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HALL - Badsey top ten 1800s-1900s; Wickhamford top ten 1800s

The surname Hall is a common name in the UK and has been in the top ten for Badsey in the 19th and 20th century and for Wickhamford in the 19th century.  The Badsey and Wickhamford Hall families appear to be separate.   The name first occurs in Badsey in the 16th century, but it was not until the arrival of Thomas Knight (1817-1909) in the 1840s that the name proliferated in the village.  In Wickhamford, it was the arrival of Charles Hall (c1780-1865) in 1802 that caused it to be a common name in Wickhamford that century.

16th-18th century Hall families, Badsey

  • The first mention of a Hall in Badsey records is when William Hall, a pauper, was buried at Badsey in April 1561.
  • Nine years later, in October 1570, a William Hall (who may have possibly been the son of William Hall, the pauper) married Agnes Platon at Badsey.
  • On 6th April 1616, John Hall married Anne Belchar at Badsey.
  • On 23rd June 1700, Mary Hall married John Bayliss at Wickhamford.
  • On 5th November 1709, James Hall of Hailes, Gloucestershire, married Joan Baggutt at Badsey.
  • On 17th October 1751, Susanna Hall married William Jones at Badsey.
  • On 21st February 1753, Richard Hall married Elinor Seward at Badsey. Richard had been born in Southwark, London, the only child of Francis and Anna Hall.  He kept a journal, which has been edited by his great-great-great-great-grandson, Mike Rendell, The Journal of a Georgian Gentleman, The Life and Times of Richard Hall, 1729-1801.
  • On 17th July 1786, Mary Hall married William Hale at Badsey.

Apart from these isolated references, it was not until the latter part of the 19th century that the Hall family settled in Badsey, making it a top ten name in both the 19th and 20th centuries.

Hall Family 1 – Thomas Hall (1787-1865) and descendants, Badsey

The next mention of the name is not until 1813, when Thomas Hall of Dumbleton, Gloucestershire, an agricultural labourer, married Badsey-born Elizabeth Hartwell at St James’ Church, Badsey.  Thomas and Elizabeth spent all their married lives in Dumbleton, raising eight children there:  Charles (1815-1815), John (1816-1816), Thomas (1817-1909), Mary (1820), Rachel (1822-1912), James (1825-1899), Joseph (1827) and Richard (1830-1913).  Thomas and Elizabeth died at Dumbleton in 1865 and 1870 respectively.  Whilst Thomas and Elizabeth never lived in Badsey during their married life, two of their children did:  Thomas (1817-1907), the eldest surviving son, and Richard (1830-1913), the youngest son.

Thomas Hall (1817-1909), son of Thomas Hall (1787-1865)

It was Thomas and Elizabeth’s eldest surviving son, Thomas, who came with his family to live in Badsey (his mother’s birthplace) in the 1840s.  Thomas Hall had been born in Dumbleton in 1817, the third of eight children of Thomas Hall, an agricultural labourer, and his wife, Elizabeth (née Hartwell).

On 22nd July 1838, Thomas married Martha Miller at Lenchwick, who had been born in Poynington, Somerset around 1814.  Martha already had a daughter, Eliza, born when Martha was 19 and still living in Poynington.

After marriage, Thomas and Martha settled in Thomas’ home village of Dumbleton where he worked as a shoemaker or cordwainer.  Their first two children, Charles (1839-1911) and Louisa (1840-1933), were born in Dumbleton.  At the time of the 1841 census, Thomas and Martha were living in Dumbleton with Charles and Louisa, and also seven-year-old Eliza Miller.  By February 1843 they were living in Aston Somerville when Elizabeth Frances (1843-1921) was baptised and by May 1845 they had settled in Badsey when.Theodore James (1845-1923) was baptised.  Three more children were born at Badsey:  Rachel Whitfield (1847-1928), Owen Joseph (1849-1899) and Thomas (1852-1852). 

In 1851 the Halls were living at Badsey Leys (29-year-old James Hartwell was lodging with them; who was Thomas’ cousin and the son of his Uncle William), Thomas working as a cordwainer and Martha as a gloveress.  Martha Hall died in childbirth on 17th July 1852, aged 38.  Baby Thomas survived his mother by only three months, dying in October.

By 1861, Thomas Hall was living in Bakers Lane (present-day School Lane) with his eldest and three youngest surviving children.  Theodore and Owen were working with their widowed father as cordwainers, Charles was an agricultural labourer, Louisa and Elizabeth had left home, and Rachel was a scholar.

Thomas was a keen member of the Badsey Self-Improvement Association and, in an article in The Evesham Journal of 16th January 1869, he spoke about the difference between the present time and when he was a boy.  In the same year there was a contested election for the office of people’s Churchwarden.  Thomas Hall received 24 votes to John Phipps’ 13, but a formal poll was demanded and duly took place during the following week.  There was an exceptionally large turnout for the poll, with each candidate receiving 52 votes, following which Reverend Hunt gave his casting vote in favour of Phipps, thus reversing the original vestry decision.

By 1871, Thomas Hall was living at The Alley, where he was to remain for the rest of his life.  His son, Owen Joseph, and his daughter, Rachel Teal and her husband and young daughter lived there, too.  In 1881, 1891 and 1901 Thomas lived alone at The Alley.  An Indenture of 1883 conveying life interest in the cottage has recently come to light in the documents relating to Bredon View (owned by Thomas’ son) which gives a fascinating picture of where Thomas lived.

Thomas Hall was mentioned in an article in the parish magazine of April 1898 as assisting the Vicar in setting up Band of Hope, a juvenile branch of the Church of England Temperance Society.  Thomas died at Badsey in July 1909, aged 91.  None of his daughters married.  All his sons married, but it was only the youngest surviving, Owen Joseph (1849-1899), who had pre-deceased him, who went on to carry the name of Hall into the 20th century in Badsey.

Children of Thomas Hall (1817-1909), grandchildren of Thomas Hall (1787-1865)

