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George W. HALL (father of the William James HALL in Part 1) was born in October 1833 in England. At least, that’s the information I have from census records.

Family legend also claimed that the HALLs came from England, but I didn’t have any idea from where in England until recently.

From previous research I knew that George was listed in the 1871 Ontario (Canada) census for Gosfield, Essex County and in the 1880 U.S. census for Bridgeport, Saginaw County, Michigan.

George died in 1895, so – of course — there is no listing for him in the 1900 U.S. Census.

George’s death record in Huron County, Michigan, lists his father as Robinson HALL and his mother as Martha.

I recently checked an index for the 1841 Census of England and discovered an 8-year-old George living in the home of Robinson and Martha HALL in County Yorkshire, Parish of Rise.

The age is right for this to be my George. And, the name of his parents fit. Could it be? I did not find any other families in the 1841 census that matched this closely.

Obviously, I need to do more research, but this is an encouraging lead.

One of my common surnames is HALL.

Like many of you struggling to research a common surname, I have gathered as much information as I can about HALLs in my areas of interest – especially if I believe them to be collateral lines.

As a result, I have much information about my great-grandfather’s siblings, nieces, and nephews. But I still haven’t been able to push this line back past my great-great-grandfather.

This is what I know so far.

William James HALL was born 4 Dec. 1871, the son of George W. HALL and Sarah A. McVAY. (In various records, Sarah’s last name is also spelled as McVEY, McVEIGH, and even — McPHAY.)

William James HALL’s place of birth is either Michigan or Canada.

According to his death record and obituary, William was born in Bridgeport, Saginaw County, Michigan. Indeed, his family is listed in the 1880 Saginaw County Census, but Saginaw County does not have a record of his birth.

Other records, including his marriage record and the 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses, list his place of birth as Michigan

The 1880 census, however, lists William James HALL’s place of birth as Canada, and in fact, William’s family was listed in the 1871 Ontario (Canada) census for Gosfield, Essex County.

I have not located a birth record for William James HALL in Ontario either, so his birthplace remains a mystery.

By the 1890s, perhaps as early as 1895, William James HALL was living in Ludington, Mason County, Michigan.

He worked as a brakeman on the Pere Marquette Railroad at the time of his marriage on 14 Sept. 1898. William wed Celia Marie STEFFENSON, daughter of Swan STEFFENSON and Mary HANSEN.

William James HALL died on 11 Nov. 1940 in Ludington. He was buried in Lakeview Cemetery in Ludington.

William James HALL and Celia Marie STEFFENSON had four sons:

a. Wesley Nelson HALL (1899-1976)
b. Emmett Ambruc HALL (1901-1981). He never married.
c. Russell HALL (1905-??).
d. Clarence James HALL (1907-1961)