Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 15.

Something about Capt. Isaac Hall.

Eleven years ago a tablet to the memory of Medford's captain of Minute Men was erected at the historic spot where Revere aroused him on the original Patriots' Day. In a later issue of the Register (Vol. VIII, page 100) appeared the address of Mr. Hall Gleason before the Historical Society prior to the erection of this memorial by the Sons of the Revolution, and also a copy of the inscription thereon. In that address, 1789 is named as the year in which Captain Hall died, once directly and [p. 61] twice indirectly. The accuracy of this remained unquestioned for several years, till early in 1911 a communication from Kansas, addressed to the Historical Society, came into our hands, which we now present:—

On page 100, Vol VIII, of the Historical Register, appears an article by Mr. Hall Gleason on

Capt. Isaac Hall

He is described as a son of Andrew and Abigail [Walker] Hall, born in Medford, January 24, 1739.

Now Capt. Isaac Hall married on October 8, 1761, Abigail Cutter, and had a number of children.

The second was Eleanor, born July 23, 1764, and the fourth was James, born December 25, 1768.

Eleanor was married by Peter Thacher on April 24, 1791, to Charles Stimpson the son of Recompense Wadsworth Stimpson, a merchant of Boston, Mass., and the writer of this communication is a grandson of this couple.

The article above cited gives Capt. Isaac's death, (p. 102) (November 24, 1789). This I believe to be a mistake, and that it should be November 13, 1805.

The Boston Directory for 1796 and ‘98 gives the name of Isaac Hall and locates him as a distiller, Distill House square, House No. 12, Franklin Place.

The same name appears in the directories which follow, with his residence on Franklin Place, till 1803, when its occupation is given a boarding house, 12 Franklin Square.¹

In 1806 the name changes to Abigail Hall, boarding house, 12 Franklin Square,² and so continues for several years.

The Suffolk Co. Deed Records show that one Abigail Howard sold a house at No. 12 Franklin Place to Isaac Hall, distiller, on June 21, 1796. At the time Charles Stimpson (his son-in-law) was twenty-one he began to keep a diary of some of the important events of his life. He was a trader, and from 1789 to 1801 did business at Petersburgh, Virginia, making frequent trips to and from Boston. Among the events so recorded is that of his wedding to Eleanor Hall, on April 24, 1791, and of a visit Isaac Hall made him in Portland from August 1, to September i, 1801. On November 24, 1805, the record is ‘Mr. Isaac Hall died at Boston Aged 66’

One other event he records: October 14, 1814, Abigail Hall broke up her housekeeping at Franklin place.

By reference to a Bible Record kept by my Uncle William Cutter [p. 62] Stimpson.³ I find ‘Died at Our House Sept 28, 1825 Mrs Abigail Hall, Grandmother (maternal) of W. C. S. (a—yrs mo) She was on a visit to us, a stroke of Paralysis deprived her of speech and the use of her limbs, in which condition she lay nine days, and then took flight to that world of Spirits whither she had there long since directed her eyes and thoughts,—and in which, to all human appearances, she was, by God's grace prepared to enjoy the company of those who have been redeemed of the Lord Her mortal remains were disposed of by the filial attention of her son James Hall Esq.’

Fred. E. Stimpson.

By some inexplicable means this communication was mislaid and forgotten and has but recently come to light. It conflicts with Mr. Gleason's statement in but one particular, that of the date of Captain Hall's death, but adds interesting facts of the later days of both CaptainHall and Mrs. Hall. We find in ‘Halls of New England,’ by ‘Rev. David B. Hall, A. M., Duanesburg, N. Y., 1883,’ the date of death November 24, 1789.

The above work was shown us by Mrs. Annie (Hall) Gleason and is doubtless the basis of Mr. Hall Gleason's statement. By the courtesy, also, of Mrs. Gleason, we have examined the old family Bible in which are recorded the marriage of Andrew Hall and Abigail Walker, and the births and deaths of their large family. This Bible record is, ‘Isaac Hall born January 24, 1739 died November 24, 1805.’ Just what reason Mr. Stimpson may have had for assigning the 13th as the day of death, when that diary record he quotes from is 24th, we fail to know. Perhaps he made an error in copying, as it is evident that Rev. Mr. Hall did. As both diary and Bible records agree it would appear that the correct date is November 24, 1805. We have written to our correspondent a note of apology, and insert this as tardy justice to him, and of interest to the Register's clientage. In the thirty years that Captain Hall lived after his march to Lexington he saw the beginnings of national life, but the one hundred and eleven since his passing we will not try to compare.