Halls History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe ancestors of the bearers of the Halls family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found on a neck of land in Devon. A neck of land is a narrow piece of land between two rivers near where they flow into the ocean, or a narrow piece of land that connects an isthmus or peninsula to the mainland. "The family of Hals, or Als, are said to have been an ancient British tribe, so denominated from Alsius Duke of Devonshire, the father of Orgar; unless we credit another account, which states them to have descended from John de Als, lord of the barton of Als, now Alse, in the parish of Buryan." 1 Early Origins of the Halls familyThe surname Halls was first found in Devon and Cornwall. "The manor of Laneseley, [in the parish of Gulval, Cornwall] from which the parish derived its name, belonged at a very early period to the family of De Als, who are said to have taken their name from a manor called Alsa or Als, in the parish of Buryan. In 1266 Simon De Als gave this manor to the priory of St. Germans, for the health and salvation of his soul, that of his wife, and those of his ancestors and relations. It was a bargain with the prior and his canonical brethren, for the eternal happiness of the whole family. From this period until the dissolution, the prior and his successors claimed this manor, and with it the ecclesiastical income of the rectory, throughout the parish. But at the time of the Reformation, this property being seized by the crown, the manor was granted to Beaumont and Barry, from whom it passed to the family of Tripcony about the year 1565. By a descendant of this family it was mortgaged to Sir William Hals, of Fentongollan, who was lineally descended from De Alsa, its ancient possessor, and who was ancestor of Hals the historian. In this family it became the subject of much litigation and trouble, in consequence of some mortgages and sales, that led to a suit in chancery; after which it was purchased by the Onslow family, in whom it is still vested." 1 Early rolls revealed: Alfris Halls c. 1100; Robert Hals in the Pipe Rolls for Devon in 1182 and then later as a Knights Templar in Lincolnshire in 1185. 2 In Somerset, the following were found listed 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign): Richard atte Halse; John de Halse; and John de Halse. 3 "Halse was the name of an eminent family of Kenedon in Sherford parish, near Kingsbridge, during the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries; to this family belonged a Justice of the Common Pleas and a Bishop of Lichfield, both of whom lived in the reign of Henry VI. Matthew Halse was a churchwarden of Littleham, Exmouth, in 1730, and the name still occurs in the town. Halse is a Somerset parish, and an old Taunton family bore the name in the 16th century." 4 "Kennedon, in the [parish of Stokenham, Devon], in the fifteenth century became a seat of the family of Hals. Here lived John Hals, Justice of the Common Pleas in 1423, and here was born his son, of the same name, who, in 1450, was made Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry." 5 Early History of the Halls familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Halls research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1320, 1423, 1530, 1600, 1605, 1608, 1636, 1649, 1655 and 1737 are included under the topic Early Halls History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Halls Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Halls include Halse, Hals, Halls and others. Early Notables of the Halls familyNotables of the family at this time include John Hals, who was appointed one of the Judges of the Common Pleas in 1423, and who built a mansion in Kenedon, Devon; and William Hals, the celebrated historian, who was the son of James Halse, the M.P. for St. Ives about 1530. William Hals (1655-1737?) was a Cornish historian, best known for his unfinished work "The Compleat History of Cornwall." He was born at Tresawen, Merther, and was the second son... Halls RankingIn the United States, the name Halls is the 10,070th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6
Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Halls or a variant listed above: Halls Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Halls Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Halls Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Halls Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Halls Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
Halls Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:
Halls Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
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