York.

By 1870, according to the census record, he was living in Hyde Park, Wabasha County, Minnesota closer to his brother Samuel. 

On December 3, 1875, Hugh remarried in Minnesota. His spouse was Margaret Sweeney (ca.1826- ). 

Hugh Hall was 83 when he died on January 14, 1912 in Hennepin, Minnesota.

Catherine Hall (1831-?)

Catherine Hall was born Feb 6 1831, Belfast. Additional information has not been located.

William John Hall (1837-1881) 

William John Hall was born about 1837 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was a lifelong Protestant.

On May 13 1861 he married Sarah Tierney (1838-1890), the daughter of James Tierney (1815-1865) and Bridget Ann McTeague (1820- ). Sarah’s father and mother were from Monaghan, where others in the Tierney family continued to live. James Tierney worked in a pork store as did William Hall so that might have been the connection that led to the meeting and marriage of William John and Sarah Tierney? Perhaps they had even joined the same butcher’s union.  Although Sarah was a staunch Catholic the couple were married in the Church of Ireland. 

They had six children:  Anne Hall (1861- ), Mary Hall (1864-1899), John Hall (1867- ), Elizabeth “Lizzie” Hall (1870-1933), Sarah Hall (1873-est 1933), Agnes Hall (1876-1881). 

William John Hall’s wife Sarah worked in the cotton mill, and her great-grandaughter recalled being told by her mother that Sarah worked as hard as any man. She also said that William John had been crippled in a work accident, and so he took over the care of the house and the children “from his chair.”  His great-granddaughter recalled being told that William John brushed his daughter’s hair every morning before they left for the day. 

William John Hall’s occupation was listed as “baker” in several sources. So maybe he was able to do that work at home from his chair. 

The oldest children were not baptized in the Roman Catholic church until they were several years old, which had led to some confusion about their ages. Noted on their baptism record details are their ages at the time of their baptism, reference to each other, and that their father was a Protestant. 

William and Sarah Hall were living at 9 Union Street when the first three children were born.  By the time Elizabeth was born they were living at 19 Brown’s Square. When Sarah Hall was born in 1873 and Agnes in 1876 they were living on Springfield Row.  

Anne Hall was baptized in the Church of Ireland in September 1861. Four years later she was re-baptized at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church (notation made of her father’s faith.)

Agnes Hall was two years old when she was baptized at St. Peter’s RC Church. The record notes she is the sister of Sarah Hall record #2148. She died in 1881 on Springfield Road, Belfast, her sister Mary Hall was in attendance. 

Mary Hall married Bernard Doran in 1884. See the Doran saga.  They had

Their daughter Elizabeth “Aunt Lizzy” Hall did not marry. She raised the Doran children after her sister Mary’s death in 1899. Aunty Lizzy has her own page on this website. She was an important person in two generations of the Doran family. After the Doran children moved to New Jersey, Elizabeth followed.

We don’t know what happened to William and Sarah Hall’s son, John.  He may have died young.

James Hall (1838-1894)

James Hall was born about 1838. We haven’t found a marriage record for him and based on his burial record we think he was single.

In the 1852 Belfast City directory he was at 3 Annette Street, occupation Porter.  In 1861 and 1877 directories , he was at 12 Annette Street – off Verner Street also listed as Porter.  His mother, Elizabeth Hall died at this same address in Decmber 1893.  

The address of 12 Annette Street is such a coincidence as several Dorans lived on that street.  But we haven’t found any records to suggest that Doran family, which was much better off, was any close relation to our Dorans. 

James Hall died 23 May 1894. He was buried in Belfast City Cemetery, plot O230. He had a will, which was proved by Rev. Stewart Emerson Cooney, clerk, one of the executors of 73 Botanic street. His effects were 117 pounds, 10 shillings. 
James Hall is buried in Belfast City Cemtery, plot O230.