  • Charles Hall (1839-1911), the eldest of seven children of Thomas Hall, a shoemaker, and his wife, Martha (née Miller), was born at Dumbleton, Gloucestershire, in 1839, and baptised there on 21st April 1839.  In early childhood he moved with his parents to Aston Somerville and then to Badsey where they were living by 1845.  Charles, an agricultural labourer, was living in the family home in 1851 and 1861.  His mother died in July 1852 when he was 13 years old.  But, by 1871, he was boarding with the Sallis family in Aldington.  By 1881, Charles was still unmarried and boarding with widowed Mrs Mary Hartwell (she was his aunt, the widow of his mother’s brother, William) and her 53-year-old unmarried son, James, at Sand Pool.  In 1883, Charles married his first cousin, Mary Whitfield, who had been working as a lady’s maid in 1871 and as a general servant in 1881.  Mary had been born at Hale in Lancashire about 1852, the twin daughter of Samuel and Rachel Whitfield; Rachel was Charles’ aunt, being the younger sister of his father, Thomas; they had no children.  They worshipped at Aldington Baptist Mission.  On 7th July 1888, an auction took place at The Swan Inn, Bengeworth, where 16 lots of land were sold.  Lots 1-5 comprised plots of around an acre each on the section of land on Willersey Road between Badsey Fields Lane and Sands Lane.  Two of these lots (lots 2-3) were bought by three Hall brothers with the intention of building houses.  Charles Hall, together with his youngest brother, Owen Joseph Hall, bought Lot 3, being part of “Sands Garden”, and divided the land between them.  In 1889, an article in The Evesham Journal, reported that Charles had been robbed by a tramp.  At the time of the 1891 census, Charles and Mary were living at The Leys, Bretforton Road, Charles now described as a market gardener.  Mary died at 33 Newhall Street, Birmingham in 1893, aged 41, and was buried in St James’ churchyard, Badsey, where there is a gravestone in her memory.  Also commemorated on the same stone is her twin sister, Jane Whitfield, who died in 1939.  Probate of her will was granted to her brothers-in-law, Theodore James Hall and Owen Joseph Hall.  Charles, along with his brother, Theodore James, stood for the Parish Council in December 1894, but both failed to get elected.  In 1895, Charles married widow Elizabeth Ann Rogers.  The following year, they were able to move into the new home (Homeleigh, present-day No 5 Willersey Road) built on the half share of the land which Charles had bought in 1888 (his brother had begun building straight away and had been established for some years at Auburn Villa, present-day No 7 Willersey Road).  They were still at Homeleigh in 1901.  Elizabeth Hall died there in 1909, aged 57, and Charles in 1911, aged 71.  At the time of the Valuation Survey, Charles Hall was listed as the owner of a house on Willersey Road and land on Bretforton Road but, by the time the inspection was done, he had died, so the new owners were then listed.  They were both buried in St James’ churchyard, Badsey.  Probate of Charles’ will was granted to George Ash, home missionary.
  • Louisa Hall (1840-1933), the second of seven children of Thomas Hall, a shoemaker, and his wife, Martha (née Miller), was born at Dumbleton, Gloucestershire, in 1840, and baptised there on 7th March 1841.  In early childhood she moved with her parents to Aston Somerville and then to Badsey where they were living by 1845.  Her mother died in July 1852 when she was 11 years old.  In 1861, Louisa and her younger sister, Fanny, were working as servants in the home of a wine manufacturer in High Street, Evesham.  Louisa married Wickhamford-born William Tomlinson at Badsey in 1864 and left the village to go and live in Staffordshire, then moving to Leicestershire; she had nine children.  She died at Great Bowden, Leicestershire, on 24th March 1933, aged 92.
  • Elizabeth Frances Hall (1843-1921), often known as Fanny, the third of seven children of Thomas Hall, a shoemaker, and his wife, Martha (née Miller), was born at Aston Somerville, Gloucestershire, in 1843, and baptised there on 26th February 1843.  In early childhood she moved with her parents to Badsey where they were living by 1845.  Her mother died in July 1852 when she was nine years old.  In 1861, Fanny and her older sister, Louisa, were working as servants in the home of a wine manufacturer in High Street, Evesham.  Fanny married William Edenborough in 1862, by whom she had four children.  William died in 1869 and she married Thomas Moisey in 1870, by whom she had seven children.  She spent the rest of her days in Badsey, dying there in 1921, aged 78.
  • Theodore James Hall (1845-1923), known as James, the fourth of seven children of Thomas Hall, a shoemaker, and his wife, Martha (née Miller), was born at Badsey in 1845, and baptised there on 11th May 1845.  In 1851, Theodore was staying with his paternal grandparents in Dumbleton whilst the rest of the family were in the family home at The Leys (a terrace of cottages which was demolished in the 20th century).  His mother died in July 1852 when he was seven years old.  James followed his father into the shoemaking profession.  As a 16-year-old, he was described as a cordwainer in the 1861 census, and living with his widowed father and some of his siblings in a house on Bakers Lane (now School Lane).  James married Jane Field of Cleeve Prior in 1866.  They had a daughter, Ellen Elizabeth, born in 1867, but who died the following year; they had no further children.  In 1871 they were living at the Mill.  In 1872, James and Jane decided to emigrate to America, just a few weeks after James’ younger brother, Owen Joseph.  The brothers began farming on a small scale.  For whatever reason, all three decided that the American life was not for them and they returned to England, James and Jane landing at Liverpool in May 1878.  Market gardening was beginning to take off in Badsey and, with profits accumulated in America, James was able to rent some land and begin market gardening.  From 1876 he began keeping a diary with almost daily entries about business matters until his retirement in 1914.  In 1881, James and Jane lived in Aldington, next-door to younger brother, Joseph, newly-married.  On 7th July 1888, an auction took place at The Swan Inn, Bengeworth, where 16 lots of land were sold.  Lots 1-5 comprised plots of around an acre each on the section of land on Willersey Road between Badsey Fields Lane and Sands Lane.  Two of these lots (lots 2-3) were bought by three Hall brothers.  James bought Lot 2 for £120.  By 1889, Bredon View (present-day No 11 Willersey Road) had been built on the plot of land that James bought and he and Jane moved in.  In 1891, Jane’s father also lived with them at Bredon View.  James, along with his brother, Charles, stood for the Parish Council in December 1894, but both failed to get elected.  At the time of the Valuation Survey in 1912, James Hall still owned Bredon View.  Jane Hall died in 1918, aged 72, and James Hall died at Cotswold Terrace, Badsey, in January 1923, aged 78.  Jane and James are both buried in St James’ churchyard, Badsey, where they are both commemorated on a headstone, together with their baby daughter, Ellen.  Probate of James’ will was granted to his nephew, James Hemming.  James left Bredon View to his nephew, George Moisey (son of his sister, Elizabeth).  George (who in 1901 had been living at Cotswold Terrace) was already living at Bredon View, so perhaps they had swapped houses before James’ death.
  • Rachel Whitfield Hall (1847-1928), the fifth of seven children of Thomas Hall, a shoemaker, and his wife, Martha (née Miller), was born at Badsey in 1847, and baptised there on 19th September 1847.  Her mother died in July 1852 when she was four years old.  She was still living at home on Bakers Lane (current-day School Lane) with her widowed father and some of her siblings in 1861.  Rachel married William Teal at Badsey in 1866, by whom she had seven children.  In 1871, she and her husband and young daughter were living with her father, Thomas, and her youngest brother.  They had left the village by 1881 and never returned to live in Badsey, although their eldest son, Owen, came to live in the village as a young man and remained there for the next 50 years.  Rachel died at Bishops Frome, near Ledbury, Herefordshire, in 1928, aged 81.
  • Owen Joseph Hall (1849-1899), known as Joseph, the sixth of seven children (and youngest surviving) of Thomas Hall, a shoemaker, and his wife, Martha (née Miller), was born at Badsey in 1849, and baptised there on 9th December 1849.  His mother died in July 1852 when he was just two years old.  Joseph followed his father into the shoemaking profession.  As an 11-year-old, he was described as a cordwainer in the 1861 census, and living with his widowed father and some of his siblings in a house on Bakers Lane (now School Lane).  By 1871, Joseph had abandoned shoemaking and was now working as an agricultural labourer; the family had moved yet again.  In 1872, Joseph, together with a Badsey friend, John Knight, decided to emigrate to America, and settled in Auburn, Ohio.  He was followed eight weeks later by his brother, Theodore James Hall, and his wife, Jane.  The brothers began farming on a small scale.  For whatever reason, all three decided that the American life was not for them and they returned to England, Joseph returning in November 1877, followed by James and Jane six months later.  Market gardening was beginning to take off in Badsey and, with profits accumulated in America, they were able to rent some land and begin market gardening.  Joseph married Eliza Keen at Badsey in 1879.  In 1881, he was living in Aldington, next-door to his brother.  Joseph and Eliza had seven sons and three daughters:  Thomas Henry (1880-1918), John Percy (1882-1957), Theodore James (1884-1924), Joseph Owen (1885-1888), William Charles (1887-1959), Arthur Richard (1889-?), Ellen Mary (1890-1952), Walter (1893-1945), Elizabeth Frances (1896-1937) and Rosa Annie (1898-1935).  On 7th July 1888, an auction took place at The Swan Inn, Bengeworth, where 16 lots of land were sold.  Lots 1-5 comprised plots of around an acre each on the section of land on Willersey Road between Badsey Fields Lane and Sands Lane.  Two of these lots (lots 2-3) were bought by three Hall brothers.  Joseph Hall, together with his eldest brother, Charles, bought Lot 3, being part of “Sands Garden”, and divided the land between them.  Joseph set about having a house built on his half of the land and, by 1890, he was able to move into Auburn Villa (present-day No 7 Willersey Road).  The 1891 census shows them living at Auburn Villa with seven children. Owen died in October 1899 at the age of 50.  Probate of his will was granted to his widow, Eliza.  Eliza, who was widowed at the age of 45, carried on with the market gardening business, so doubt supported by her brothers-in-law, Charles and James, who lived either side of her, and her brother, Henry Keen, who had also bought land in 1888 and built Rose Villa.  In about 1909, the Halls undertook further building on their plot of land when a house called Cothome (later known as Inverdoon, the present-day No 9 Willersey Road) was built next to Auburn Villa.  At the time of the Valuation Survey in 1912, Eliza Hall owned Auburn House and 4½ acres of land along the Willersey Road; she also occupied just under 2 acres of land along the Bretforton Road.  Eliza died at Badsey in 1934 and was buried in St James’ churchyard, Badsey, where there is a kerbstone marking her burial place.  Probate of her will was granted to her daughter, Helen (Ellen) Mary Hall.

Children of Owen Joseph Hall (1849-1899), great-grandchildren of Thomas Hall (1787-1865)

