Today I’d like to honor a young man who fought and died for our independence during the Revolutionary War.
His name was Jeremiah Hall, Jr. He was the son of Dr. Jeremiah Hall (1722-1807) and Elizabeth Bailey (1727-1816). Jeremiah was one of 7 children born to this couple. Five daughters and two sons.
The senior Jeremiah Hall also served in the Revolutionary War for the Continental Troops, as a doctor.1
What little information I can find about young Jeremiah is his birth record and his death and burial record. I have tried to locate his service record on Fold3 and Ancestry, but have not located it…yet.
Jeremiah was born 20 Dec 1759 in Pembroke, Plymouth, Colonial Massachusetts. Here is a written record of his birth and an index.
(Click on any image to enlarge it)
Name: Jeremiah Hall
Event Type: Birth
Birth Date: 20 Dec 1759
Birth Place: Pembroke, Massachusetts
Father Name: Jeremiah Hall
Mother Name: Elizabeth
Page 32
Jeremiah was the fourth child and first son, born to Dr. Jeremiah and his wife. He had three older sisters, Dorothy age 6, Lawrentia age 4 and Lucretia age 2. Along comes Jeremiah to fill the house with the inevitable sounds of a new baby and later the noise of a little boy. Did his sisters dote on him I wonder? Or was some of the usual sibling rivalry in play between the three girls and this new comer? They didn’t have too long to think about it because the next child, another son they named Bailey, was born 2 1/2 years later in 1761, followed by two more sisters, Sarah and Lucinda.
Along comes the fight for independence and young Jeremiah signs up. Did he tell his parents or did he just go and sign up? What would they have thought? He was so young and there was the usual danger of fighting in any military situation. Especially against the British. Afterall, they were a centuries old army, well trained and used to battle. Not farmers and blacksmiths, store clerks and teenage boys, like those in this young country.
I’d like to find the military records for Jeremiah. I will keep digging online. But, I will search in earnest when I next visit the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
The next records I have for this young man, are related to his death.
Here are the two indexes. Note his age is listed as 17 because the birth date gives only a year. But having his exact birth date, put his age at death as 16 years, 1 month and 4 days.
Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988
Name: Jeremiah Hall Jr
Event Type: Death
Birth Date: abt 1759
Death Date: 24 Jan 1776
Death Place: Pembroke, Massachusetts
Death Age: 17
Father Name: Jeremiah Hall
Mother Name: Elizabeth Hall
Massachusetts, Compiled Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1700-1850
Name: Jeremiah Hall Jr
Gender: Male
Death Age: 17
Event Type: Death
Birth Date: abt 1759
Death Date: 24 Jan 1776
Death Place: Pembroke, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA
Father: Jeremiah Hall
Mother: Elizabeth Hall
The entry in this index of Pembroke Deaths states: Hall, Jeremiah Jr., s. Dr. Jeremiah and Elizabeth, Jan 24, 1776, a. 17, “In the service of his country, opposing Brita’s Tryanny & Britain’s Tyrant.” G.R.I. (I have transcribed it exactly as it was entered)
You may visit Jeremiah’s memorial on FindAGrave here #142810511. I have requested a photograph of his headstone, if there is one. I hope there is.
I am grateful to this young man and all those who fought in our war for independence. RIP
If you have a connection to this family, I’d love to hear from you.
Was young Jeremiah encouraged to join the fight because of his father’s involvement? Here is a post I wrote about a letter from Jeremiah’s father to George Washington in 1775 Dr. Jeremiah Hall writes a letter to George Washington
Sources: 1 - Ancestry.com. U.S., Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007. Original data: Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M246, 138 rolls); War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records, Record Group 93; National Archives, Washington. D.C.
OTHER POSTS ABOUT THIS FAMILY THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST
Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl
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Great post Diane! How sad that Jeremiah, Jr. died. That must have been so sad for his parents and siblings. Hopefully you will be able to find his service record. Happy 4th to you and yours!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I hope so too. There must be a record for this young man somewhere. I'll keep looking.
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