Untitled Document

Joseph Hale (1776 - 1841)
Ruth Robinson (1785 - 1867)

Joseph2 Hale (or Hail) (Joseph1) was born 5 May 1776, perhaps at or near Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. He was probably the son of Joseph and ______ (______) Hale.

He died 4 March 1841, age almost 65, of _____________, at Philadelphia and was buried in Ronaldson's Cemetery at Ninth and Bainbridge Streets. However, the bodies in that cemetery were disinterred in 1950 and moved to Forest Hills Cemetery at Byberry and Philmont Avenues in lower Moreland Township, Montgomery County.

He married Ruth Robinson (or Robison) before 1803, perhaps at Philadelphia.

Ruth Robinson was born 2 November 1785, perhaps at or near Philadelphia, the daughter of Samuel and ______ (______) Robinson.

She died 4 August 1867, age almost 82, perhaps near Wagontown, Chester County, Pennsylvania, and may be buried in the churchyard of Hibernia Methodist Church, West Brandywine Township, Chester County.

The dates of birth and death cited above are recorded in a Bible once owned by Ruth Robinson Hale, but now in the possession of her great-great granddaughter, Miss Maude E. Littlefield. J. William Diederich, a great-great-great grandson, has photocopies of the family record pages.

The Bible is a Kimber and Sharpless' stereotype edition. The edition is not dated, but it was apparently published in 1820 since a chronological index on page 760 contains this quotation:

"Then the whole sum and number of years, from the beginning of the world unto this present year of our Lord God 1820, are 5,794 years, six months, and the said odd ten days."

According to the flyleaf, the Bible was published and sold by Kimber and Sharpless at their bookstore, No. 8 South 4th Street, Philadelphia. The inside front cover contains these inscriptions, in various handwritings:

Ruth Hail March 11th, 1834
Then next her Daughter Martha Ayers
Then Presented to her Daughter Ella Wynn
Then presented to Blanche Wynn Littlefield
Then presented to her daughter Maude E. Littlefield

The flyleaf entry, "Ruth Hail March 11th 1834," is in the same handwriting as the entries relating to the births of Joseph Hail, his wife, Ruth, and their nine children and were probably made by Ruth Robinson Hail. In this Bible, the name “Hale” is consistently spelled, “Hail”. “Robinson” is sometimes spelled “Robison”.

The birth and death entries cited above are written as follows:
Joseph Hail Was
Born May 5th in
The year of our Lord
1776
Ruth Robison she
Was Born November
The 2 in the year of our Lord
1785
Joseph Hail Died in
March 4th in the year 1841
(A 5 has been crossed out and 4 written in.)
Ruth Hail died in August the 4th 1867

Although the names of Joseph Hale's parents are not yet known, we believe his father's name was “Joseph”. The task of tracing them should not be insurmountable since only 11 families with the surname of “Hale” or “Hail” were enumerated during the 1790 Census of heads of families in Pennsylvania. When this first United States Census was conducted, Joseph Hale was only 14 years old so he is not listed among the Pennsylvania heads of families, but the odds are that his father is.

The table below, taken from the 1790 census of Pennsylvania, shows, for each of the Hale families, the number of inhabitants and place of residence:
Males Males
over under
Page Household head Age 16 Age 16 Females Residence
53 Joseph Hale 1 1 4 Bucks Co.
53 Joseph Hale 1 5 5 Bucks Co.
83 George Hail 1 1 5 Cumberland Co.
136 Mathew Hale 1 2 1 Lancaster Co.
202 John Hale 1 1 2 Philadelphia Co.
234 Warwick Hale - - - Philadelphia City
235 Warick Hale 3 3 4 Philadelphia City
244 Alexander Hale 2 2 2 Philadelphia City
244 Thomas Hale 2 3 6 Philadelphia City
248 William Hale 3 1 3 Washington Co.
256 John Hail 1 3 1 Washington Co.
286 William Hale 1 - 3 York Co.
Hopefully, some specific proof of Joseph Hale's parentage can be found, such as a baptism record or a will. Otherwise, his parentage may have to be deduced through the process of elimination.