  • Thomas Henry Hall (1880-1918), known as Henry or Harry, the eldest of ten children of Owen Joseph Hall, a market gardener, and his wife, Eliza (née Keen), was born at Aldington in 1880.  He began his schooling at a private school as the church school in Badsey was going through a difficult period, but he then enrolled at the school when it became a Board School.  In 1889, when he was nine, he moved with his parents and growing number of siblings, to Auburn Villa, a newly-built house on Willersey Road, where they were living at the time of the 1891 and 1901 census.  He followed his father into market gardening and, when Joseph died in 1899 when Harry was 19, he helped his mother to carry on the business.  Harry married his first cousin, Louisa Elizabeth Keen, at Badsey in 1907; they had no children.  In 1911, Harry and Louisa lived in what is now No 22 Sands Lane.  At the time of the Valuation Survey in 1912, Harry Hall owned part of Condercup Meadow and also land at Bretforton.  He is also listed in the Valuation Survey for the cottage on Sands Lane and 7½ acres of land he occupied at Bullybrook.  During WWI, Harry appeared before a military tribunal in 1916 and was granted exemption from military service because of being a market gardener of 8 acres.  Harry was a member of Badsey Parish Council and a trustee of the Bread Charity.  Harry and Louisa were good friends of Charles Arthur Binyon and often went on cycling trips together; they are mentioned several times in Charles Binyon’s diaries.  Louisa died of Spanish flu on 28th October 1918, aged 32, and was buried in St James’ churchyard, Badsey, a kerbstone marking the burial plot.  Mela Brown Constable mentioned her death in a letter to her fiancée, Cyril Sladden, on 7th November 1918.  Probate for administration of her effects was granted to their friend, Charles Binyon.  Harrry followed her to the grave just 12 days later, also succumbing to the flu; he was 38.  He was buried in the plot next to Louisa.  Knowing that death was approaching, Harry made a will the day before he died, Charles Binyon being made executor.  Harry and Louisa died at Homeleigh, Willersey Road; they may have moved there following the death of Harry’s Uncle Charles.
  • John Percy Hall (1882-1957), known as Percy, the second of ten children of Owen Joseph Hall, a market gardener, and his wife, Eliza (née Keen), was born at Badsey in 1882.  He began his schooling at a private school as the church school in Badsey was going through a difficult period, but he then enrolled at the school when it became a Board School.  In 1889, when he was seven, he moved with his parents and growing number of siblings, to Auburn Villa, a newly-built house on Willersey Road, where they were living at the time of the 1891 and 1901 census.  He followed his father into market gardening and, when Joseph died in 1899 when Percy was 17, he helped his mother to carry on the business.  Percy married Rosa Helen Tomkins in 1907.  They moved to a recently-built house on Brewers Lane, where they were living at the time of the 1911 census, and which was described in the Valuation Survey as being owned by James Brewer.  The Valuation Survey also lists Percy as occupying two pieces of land at Badsey Fields:  part of The Bittons and part of Briar Croft.  Percy and Rosa had five children:  a baby who died at birth (1908-1908), Lucy (1910-1996), George (1911-1973), Arthur (1914-1983) and Kathleen (1917-1998).  The births of the first three children (including the little girl who died) were all attended by Bretforton midwife, Eliza Stanley.  During WWI, Percy appeared before a military tribunal in 1916 and was granted conditional exemption from military service as he was a market gardener of 6¼ acres and was married with three young children.  The condition was that he had to join the Volunteer Training Corps.  Rosa died in October 1918, aged 36, in the influenza epidemic sweeping through the country.  Mela Brown Constable mentioned her death in a letter to her fiancée, Cyril Sladden, on 7th November 1918.  By July 1921, when Kathleen started at school, they were living at Homeleigh on Willersey Road, which had been the home firstly of Percy’s Uncle Charles until his death in January 1911, and then of Percy’s brother, Harry, who died in 1918.  In 1926, Percy married again, to his sister-in-law, Ethel Mary Tomkins (the younger sister of Rosa).  They had a son, Colin John (1927-2016).  Details of the fruit and vegetables that Percy grew at Badsey and that of Percy Hall & Sons at Wickhamford may be seen in the National Farm Survey of 1941.  Percy died in 1957 and Ethel in 1981; they were both still living at Homeleigh at the time of their deaths.  They are buried in St James’ churchyard, Badsey, where there is a headstone in their memory; their daughter, Kathleen, and her husband, Leonard George Green, are also commemorated on the same stone.  Probate of Percy’s will was granted to his widow, Ethel, and his son, Colin.
  • Theodore James Hall (1884-1824), the third of ten children of Owen Joseph Hall, a market gardener, and his wife, Eliza (née Keen), was born at Badsey in 1884.  He began his schooling at a private school as the church school in Badsey was going through a difficult period, but he then enrolled at the school when it became a Board School.  In 1889, when he was five, he moved with his parents and growing number of siblings, to Auburn Villa, a newly-built house on Willersey Road, where they were living at the time of the 1891, 1901 and 1911 census.  He followed his father into market gardening and, when Joseph died in 1899 when Theodore was 15, he helped his mother to carry on the business.  Theodore played football for Badsey Rangers and scored the winning goal in the first Evesham Hospital Cup Final.  Theodore married Lydia Ellen Crane (known as Nellie) at Badsey in 1914; they had no children.  During WWI, Theodore appeared before a military tribunal in 1916 and was granted conditional exemption from military service as he was a market gardener of 5½ acres and looked after 2 acres for someone else. Theodore died in 1924, aged 40, when they were then living at 1 Belmont Terrace.  Probate was granted to his widow.  Nellie then moved to a house on Bretforton Road which she named Theadellen after her late husband and herself.  Details of the fruit and vegetables that Nellie grew may be seen in the National Farm Survey of 1941.  Nellie later married Henry Sylvester Dungworth in 1946; she died in 1967, aged 81.
  • William Charles Hall (1887-1959), known as Bill, the fifth of ten children of Owen Joseph Hall, a market gardener, and his wife, Eliza (née Keen), was born at Badsey in 1886.  He was educated at Badsey Board School from 1891-1899.  In 1889, when he was three, he moved with his parents and growing number of siblings, to Auburn Villa, a newly-built house on Willersey Road, where they were living at the time of the 1891, 1901 and 1911 census.  Unlike his older brothers, Bill did not go into market gardening but instead became a cycle dealer.  He was a jack-of-all-trades; one of his later occupations was delivering coal.  Bill married Maud Snell in 1912 and had six children:  William Henry (1913-1999), Cyril Owen (1914-1997), Freda Joan (1916-1988), Albert George (1918-1993), Geoffrey (1923-2004) and Vera Maud (1927).  Bill owned a motorcycle with a sidecar, and there is a photo of him with Maud and their first-born son.  The children were all born at Bengeworth, with the exception of Vera, the youngest, who was born at Badsey.  Bill and family had moved to Oakleight, Old Post Office Lane in March 1927 after his brother, Arthur, and family had moved out.  Maud died at Oakleigh, Old Post Office Lane, in October 1927, shortly after giving birth to Vera.  Probate was granted to her husband.  Bill married again in 1935 to Gladys Evelyn Howitt (née Pratt), who had two daughters.  In 1938, Bill and Gladys had a son.  At the time of the 1939 register, they still lived at Oakleigh.  Bill was described as a lorry driver (fruit and vegetable industry) and was also a Special Constable.  Bill died at Oakleigh in 1959.  A report of his death was published in the July 1959 parish magazine.  Probate of his will was granted to his widow, Gladys.  Gladys died in 1981.  They were both buried in the same plot in St James’ churchyard, Badsey, commemorated with a headstone.
  • Arthur Richard Hall (1888-?), the sixth of ten children of Owen Joseph Hall, a market gardener, and his wife, Eliza (née Keen), was born at Badsey in 1888.  He was educated at Badsey Board School from 1899-1902.  In 1889, when less than a year old, he moved with his parents and siblings, to Auburn Villa, a newly-built house on Willersey Road, where they were living at the time of the 1891, 1901 and 1911 census.  He was aged only ten when his father died in 1899 but, on leaving school, he took up market gardening and helped his mother to carry on the business.  In August 1915, Arthur, then aged 26, was riding his motor cycle down Horsebridge Hill, with his fiancée, Mary Eleanor Holder, seated on the carrier, when he was involved in an accident, which was reported in the local press.  The following month, he married Mary at Salford, Warwickshire.  They had three children:  Edna May (1916-1989), Dorothy (1918) and Norman (1920).  During WWI, Arthur appeared before a military tribunal on several occasions seeking exemption from service, because he was the only one left to work 10 acres of land he held in partnership with his widowed mother.  After a final application was dismissed in June 1918, it is assumed that he may have enlisted.  Arthur and Mary lived at Oakleigh on Old Post Office Lane.  On 4th December 1926, Arthur set sail from Southampton bound for New Zealand; accompanying him was 23-year-old Maggie, described as a housewife.  It is not known what happened to Arthur after this.  His children left Badsey School at the end of January 1927.  In 1934, Mary Hall married Harry Jinks, a Badsey market gardener, who was divorced from his first wife.  In 1939 she was a boarding-house keeper on Waterside, Evesham.  She died at Weston-super-Mare in 1985.
  • Ellen/Helen Mary Hall (1890-1952), known as Nellie, the seventh of ten children of Owen Joseph Hall, a market gardener, and his wife, Eliza (née Keen), was born at Auburn Villa, Willersey Road, Badsey, in 1890 (in most 20th century records, her name appeared as Helen rather than Ellen).  She was a pupil at Badsey Council School from 1895.  She was eight years old when his father died in October 1899.  Nellie did not marry and lived all her life in the family home at Auburn Villa where she worked as a leather glove machinist.  At the time of the 1939 register, Nellie had a lodger at Auburn Villa:  Miss Norah Smith, a teacher at Badsey Council School.  Details of the fruit and vegetables that Nellie grew may be seen in the National Farm Survey of 1941. Nellie died in 1952 at Avonside Hospital, Evesham, and was buried in St James’ churchyard, Badsey, the burial plot marked by a kerbstone.  Probate of her will was granted to her brother and sister-in-law, Percy John & Ethel Mary Hall.
  • Walter Hall (1893-1945), the seventh of ten children of Owen Joseph Hall, a market gardener, and his wife, Eliza (née Keen), was born at Auburn Villa, Willersey Road, Badsey, in 1893.  He was a pupil at Badsey Council School from 1896-1907.  Walter was just six years old when his father died in October 1899, leaving his mother and eldest brothers to carry on with the market gardening business.  He was still living at home in 1911, working as a shop assistant, possibly for his brother, William, who was a cycle dealer.  During WWI, Walter was an early recruit to the Royal Flying Corps.  In November 1915, The Evesham Journal reported that “a nasty accident happened” to Private Hall.  The Evesham Journal of 13th November 1915 also reported on the accident.  As a result he was hospitalised with his leg broken in two places.  War news in the parish magazine of December 1915 described his progress as slow.  Charles Binyon, village worthy and a keen cyclist, mentions Walter in his diary of 1st January 1918.  Walter married Elsie Maud Harrison in 1919.  They had three children:  Cicely Veronica (1921-1962), Doreen Barbara (1923) and Ronald Walter (1926-2017).  The three children all started school at Offenham where presumably the Halls were living at that time.  By January 1935, the children had started at Badsey Council School and they were now living at Inverdoon (present-day No 9 Willersey Road).  This was the house which had been built in 1908 on land which had been bought by Walter’s father in 1888; it had previously been called Cothome.  At the time of the 1939 register, Walter and Elsie were still at Inverdoon, Walter described as being a cycle agent and repairer; he had a cycle shop in Port Street, Evesham.  Walter died at the General Hospital, Evesham, in 1945, aged 52.  Probate was granted to his widow and his daughter.  Elsie died in 1967; she was living on Willersey Road at the time of her death.  They are both buried in St James’ churchyard, Badsey, where there is a kerbstone marking their burial plot.  A report of her death appeared in the March 1967 parish magazine.
  • Elizabeth Frances Hall (1895-1937), known as Frances, the ninth of ten children of Owen Joseph Hall, a market gardener, and his wife, Eliza (née Keen), was born at Auburn Villa, Willersey Road, Badsey in 1895.  Frances was three years old when her father died in 1899.  She was a pupil at Badsey Council School from 1899-1910.  Frances did not marry and lived all her life in the family home at Auburn Villa.  Frances died in 1937, aged 41, and was buried in St James’ churchyard, Badsey, in the same plot as her sister, Rosa Annie, who had died two years earlier.
  • Rosa Annie Hall (1898-1935), the youngest of ten children of Owen Joseph Hall, a market gardener, and his wife, Eliza (née Keen), was born at Auburn Villa, Willersey Road, Badsey, in 1898.  She was just 18 months old when her father died in 1899.  She was a pupil at Badsey Council School from 1901-1912.  Rosa did not marry and lived all her life in the family home at Auburn Villa.  Rosa died in 1935 at Auburn Villa and was buried in St James’ churchyard, Badsey; her sister, Frances, who died two years later, was buried in the same plot.  Probate of her will was granted to her brother, Walter.

