John Thomas Hall

The earliest records I have found of our HALL family show them as farmers in the townland of Corlust in the parish of Ballymore in Armagh County, Northern Ireland. 

"John HALL of Corlust. 

dated 29th of ....   ..... eight, between Rev James HAMILTON and John HALL for 14 acres 1 rood ..... 

For the lives of William, Thomas and Henry HALL."

In 1829, there was a review of the lease: William HALL was dead.  Henry HALL aged about 62 was very ill and not expected to live. Thomas HALL, aged 58, was in possession of the farm. 

The earliest Freeholders list is 1817 and Thomas was in possession at that time.

The 1847 rent book showed that the 18 acres previously leased by Thomas HALL was leased as follows: John HALL junior 11 acres, John HALL senior 4 acres, Samuel HALL 3 acres

The rent had almost doubled as the last life (Thomas) mentioned on the original lease had died.  It is likely John jnr had been working on the farm with Thomas and he left him 11 acres. 

On 29 May 1851, Samuel HALL died and his land was taken over by Moses GREER.

In 1852 and 1861 the entire plot of 18 acres was leased to John junior alone.

In 1862 John jr (almost certainly my John Thomas HALL) decided to emigrate and he sold his right to the lease to John IRWIN, neighbour.  

On 7 May 1858, John Thomas HALL of Corlust married Mary Jane HAMILTON of neighbouring Ballyshiel More,at the Clare Presbyterian Church in Tandragee, County Armagh. Thomas ALEXANDER and Alexander ADAIR witnessed the event. (ref Marriage Certificate).  

Almost a year later, a son, William John HALL, was born in April 1859 (no birth certificate has been found) in, it appears, Co Armagh, probably in Corlust.  The following year, a daughter, Sarah Ann, was born on 6 June 1861 in Corlust, Parish of Ballymore. (baptism record from Clare Presbyterian Church, Tandragee baptism records).

Four years later, on 14 April 1863, John and Mary Jane and their two young children, William 4 and Sarah, almost 2, left Queenstown in County Cork on board the "Golden Empire" for a new life in Queensland, Australia.  Mary Jane was four months pregnant at the time.  Sarah died 2 years after they arrived in Australia. Another 5 children were born in Australia.

They settled eventually on farming land at Mt Forbes, near Ipswich, Queensland, Australia, where descendants lived until just recently. Son, William John HALL, donaated land in 1896, for the Mt Forbes Provisional School to be built.