For example, census records and city directories indicate that Joseph Hale lived in Philadelphia from 1810 to at least 1818 and from 1837 until his death in 1841. In the 1820 and 1830 censuses, he was recorded as living in Penn Township of Philadelphia County. This township became part of the city when the city and county were consolidated in 1854. On the basis of this, one can assume he probably was born in the City of Philadelphia, in Philadelphia County, or in a nearby county in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Delaware. On the basis of a family tradition that "he was born in Philadelphia," we assume he was at least born in Pennsylvania although further research may show that assumption is incorrect.

Because they resided in counties well to the west of Philadelphia, the following five Hale families can probably be excluded from consideration: George Hail of Cumberland County, Mathew Hale of Lancaster county, William Hale of York County, and John Hail and William Hale of Washington County. Moreover, according to the census record, William Hale of York County did not have any sons in his household in 1790 so he can be excluded for this reason also.

Thus the list of probable parents can tentatively be narrowed to six. Of these, three resided in the City of Philadelphia in 1790: Alexander Hale, a house carpenter, resided on Fifth Street, between Walnut and Spruce. He married Frances Yourkson 14 July 1768 at Christ Church, Philadelphia. See Pennsylvania Archives, second series, v VIII, p 110. According to the 1790 Census, two males under age 16 resided in his household. He died intestate in 1796. See Philadelphia Administrations 1796, no. 25.

Thomas Hale may have been closely related to Alexander Hale. Thomas, who also was a carpenter, lived around the corner from Alexander on Walnut Street, between Fifth and Sixth. This was less than a block south of Independence Hall. According to the 1790 Census, three males under age 16 resided in Thomas' household. He died intestate in 1793. See Philadelphia Administrations, 1793, no. 219. It is conceivable that Joseph was the son of Thomas Hale since Joseph and Ruth Robinson Hale named their first born son “Thomas”. However, this may be only a coincidence since Ruth Robinson was the daughter of Samuel Robinson, but none of their children was named Samuel.

Warwick Hale, a boat builder, resided on the west side of Little, or New Water Street. He is listed twice in the 1790 Census, apparently because he owned property on the east side of the same street. He married Mary Crispin 31 December 1769 at First Baptist Church, Philadelphia. See Pennsylvania Archives, second series, v VIII, p 750. According to the 1790 Census, three males under age 16 resided in his household. He died intestate in 1792. See Philadelphia Administrations, 1792, no. 43.

There was only one Hale family in Philadelphia County: John Hale who resided in Northern Liberties Township. According to the 1790 Census, one male under age 16 resided in his household.

In 1790, there were two Hale families in Bucks County, both headed by men named “Joseph”. One of these had one male under age 16 in his household, and the other had five. We believe one of these Joseph Hales was the father of our Joseph Hale. The other may have been his grandfather.

When 1800 Census was taken, Joseph Hale would have been 24 years old. But if he was single, he probably would not have been listed. The only Joseph Hale enumerated in the 1800 Census of Pennsylvania resided in the Out Part of East Northern Liberties Township of Philadelphia County, but he was more than 45 years of age. However, he had two males in his household who were between 16 and 25 years of age, and thus, our Joseph Hale could have been one of these. There were no Hale families recorded in the 1800 Census of Bucks County so we assume that one of the Joseph Hales moved to Philadelphia County, and the other died or migrated from the state between 1790 and 1800. Neither of the two Hale families residing in the City of Philadelphia in 1800 had males in this age bracket. All other Hale families recorded in the 1800 Census of Pennsylvania resided in counties quite far to the west of Philadelphia. This circumstantial evidence is the principal reason we believe our Joseph Hale's father was also named “Joseph Hale”.