Children of John Percy Hall (1882-1957), great-grandchildren of Thomas Hall (1787-1865)

  • Lucy Hall (1910-1996), the second of five children (and eldest surviving) of John Percy Hall, a market gardener, and his first wife, Rosa Helen (née Tomkins), was born at Badsey in 1910.  Her birth was attended by Bretforton midwife, Eliza Stanley.  Lucy was educated at Badsey Council School from 1913-1924.  Her mother died when she was eight years old.  Her father married again a few years later to her mother’s sister, Ethel May Tomkins.  Lucy married George Edward Addis at Badsey in 1936.  She remained in Badsey for the rest of her life, dying there in 1996, aged 86.
  • George Hall (1911-1973), the third of five children of John Percy Hall, a market gardener, and his first wife, Rosa Helen (née Tomkins), was born at Badsey in 1911.  His birth was attended by Bretforton midwife, Eliza Stanley.  George was educated at Badsey Council School from 1914-1925.  His mother died when he was seven years old.  His father married again a few years later to his mother’s sister, Ethel May Tomkins.  George married Margaret F Holtham (known as Peggy) in 1945 in the Stourbridge area; they had two daughters.  George died in 1973 in the Stourbridge area. 
  • Arthur Hall (1914-1983), the fourth of five children of John Percy Hall, a market gardener, and his first wife, Rosa Helen (née Tomkins), was born at Badsey in 1914.  He was educated at Badsey Council School from 1918-1928.  His mother died when he was four years old; he had been at school only for a month when Rosa succumbed to Spanish flu.  His father married again a few years later to his mother’s sister, Ethel May Tomkins.  Arthur became a market gardener like his father.  He never married and died in December 1983, aged 69.  He was buried in St James’ churchyard, Badsey, where there is a headstone engraved with the picture of a market gardener in memory of both him and his half-brother, Colin, who died in 2016.
  • Kathleen Hall (1917-1998), the youngest of five children of John Percy Hall, a market gardener, and his first wife, Rosa Helen (née Tomkins), was born at Badsey in 1917.  Her mother died when she was less than a year old.  Her father married again a few years later to her mother’s sister, Ethel May Tomkins.  Kathleen was educated at Badsey Council School from 1921-1929 and then went on to Evesham Grammar School.  Kathleen married Leonard George Green.  Leonard died in 1982 and Kathleen in 1998; both were buried in St James’ churchyard, Badsey, in the same plot as Kathleen’s father and aunt/step-mother.
  • Colin John Hall (1927-2016), the only child of John Percy Hall, a market gardener, and his second wife, Ethel Mary (née Tomkins), was born at Badsey in 1927.  He was educated at Badsey Council School from 1930-1938, and then proceeded to Evesham Grammar School.  Colin became a market gardener like his father.  He never married and died in 2016, aged 88.  He was buried in St James’ churchyard, Badsey, where there is a headstone engraved with the picture of a market gardener in memory of both him and his half-brother, Arthur, who had died in 1983.

Children of William Charles Hall (1886-1959), great-grandchildren of Thomas Hall (1787-1865)

  • William Henry Hall (1913-1999), the eldest of six children of William Charles Hall and his wife, Maud (née Snell), was born at Bengeworth in 1913.  William’s father owned a motorcycle with a sidecar, and there is a photo of him with young William and his mother.  He was aged 13 when the family moved to Oakleigh, Old Post Office Lane, Badsey (which had previously been occupied by his uncle and cousins), so never attended Badsey School.  His mother died soon after the move to Badsey and his father married again in 1935.    William married Beryl M Wheeler in 1938.  In 1939 they were living on New Road, Offenham; William was a lorry driver.  William died in the Evesham area in 1999.
  • Cyril Owen Hall (1914-1997), the second of six children of William Charles Hall and his wife, Maud (née Snell), was born at Bengeworth in 1914.  He was aged 12 when the family moved to Oakleigh, Old Post Office Lane, Badsey (which had previously been occupied by his uncle and cousins) in March 1927, so never attended Badsey School.  His mother died soon after the move to Badsey and his father married again in 1935.  Cyril died in the Dudley area in 1997.
  • Freda Joan Hall (1916-1939), known as Joan, the third of six children of William Charles Hall and his wife, Maud (née Snell), was born at Bengeworth in 1916.  She was aged 11 when the family moved to Oakleigh, Old Post Office Lane, Badsey (which had previously been occupied by his uncle and cousins).  She enrolled at Badsey School on 14th March 1927, having previously been at school in Bengeworth.  Her mother died soon after the move to Badsey and her father married again in 1935.  Joan was still living at Oakleigh at the time of the 1939 register; she worked as a cook.  Joan married John L Pratt at Badsey in 1942.  John Pratt was the youngest brother of Joan’s step-mother, Gladys.
  • Albert George Hall (1918-1993), the fourth of six children of William Charles Hall and his wife, Maud (née Snell), was born at Bengeworth in 1918.  He was aged eight when the family moved to Oakleigh, Old Post Office Lane, Badsey (which had previously been occupied by his uncle and cousins).  He enrolled at Badsey School on 14th March 1927, having previously been at school in Bengeworth.  His mother died soon after the move to Badsey and his father married again in 1935.  Albert was still living at Oakleigh at the time of the 1939 register; he worked as a milk roundsman.  Albert died at Redditch in 1993; his ashes were interred at Badsey. 
  • Geoffrey Hall (1923-2004), the fifth of six children of William Charles Hall and his wife, Maud (née Snell), was born at Bengeworth in 1923.  He was aged four when the family moved to Oakleigh, Old Post Office Lane, Badsey (which had previously been occupied by his uncle and cousins).  He enrolled at Badsey School on 14th March 1927, along with his older siblings, Freda Joan and Albert George; whilst they had attended Bengeworth School previously, this was his first time at school.  His mother died soon after the move to Badsey and his father married again in 1935.  Geoffrey was still living at Oakleigh at the time of the 1939 register; he worked as a hotel waiter.  Geoffrey died at York in 2004.

Richard Hall (1830-1913), son of Thomas Hall (1787-1865)

Around 1880, Thomas Hall’s youngest brother, Richard (1830-1913) moved to Aldington from Dumbleton.  Richard Hall had been born in Dumbleton in 1830, the youngest of eight children of Thomas Hall, an agricultural labourer, and his wife, Elizabeth (née Hartwell).  He was baptised at Dumbleton on 3rd October 1830.

Richard married Selina Halford at Dumbleton on 11 March 1871.  They had four children, all born at Dumbleton:  Thomas (1871-1896), Rose Elizabeth (1873-1947), Frederick (1876-1962) and Mary (1879-1957).  By 1881, they had moved to Aldington, a hamlet within the ecclesiastical parish of Badsey.  Richard and family lived at the second of a row of four terraces called “Half Acre” (now converted into one house) and were still there at the time of the 1891, 1901 and 1911 census.  His occupation in the 1911 census was described as, “Market Gardener, but too old for work now (old age pensioner)”.  Their widowed youngest daughter and grandson were also living with them.  The house is also listed in the Valuation Survey.  Richard Hall died at Aldington in 1913.

  • Thomas Hall (1871-1896), the eldest of four children of Richard Hall and his wife, Selina (née Halford), was born at Dumbleton, Gloucestershire, in 1871.  By 1881, he was living with his family at Aldington.  Thomas died at Aldington in 1896, aged 25. 
  • Rose Elizabeth Hall (1873-1947), the second of four children of Richard Hall and his wife, Selina (née Halford), was born at Dumbleton, Gloucestershire, in 1873.  By 1881, she was living with her family at Aldington.  Rose married James Pittman Stratford, a market gardener, in 1900.  They moved to Pinvin where three children were born, then to Pershore where two children were born, then to Hampton where one child was born, then to Badsey where one child was born, then to Childswickham where another child was born.  By 1911 they were living at Childswickham with eight children.  In 1939 Rose was living in Cheltenham.  She died there in 1947, aged 73.
  • Frederick Hall (1876-1962), the third of four children of Richard Hall and his wife, Selina (née Halford), was born at Dumbleton, Gloucestershire, in June 1876.  When he was baptised at Dumbleton in December 1876, Alfred was written in the baptism register but, in all subsequent records his name appears as Frederick.  By 1881, he was living with his family at Aldington.   Frederick married Sarah Matilda Woolley (known as Matilda) in 1902 in the Evesham area.  They had three children:  Gwendoline Cynthia (1904-1971), Irene (1906-1994) and Clarence Felix (1908-1984).  Gwendoline was born at Hampton, Irene at Bengeworth and Clarence at Aldington.  In 1911, they were living in part of The Old House, Village Street.  Frederick was a market gardener working on his own account.  At the time of the Valuation Survey, Frederick was listed as living at The Old House and occupying 3½ acres of land at Aldington.  The family left Aldington in 1912 to move to Evesham, but they subsequently moved to Swansea, Glamorganshire.  At the time of the 1939 register, Frederick and Matilda were living at Great Western Railway Bungalow, Pontlliw, Swansea, with their son, Clarence.  Matilda died at Swansea in 1946 and Frederick died there in 1962, aged 85.
  • Mary Hall (1879-1957), the youngest of four children of Richard Hall and his wife, Selina (née Halford), was born at Dumbleton, Gloucestershire, in 1879.  By 1881, she was living with her family at Aldington.  Mary married Edward John Tolley, a confectioner, at Badsey in 1902.  Edward died in 1908 and Mary went with her only son, Harold, to live with her parents at Aldington and Harold attended Badsey School.  In 1923, Mary married again, to Albert Stow.  By 1939, Mary was again widowed and living at 16 Avon Street, Evesham.  She died at Evesham in 1957, aged 77.

Hall Family 2 – Henry Hall (c1845-1923), Mrs Emma Hall (1853-1920) and children

At the time of the 1881 census, a completely different family of Halls lived in Badsey.  This was Mrs Emma Hall (née Brooks) who had married Henry Hall at Bretforton in 1873.  Emma had been born at Aldington in 1853, the daughter of Obadiah and Mary Brooks, and whilst still a teenager, had two illegitimate sons, Obadiah and Alfred, born in Hampton Workhouse.

Henry Hall (c1845-1923), whom Emma married on 27th July 1873, was the second of eight children of Henry Hall, a railway labourer, and his wife, Hannah.  Henry was born at Hurley, Warwickshire, in about 1845.  In 1851, they were living in Warwick.  By the mid 1850s, they moved to Bretforton; Henry Senior was a plate layer on the railway at the time of the 1861 census.  By 1871, the two Henrys, both father and son, worked as railway repairers.

Henry and Emma had a daughter, Agnes Matilda (1878-1934) who was baptised at Badsey on 11th August 1878.  By the time of the 1881 census, however, Henry and Emma had separated.  Henry, described as married and by now working as an agricultural labourer, was living with his parents in Bretforton, whilst Emma was living at Silk Mill Cottages, Badsey, with Agnes and her son, Alfred Brooks; Emma was described as Wife (Head).  Four months after the census, Emma gave birth to another daughter, Ada Mary Maria (1881).  When Ada was baptised on 16th October 1881, she was described as the illegitimate child of Emma Hall, so one assumes that Henry was not the father.  However, when the children entered Badsey School, Harry Hall was given as the parent.  A further child, Charles Frederick (1884-1867), was born, but he was not baptised at Badsey. 

Emma and children were still living in Badsey at the time of the 1891 census, but left the village in 1893.

Henry remained the rest of his life in Bretforton.  In 1891 he described himself as single but by 1901 he claimed to be a widower.  This was not true, however, as Emma was living in Evesham.  In 1911 she was boarding with Joseph Johns at 22 West Street, Evesham, working as a midwife.  She died in 1920 and was buried at Waterside Cemetery, Evesham.  Probate of her will was granted to her son, Obadiah Brooks.  In the index of wills, she was incorrectly described as widow.  Henry died at Bretforton in 1923.

  • Agnes Matilda Hall (1878-1934), the daughter of Henry Hall and his wife, Emma (née Brooks), was born at Badsey in 1878; she was baptised in St James’ Church on 11th August 1878.  Agnes was a pupil at Badsey School until 1891.  Agnes and family left the village in 1893.  In 1899 in the Evesham area, Agnes married John Thomas Hirons; they had four children.  She remained living in Evesham until her death in 1934. 
  • Charles Frederick Hall (1884-1967), the youngest child of Emma Hall (née Brooks), was born at Badsey in 1884.  Although his father was given as Harry Hall in the school register, it is unlikely that he was, as Emma had been separated from him for over three years at the time of Charles’ birth.  He was a pupil at Badsey School until 1893 when they left the village.  Charles was boarding with widow Mary Ann Brooks (assumed to be a relative of his mother), on Union Street, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, in 1901, working as a builder’s labourer.  By 1911 he was living at Beaufort, Breconshire, working as a brick setter.  He married Mary A Fowell and they had one daughter, Enid (1918).  At the time of the 1939 register, they lived in Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire, with Charles working as a brick burner in a brickworks.  Charles died in Monmouthshire in 1967.

Hall Family 3 - Charles Hall (c1780-1865) and descendants, Wickhamford

The name Hall first appears in Wickhamford records in 1802.  This family of Hall does not appear to be related to the Halls who settled in Badsey in the 19th century.  Members of this family lived in Wickhamford until the 1880s.  One family member then moved to Badsey in the 1880s.

Charles Hall (c1780-1865)

Charles Hall was born at Mickleton, Gloucestershire, in about 1780.  He married Hannah Viner at Wickhamford on 6th November 1802.  Charles and Hannah had six children, all born at Wickhamford:  George (1803-1835), William (1805-1852), John (1806-1881), Ann/Hannah (1808-1829), Sarah (1811-1892) and Thomas (1814-1885).  At the time of the 1841 census, Charles and Hannah and their 14-year-old grandson, Thomas (son of their son, John), lived on what appears to be Manor Road, Wickhamford.  Charles was a labourer.  From the 1851 and 1861 census, Charles and Hannah appear to have been living at Corner Cottage, Manor Road, with their youngest son, now married, next-door.  Charles was still working as an agricultural labourer in 1861, aged 81 and 80-year-old Hannah was described as “unable to work”.  Hannah met a tragic end in November 1863, aged 83; a newspaper report reveals that her dress caught fire whilst cooking supper and she burned to death.  Charles died in 1865.

Children of Charles Hall (c1780-1865)

  • George Hall (1803-1835) was born at Wickhamford in 1803, the eldest of six children of Charles Hall, a labourer, and his wife, Hannah (née Viner).  George died at Wickhamford in 1835, aged 32. 
  • William Hall (1805-1852) was born at Wickhamford in 1805, the second of six children of Charles Hall, a labourer, and his wife, Hannah (née Viner).  He married Ann Rose in 1829.  They moved to Offenham where William worked as an agricultural labourer.  They had five children, all born at Offenham.  William died at Offenham in 1852, aged 47. 
  • John Hall (1806-1881) was born at Wickhamford in 1806, the third of six children of Charles Hall, a labourer, and his wife, Hannah (née Viner).  He married Elizabeth Preston at Cropthorne in May 1826.  They had two sons:  Thomas (1826-1892) and Charles (1833-1909); Thomas was baptised at Cropthorne and Charles at Wickhamford.  At the time of the 1841 and 1851 census, John was a labourer at Whitfurrows Farm, Pitchers Hill, Wickhamford, living there with his wife and younger son.  (In 1841 his elder son was visiting his grandparents in the village.)  Elizabeth died in 1858.  Widower John was still at Whitfurrows Farm in 1861 and 1871, his elder son, Thomas, and family, also living there.  By 1881, John had moved to South Littleton with Thomas and family.  However, they were back in Wickhamford by December 1881 when John died, aged 75, and was buried in the churchyard.
  • Ann/Hannah Hall (1808-1829) was born at Wickhamford in 1808, the fourth of six children of Charles Hall, a labourer, and his wife, Hannah (née Viner); her name appears as both Ann and Hannah in records.  Ann died in January 1829, aged 21, giving birth to an illegitimate son, Edward.  Baby Edward died aged 13 days.
  • Sarah Hall (1811-1892) was born at Wickhamford in 1811, the fifth of six children of Charles Hall, a labourer, and his wife, Hannah (née Viner).  Sarah married Joseph Turner, a gardener, on 5th November 1833 at Wickhamford.  They had no children.  They lived all their married lives in Cheltenham.  Joseph died at Hesters Way, Cheltenham, in 1886.  By 1891, Sarah, still at Hesters Way, was described as living on her own means.  Sarah died at Cheltenham in 1892, aged 81.
  • Thomas Hall (1814-1885) was born at Wickhamford in 1814, the youngest of six children of Charles Hall, a labourer, and his wife, Hannah (née Viner).  He married Mary Ann Smith in 1837 in the Evesham area.  They had one daughter:  Mary Ann (1839-1920).  At the time of the 1841 census, Thomas was a labourer possibly living at what is now known as Robin Cottage, Manor Road, Wickhamford, living there with his wife and daughter.  In 1851, Thomas and Mary and daughter appear to be living in the cottage next-door to his parents, and were still there in 1861.  Thomas and Mary remained living there for the rest of their lives, Thomas dying in 1885 and Mary in 1886.  They were the last of this branch of the Hall family to live in Wickhamford.
    • Mary Ann Hall (1839-1920), the only daughter of Thomas Hall and his wife, Mary Ann (née Smith), was born at Wickhamford in 1839.  She grew up in a cottage on Manor Road, Wickhamford.  At the time of the 1861 census, she was keeping house in the cottage believed to be the present-day Robin Cottage, Manor Road; by 1871, she was back with her parents and working as a gloveress.  Mary Ann married Joseph Green, an agricultural labourer, in 1876.  At the time of the 1881 census, Mary Ann and John lived in a cottage next to her parents.  John died in 1887.  In 1891, Mary Ann was working as a charwoman, lodging in the home of Elizabeth Howse (her parents having died a few years earlier).  She was still in Wickhamford in 1901 and 1911.  Mary Ann died in 1920.

Children of John Hall (1806-1881), grandchildren of Charles Hall (c1780-1865)

  • Thomas Hall (1826-1892), the elder of two sons of John Hall, a labourer, and his wife, Elizabeth, was born at Cropthorne (his mother’s home village) in 1826 and baptised there on 30th July 1826.  By 1833, when his younger brother was baptised, he was living with his family in Wickhamford (his father’s home village).  Thomas married Elizabeth Houghton at Wickhamford in 1849.  They had one son and five daughters:  Anne (1849), Sarah (1854-1926), Elizabeth (1858-1896), George (1861), Alice Sophia (1863-1931) and Mary Jane (1869-1953).  In 1851, Thomas was working as an agricultural labourer in Wickhamford and lived with Elizabeth and his eldest daughter in what may have been Brookfield Cottage, Manor Road.  Thomas’ mother died in 1858 and, by 1861, he had gone with his family to live at Whitfurrows Farm, Pitchers Hill, where his widowed father lived; Anne, his eldest daughter, aged 11, was working as a servant at Field Farm, Wickhamford.  They were still at Whitfurrows in 1871.  By 1881, they were living at South Littleton, but then returned to Wickhamford where his father died there later that year.  By 1891 they were living at The Green, Badsey (this was a cottage on Brewers Lane, demolished in the 1930s); only their daughter, 32-year-old Elizabeth, was with them, described as an imbecile.  Thomas died at Badsey in 1892, aged 66.  Elizabeth remained at the same cottage in Badsey for the rest of her life.  Her imbecile daughter died in 1896) so, by 1901, Elizabeth had taken in two boarders.  By 1911 her youngest daughter, Mary Jane Grove, and family, had moved into the cottage on Brewers Lane.  Elizabeth died at Badsey in 1912.
  • Charles Hall (1833-1909), the younger of two sons of John Hall, a labourer, and his wife, Elizabeth, was born at Wickhamford in 1833.  He grew up at Whitfurrows Farm, Pitchers Hill, Wickhamford, and was still living there at the time of the 1851 census.  Charles moved to Alvechurch and married Caroline Inett in 1859.  They had four children:  Elizabeth Hannah (1861), Mary Ann (1862), Sarah Jane (1869) and Charles Richard (1874).  Charles and Caroline remained in Alvechurch, for the rest of their lives, Charles working as an agricultural labourer and as a cowman.  Caroline died in 1902 and Charles in 1909, aged 76.

Children of Thomas Hall (1826-1892), great-grandchildren of Charles Hall (c1780-1865)

  • Anne Hall (1849), the eldest of six children of Thomas Hall and his wife, Elizabeth (née Houghton), was born at Wickhamford in 1849.  At the time of the 1861 census, Anne, aged 11, was working as a servant at Field Farm, Wickhamford.  Her family, in the meantime, was living at Whitfurrows Farm, Wickhamford.  By 1871, Anne was a servant in the home of George Day in Bridge Street, Evesham.  Her whereabouts after this are unknown. 
  • Sarah Hall (1854-1926), the second of six children of Thomas Hall and his wife, Elizabeth (née Houghton), was born at Wickhamford in 1854.  In 1879, Sarah married Zephaniah Belcher.  They were living at one of the new cottages built for agricultural labourers at Field Farm, Wickhamford, in 1881.  Soon after this they moved to Zephaniah’s home village of Childswickham; they had four children.  Sarah died in 1926, aged 72.  
  • Elizabeth Hall (1858-1896), the third of six children of Thomas Hall and his wife, Elizabeth (née Houghton), was born at Wickhamford in 1858.  Described as an imbecile in the 1891 census, she lived in the parental home all her life, firstly Wickhamford, then South Littleton, then Badsey.  She died at Badsey in 1896, aged 38. 
  • George Hall (1861), the fourth of six children of Thomas Hall and his wife, Elizabeth (née Houghton), and the only son, was born at Wickhamford in 1861.  By 1881 he was working as a farm servant at Marlfield Farm, Beoley, Worcestershire.  He married Elizabeth in the 1880s and they had two daughters:  Florry Elizabeth (1889) and Eleanor (1891).  In 1891 they lived at Field Farm, Beoley, and in 1901 they lived on School Lane, Yardley Wood.  It is not known when George died.
  • Alice Sophia Hall (1863-1931), the fifth of six children of Thomas Hall and his wife, Elizabeth (née Houghton), was born at Wickhamford in 1863.  She was living with her parents at Wickhamford in 1871, at South Littleton in 1881, and then they moved to Badsey.  Alice had an illegitimate daughter, Amy Elizabeth Hall, baptised at Badsey in 1886.  In 1888, Alice married Thomas William Dones (known as William) at Badsey; they had a son, John Henry, baptised at Badsey in 1889.  William emigrated to America in 1889 and Alice followed the next year with Amy and John.  Two more children were born once they had settled in Auburn, where a number of other Badsey and Wickhamford families were already living.  Alice died at Troy, Geauga County, Ohio, in 1931, aged 68; William died in 1947.  
  • Mary Jane Hall (1869-1953), the youngest of six children of Thomas Hall and his wife, Elizabeth (née Houghton), was born at Wickhamford in 1869.  She lived with her family in Wickhamford in 1871 and in South Littleton in 1881.  By 1891 she was working as a cook for a hardware merchant and his family in Sudbury, Harrow, Middlesex.  In June 1897, Mary Jane Hall married Alfred Grove at Badsey (where her mother was now living).  They had six children, living initially in Wickhamford, but then moved to Badsey to live with Mary’s widowed mother who died in 1912.  They remained in Badsey, although Mary Jane actually died at Mickleton in 1953, aged 83, but was buried at Badsey.

Hall Family 4 – The Hall Family of Bretforton

In the early 20th century, several Hall families from Bretforton moved to Badsey or Wickhamford.  The first to arrive was Morris Hall (1884-1920) and family in about 1910.  In 1927 his cousin, Charles Hall (1885-1972) and family, also moved from Bretforton to Badsey.  They were the grandchildren of William Hall (1824-1896) and Maria, née Jelfs (c1824-1891), who had lived all their lives in Bretforton.  Morris was the son of Edward Hall (1850-1941) and Charles was the son of George Hall (1858-1908), both their fathers remaining in Bretforton all their lives.

Then, in the next generation down, Ernest George Hall (1908-1982) moved to Wickhamford in the latter part of the 20th century and Eric Donald Hall (1931-2010) moved to Badsey.  They were the great-grandchildren of William Hall (1824-1896) and Maria, née Jelfs (c1824-1891).

There appears to be no relationship between the Halls of Bretforton and the other Hall families who had moved to Badsey from Dumbleton in the 19th century.

Morris Hall (1884-1920) and Descendants

Morris Hall was born at Bretforton in 1884, the fifth of 11 children of Edward Hall and his wife, Sarah Anne (née Perkins).  He lived on New Street and worked as an agricultural labourer.

Morris married Agnes Clara Watton at Bretforton in 1909.  Their eldest son, Ronald Alan Roy (1909-1993), was born at Bretforton but, by the time of the 1911 census, they were living at Sharps Row in Badsey.  Their second son, George Alfred (1911-1940), was born on 7th April, five days after the census.  Morris was working as a market gardener’s labourer.  Morris and Agnes went on to have four more children, all born in Badsey:  Sylvia Louisa (1913-1966), Clifford Charles (1914-1976), Basil Morris (1916-1982) and Beryl Madge (1918-1977).  In the Valuation Survey of 1912, his cottage is listed. 

Morris served as a Private with firstly the Worcestershire Regiment, then the Northamptonshire Regiment during the First World War.  He was discharged from the army in November 1917 as a result of wounds and was awarded the Silver Badge.  He died at Badsey in 1920 and is buried in a Commonwealth War Grave in St James’ churchyard.  Although he has a Commonwealth War Grave, Morris’ name was omitted from the war memorial.

At the time of the 1924 Electoral Register, Morris’ widow, Agnes Clara Hall, continued to live at Sharps Row.  They later moved to Silk Mill Cottages.  Agnes died in 1948.  She was buried in St James’ churchyard, Badsey, where there is a headstone in her memory.  A report of her death appeared in The Evesham Standard of 17th January 1948.

  • Ronald Alan Roy Hall (1909-1993), known as Roy, the eldest of six children of Morris Hall, a market gardener’s labourer, and his wife, Agnes Clara (née Watton), was born at Bretforton in 1909.  He was delivered by Bretforton midwife, Eliza Stanley.  He was a pupil at Badsey Council School from 1913-1923.  Roy was ten years old when his father died in 1920.  The family later moved to Silk Mill Cottages.  At the time of the 1939 Electoral Register, Roy was listed as c/o Vale Cottage, Badsey, but he does not appear in the 1939 register for Badsey, taken just after the start of the Second World War.  Details of the fruit and vegetables that Roy grew may be seen in the National Farm Survey of 1941.  Roy later became the caretaker at Badsey School from 1959-1974.  Roy married Edith Maud Jelfs (née Malins) in the Evesham area in 1966.  Edith died at 29 Old Post Office Lane, Badsey, in 1983.  Raymond died at 41 Synehurst, Badsey, in 1993, aged 84.  His will was proved at Birmingham.
  • George Alfred Hall (1911-1940), the second of six children of Morris Hall, a market gardener’s labourer, and his wife, Agnes Clara (née Watton), was born at Badsey in 1911.  He was a pupil at Badsey Council School from 1914-1925.  George was nearly nine years old when his father died in 1920.  The family later moved to Silk Mill Cottages.  George married Gladys Lilian Taylor in 1932.  During the Second World War George was a Lance Corporal with the 8th Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment.  He died in September 1940, aged 29, and, like his father, was buried in Badsey churchyard in a Commonwealth War Grave.  He is commemorated on the war memorial in St James’ Church, Badsey.
  • Sylvia Louisa Hall (1913-1996), the third of six children of Morris Hall, a market gardener’s labourer, and his wife, Agnes Clara (née Watton), was born at Sharps Row, Badsey, in 1913.  Sylvia was almost seven years old when her father died in 1920.  She was a pupil at Badsey Council School from 1917-1927.  The family later moved to Silk Mill Cottages.  Sylvia married Ernest Smith at Badsey in 1932.  She died in the Evesham area in 1996, aged 82.
  • Clifford Charles Hall (1914-1976), the fourth of six children of Morris Hall, a market gardener’s labourer, and his wife, Agnes Clara (née Watton), was born at Sharps Row, Badsey, in 1914.  He was a pupil at Badsey Council School from 1918-1928.  The family later moved to Silk Mill Cottages.  Clifford married Eileen M Allchurch in 1936.  They lived at 1 Rynal Street, Evesham, but Clifford still market gardened at Badsey.  Details of the fruit and vegetables that Clifford grew may be seen in the National Farm Survey of 1941.  Clifford died in the Evesham area in 1976, aged 61.
  • Basil Morris Hall (1916-1982), the fifth of six children of Morris Hall, a market gardener’s labourer, and his wife, Agnes Clara (née Watton), was born at Sharps Row, Badsey, in 1916.  Basil was three years old when his father died in 1920.  He was a pupil at Badsey Council School from 1920-1930 (his father dying just six weeks after he started school).  The family later moved to Silk Mill Cottages.  In 1939 he married Ellen May Hancock.  At the time of the 1939 register they lived in one of the cottages at the old Silk Mill, next-door to his younger sister and husband and his widowed mother two doors away.  Details of the fruit and vegetables that Basil grew may be seen in the National Farm Survey of 1941.  Basil and Ellen had six children.  In the 1940s, they lived at 10 Cotswold View.  By 1954, they were living at 41 Synehurst Avenue.  Basil and Ellen remained at Synehurst Avenue for the rest of their lives, dying there in 1982 and 1996 respectively.  They are buried in St James’ churchyard, Badsey, where there is a headstone in their memory.
  • Beryl Madge Hall (1918-1977), the youngest of six children of Morris Hall, a market gardener’s labourer, and his wife, Agnes Clara (née Watton), was born at Sharps Row, Badsey, in 1918.  Beryl was not quite two years old when her father died in 1920.  She was a pupil at Badsey Council School from 1921-1932.  The family later moved to Silk Mill Cottages.  Beryl married Oliver Sydney Sheward in 1934; they had four children.  At the time of the 1939 register they lived in one of the cottages at the old Silk Mill, with her widowed mother on one side and her brother, Basil, and wife on the other side.  Beryl remained in Badsey for the rest of her life, dying there in 1977, aged 59.

At the time of the 1911 census, Morris Hall’s younger sister, Gladys Maud Hall (1896-1967), was living in Badsey, working as a servant at the Manor House.  She was the tenth of 11 children of Edward Hall and his wife, Sarah Anne (née Perkins).  How long Gladys remained in Badsey is not known.  In 1926 she married Francis George Alfred Farley at St Mark’s, Plumstead, London.  She was working as a children’s nurse at 61 Lee Park, Blackheath, at the time.  She remained in London for the rest of her life, living at Woolwich at the time of the 1939 register and dying there in 1967.

Charles Hall (1885-1972) and Descendants

Charles Hall was born at Bretforton in October 1885, the fourth of six children of George Hall, a market gardener and innkeeper of The New Inn, and his wife, Sarah Ann (née Robbins).  Charles’ mother was from Badsey originally.  Charles married Evelyn Jane Stanton in 1912 in the Pershore region.  They had one son and three daughters:  Kathleen Elsie (1913-1913), Leslie Stanton (1915-1984), Eileen Stanton (1916) and Dorothy Stanton (1916-1917).  All the children were delivered by Charles’ aunt, Eliza Stanley, a Bretforton midwife.  They moved to The Croft, Bretforton Road, Badsey in October 1927, when Eileen started at Badsey Council School, having previously been at school in Bretforton.  At the time of the 1939 register, Charles and Evelyn and their two surviving children were living at Netherfield, Bretforton Road, Badsey.  Details of the fruit and vegetables that Charles grew may be seen in the National Farm Survey of 1941.

Evelyn died in 1967.  A report of Evelyn’s death appeared in the October 1967 parish magazine.  Charles died on Christmas Eve 1972 at Heathlands (an old people’s home), Pershore; he was buried at Bretforton.  His will was proved at Birmingham.

  • Leslie Stanton Hall (1915-1984), the second of four children and only son of Charles Hall and his wife, Evelyn Jane (née Stanton), was born at Bretforton on 26th April 1915.  His birth was attended by his great-aunt, Eliza Stanley, a Bretforton midwife.  He moved with his family to The Croft, Bretforton Road, Badsey, in October 1927.  At the time of the 1939 register, Leslie was living with his parents and surviving sister at Netherfield, Bretforton Road, Badsey.  Leslie married Eileen Frances Crotty in 1948; they had two sons.  Leslie died at Maybush House, 90 Bretforton Road, Badsey, in July 1984; he was buried at Bretforton.  Leslie's will was proved at Birmingham.
    • Philip Charles Hall (1949-1976) was the elder of two children of Leslie Stanton Hall and his wife, Eileen Frances (née Crotty).  He began his schooling in Badsey but then transferred to the Roman Catholic School in Evesham.  He was tragically killed in a car accident on Badsey Road in October 1976, leaving behind a wife and young daughter.  A report of his death appeared in the parish magazine of November 1976 and The Birmingham Post.

Whilst he never lived in Badsey, Charles’ youngest brother, George Hall (1889-1954), occupied land in Badsey:  7½ acres of land at Parsons Piece on the north side of Bretforton Road.  As a result, he is listed in the Valuation Survey and the electoral roll for 1924.

Ernest George Hall (1908-1982)

In the post WWII period, another member of this Bretforton family moved to Wickhamford.  This was Ernest George Hall (1908-1982), who had been born at Bretforton, the elder of two children of Ernest Hall and his wife, Florence Mabel (née Martin), and the nephew of Charles Hall who was living at Netherfield, Badsey.  Young Ernest’s birth was attended by Eliza Stanley, a Bretforton midwife, who was his father’s aunt.  Ernest’s father, Ernest, appears on the 1924 electoral register for Badsey because he was then an occupier of land in Badsey.  Ernest married Mary Elizabeth Parker in 1933; they had three children.  They were still living in Bretforton in 1939 where Ernest was a dairy farmer, but later moved to Wickhamford.  Mary died in 1972 and was buried at Wickhamford on 12th February 1972.  A report of Mary’s death appeared in the March 1972 parish magazine.  Ernest died at 25 Sally Close, Wickhamford, on 27th February 1982; a service was held at Wickhamford on 4th March 1982 but he was cremated at Worcester.  A report in the parish magazine said that Ernest’s son donated £5 towards Wickhamford Church funds from the funeral collection.  Ernest’s will was proved at Bristol.

Eric Donald Hall (1931-2010)

At some stage at the end of the 20th century, Eric Donald Hall and his wife, Brenda (née Stewart), came to live in Badsey.  Eric had been born at Bretforton in 1931, the eldest of three children of Philip Hall, a market gardener, and his wife, Beatrice E (née Byrd).  Eric was the second cousin of the above Ernest George Hall (1908-1982) and first-cousin-once-removed of the above Charles Hall (1885-1972).  Eric was still at home in Bretforton at the time of the 1939 register.  He married Brenda Stewart in 1967.  Eric died at the Evesham Macmillan Unit in 2010 and Brenda died at Manor Close, Badsey, in 2016.  They are both buried in St James’ churchyard, Badsey, where there is a headstone in their memory.

Hall Family 5 – Edward Charles Hall (1883-1951) of Wotton under Edge

In 1913, Edward Hall and family moved from Evesham to Badsey.

Edward Charles Hall, known as Ted, was born at Wotton under Edge, Gloucestershire, in 1883, the eldest of five children of William Hall, a harness maker, and his wife, Lucy Ann.  At some time in the 1890s, the Hall family moved to Evesham.  By 1901, they were living at 3 West Street.  Ted was a bricklayer’s apprentice.

Ted married Bretforton-born Laura Knight in 1904.  They had three children:  Gwendoline Hettie (1905-1987), Herbert Leslie (1908-1996) and George Edward (1909-1985).  At the time of the 1911 census, they were living at 3 West Street, Evesham, Ted’s parents having moved to Market Place, Evesham.  Ted was a bricklayer and worked for Messrs Espley & Co Ltd, Evesham, having joined them in 1902.

In the autumn of 1913, Gwendoline and Herbert enrolled at Badsey Council School, having previously been at Merstow Green School, Evesham.  Whilst Gwendoline’s address in the Mixed School register appears as Wickhamford, Herbert’s address in the Infant School register appears as Willersey Road, Badsey.  By 1916, the family was definitely living in a semi-detached house on Willersey Road (known today as Goosecroft), close to the Wickhamford border.  Ted had been the foreman on the building job.  The current owners of Goosecroft, whilst renovating the house, have found a date of 8th July 1916 in the mortar of the roof.  At a military tribunal held on 10th June 1916, Ted gave his address as Willersey Road, Badsey.  Possibly the Hall family were living in the neighbouring cottage (today called Windy Nook) whilst the second cottage was completed.  The Halls remained there for the rest of their lives.

During WWI, Ted appeared before a military tribunal in 1916 asking for temporary exemption which was granted.  He later joined the Worcestershire Regiment; reports of his service during the war appeared in the August 1917, December 1917 and March 1918 parish magazines.  Ted appeared on the Absent Voters’ list for 1918.

As well as being a bricklayer, Ted also had a smallholding.  He later gave up the building trade and, by 1939, was described as a poultry farmer and market gardener.  Details of the fruit and vegetables that Ted grew may be seen in the National Farm Survey of 1941. 

Living close to the Wickhamford border, the Halls worshipped at the Church of St John the Baptist in Wickhamford, where Ted was very involved in the life of the church.

Ted Hall died at Badsey on 28th November 1951 and was buried at Wickhamford three days later.  A report of his death appeared in the parish magazine.  Probate of his will was granted to his widow, Laura, and his daughter, Gwendoline Austin.  Laura died at Bowers Hill, Badsey, on 31st March 1963.  Probate of her will was granted to her son-in-law, Frederick Austin.

Hall Family 6 – Francis George Hall (1897-1956) of Pershore

At some time in the post WWII period, Francis Hall and family moved from Pershore to Badsey.

Francis George Hall was born at Cropthorne in 1897, the second of five children of John Hall, a joiner, and his wife, Ellen Elizabeth (née Taylor).  Francis was baptised in St Michael’s Church, Cropthorne, on 31st October 1897.  Francis’ mother died in 1903, a few months after giving birth to his youngest brother.  In 1911, Francis was living with his widowed father and younger siblings at Priest Lane, Pershore.

Francis married Edith Annie Clements Annis in 1916 in the Pershore area; they had two sons.  At the time of the 1939 register they lived at 16 Bridge Street, Pershore; Francis was a market gardener.

Probably in the 1940s, Francis and Edith moved to Orchard Cottage, Badsey Fields Lane, Badsey.  Francis died there on 25th March 1956.  Probate was granted to his widow, Edith.  Edith remained at Orchard Cottage until her death on 9th May 1964.  A notice of her death in the parish magazine of June 1964 indicates that she was buried in her home parish of Wick, near Pershore.  Probate of her will was granted to her son, Christopher Arthur Hall (1927-2009).  Christopher died in the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch.  In the announcement of his death, he was described as “of Badsey, formerly of Wick”.

Hall Strays

  • In 1838, Ann Hall (c1813-1897) married John Watkins at Badsey.  Ann was the daughter of William and Mary Hall and had been born at Evesham in about 1814.  Ann and John went to live in Evesham where eight children were born.  John died in 1850.  Ann was living on Bewdley Street, Evesham, in 1851, with her parents living further down Bewdley Street.  Ann remained in Evesham for the rest of her life, dying there in 1897. 
  • In 1861, Hannah Hall was working as a house servant in Aldington.  Hannah was born at Broadway in about 1826, the third of five children of Richard Hall, an agricultural labourer, and his wife, Mary.  She grew up in Broadway and then came to work as a house servant at Aldington Manor.  She married widower, William Floyd, in 1863 at Badsey and became step-mother to his two young children.  William’s first wife, Louisa, had died shortly after giving birth to their third child who survived only a few days.  Hannah and William had a daughter, Fanny, in 1865.  Hannah remained at Aldington for the rest of her life, dying there in January 1906, just ten days after her husband.
  • In 1867, 59-year-old John Hall was buried at Badsey.  He was born about 1808, but nothing is known of his family.
  • In 1871, 62-year-old Emily Hall was a governess at the Vicarage.  She had been born at Cheapside, Middlesex, in about 1809, but nothing is known of her family.
  • In 1891, Lillian Eliza Hall (1880-1918) was staying at Bowers Hill with her aunt and uncle, William and Eliza Foden.  Lillian had been born at Birmingham in 1880, the daughter of Samuel Hall, a journeyman butcher, and his wife, Hannah (née Jordan).  Lillian’s mother, Hannah, was the older sister of Eliza Foden.  Lillian was still staying with her aunt and uncle in 1901; by this time they had moved to Shenstone near Lichfield, Staffordshire.  Lillian married Arthur Smith at Holy Trinity, Bordesley, Birmingham, in 1905.  In 1911 they were living at Vine Cottage, Shenstone, with three sons.  Lillian is thought to have died in 1918.  By 1839, widowed Arthur was living with his daughter, Elsie M Smith, who was acting as housekeeper.
  • In 1895, William Hall (1869-1936), a house painter of Langley Green, married Emma Dora Mason (known as Dora) at Wickhamford.  William had been born at Oldbury in 1869, the fifth of seven children of William Hall, a cattle dealer and his wife, Harriet.  He was still living with his parents at Station Road, Knowle, in 1891, working as a painter.  William and Dora had no children.  In 1901 they lived at Oldbury.  In 1911, Dora was visiting her parents at The Old Vicarage, Manor Road, Wickhamford.  William died in 1936 and Dora in 1952 at Langley Green. 
  • In 1901, Edith Mary Hall (1879) was working as a servant at Field Farm, Wickhamford.  She had been born at Bengeworth, Evesham, in 1879, the elder of two children of Thomas Hall, a labourer at a brickyard, and his wife, Hannah.  In 1881 they lived at 2 New Street, Bengeworth, and in 1881 they lived at 31 The Leys, Bengeworth.  Her whereabouts after this are unknown.
  • In 1906, Albert Hall (1880), son of Jordan Hall, carpenter, married Sarah Sophia Lewis at Badsey.  Albert had been born at Upper Slaughter, Gloucestershire, the eighth of 11 children of Jordan Hall, a carpenter, and his wife, Sarah (née Palmer).  Albert had a twin brother, Herbert; they were baptised at Upper Slaughter on 23rd May 1880.  Albert grew up in Upper Slaughter but, at the time of the 1901 census, was working as a gardener at Taylor Wood, Hessle & Hilltop, Yorkshire.  The whereabouts of Albert and Sarah after their marriage are unknown. 
  • On 10th January 1938, Kate Hall, aged 50, died, and was buried at Badsey.  On the headstone it says, “In loving memory of my dear wife”, but who her husband was is unknown.

Statistics

  • Position in League Table:  9 (Badsey top ten 1800s): 4 (Badsey top ten 1900s); 4 (Wickhamford top ten 1800s)
  • Total number of Badsey baptism records:   30
  • Total number of Badsey burial records:       23
  • Total number of Badsey census records:    130
    • Badsey 1851         7
    • Badsey 1861         6
    • Badsey 1871         6
    • Badsey 1881       15
    • Badsey 1891       26
    • Badsey 1901       19
    • Badsey 1911        27
    • Badsey 1939       24
  • Total number of Wickhamford baptism records:   14
  • Total number of Wickhamford marriage records:   5
  • Total number of Wickhamford burial records:       11
  • Total number of Wickhamford census records:     47
    • Wickhamford 1841           9
    • Wickhamford 1851          11
    • Wickhamford 1861          12
    • Wickhamford 1871          11
    • Wickhamford 1881           2
    • Wickhamford 1901           1
    • Wickhamford 1911            1

Name origin:  Hall has a number of possible origins:

  • It may be a topographical name for someone who lived at or near a large house called a Hall.
  • It could be an occupational name for a person who was employed at such a place.
  • It could also be a locational surname from any of the places called Hall; there are villages called Hall in the counties of Lancashire, Carmarthenshire, and Roxburghshire.

The British Surname Atlas produced by Archer Software gives distribution maps for all the surnames found in the 1881 census of England, Scotland and Wales.

  • In 1881, Hall was the 19th commonest name, with a total of 87,941 people bearing that name (as a comparison, the top surname, Smith, had a total of 421,703 people).
  • Within Worcestershire, Hall was ranked 14, with a total of 1,572 people bearing the name (the top surname in Worcestershire was Smith with 7,243 people).
  • Within Gloucestershire, from where many of the Hall families hailed, Hall was ranked 24, with a total of 1,831 people bearing the name.

Mentioned in Publications

Maureen Spinks, January 2020