There is an additional factor—though it may only be a coincidence. The tendency to twins in a family is an inherited trait, though it is believed to come down on the female line rather than the male. Joseph and Ruth Robinson Hale had twin daughters in 1821. One of the Joseph Hales in Bucks County had twin daughters in 1772. According to an entry in the diary of John Dyer of Plumstead, Bucks County, dated 27 September 1772, "Jo Hails wife had 2 Daughters born last night." See Publications of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, v 3, p 42.

There is, of course, a possibility that Joseph Hale was not born in Pennsylvania but migrated to the state after 1800. One of the interesting family legends is that Joseph Hale was related to Nathan Hale, the Revolutionary War spy hanged by the British, whose last words were, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."

The link, if there is one, has not been established. In my opinion, the idea originated with Joseph Hale's daughter, Martha, who may have naively assumed that all the Hales in colonial America were closely related. Her children firmly believed the story. In August 1909, when Martha's daughter, Julia Ann, and William Yost celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, a Philadelphia newspaper, The North American, published a story about them in which it reported that "Mrs. Yost's grandfather was a nephew of Nathan Hale, the Revolutionary martyr, and her great-grandfather, Samuel Robinson, built the first bridge across the Schuylkill River at Market street, which was opened to the public in 1801." Ten years later, when they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, the same newspaper reported: "Mrs. Yost's grandfather was a nephew of Nathan Hale, the revolutionary martyr, and her grandfather, Samuel Robinson, built the first Market street bridge across the Schuylkill, opened for traffic in 1801." In August 1924, when the Yosts celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary, a Lancaster newspaper published a story about them in which it reported that "She is a direct descendant of Revolutionary stock, her grandfather being a nephew of Nathan Hale."

I have examined two genealogies of Nathan Hale's family, one prepared by Edward Everett Hale and published in 1856, the other prepared by Donald Lines Jacobus and published in 1952. According to both of these sources, Nathan Hale had eight brothers: Samuel, John, Joseph, Enoch, Richard, Billy, David, and Jonathan. None of them had sons named “Joseph”. Samuel never married. John had no children. Joseph had five daughters but no sons. Enoch had three sons: Nathan, Enoch, and Richard. Richard had three daughters but no sons. Billy had one son named “Billy”. David had one son named “David”. Jonathan died when less than a week old. Of the five nephews of Nathan Hale (Nathan, Enoch, Richard, Billy, and David), none had sons named “Joseph”. See the "Genealogy of the Family of Capt. Nathan Hale," by Edward Everett Hale, published in "Life of Captain Nathan Hale," by I. W. Stuart, Hartford: F.A. Brown, Second Edition, 1856; and "Hale, House and Related Families," by Donald Lines Jacobus, Hartford: The Connecticut Historical Society, 1952.

Incidentally, in an old book concerning the history of Philadelphia, there is an article about the construction of the first bridge across the Schuylkill River at Market Street. The principal people involved in its construction are named, but Samuel Robinson is not one of them. Perhaps he was one of the workmen and a comment that he helped build the bridge spawned the belief that he was the builder.

When the 1810 Census was taken, the only “Joseph Hale” in Pennsylvania was reported as a resident of Cedar Ward in the City of Philadelphia. He had the following persons in his household as of the first Monday in August 1810:
Males Females
Age over 45 - -
Age 26 to 45 1 1
Age 16 to 26 - -
Age 10 to 16 - -
Age under 10 2 1

See National Archives microcopy 252, roll 55, p 635. The number of persons and their ages reported in this census record are reasonably consistent with the Bible record of Joseph Hale's family:

Born Age
Joseph Hale 5 May 1776 34
Ruth Robinson Hale 2 Nov. 1785 24
Harriet Hale 30 Sep. 1803 6
Thomas Hale 30 Sep. 1807 2
Joseph Hale, Jr. 14 Jan. 1810 6 months

The Free Public Library at Philadelphia has a large collection of old city directories dating from 1785. We examined those for the years 1800–1851. Joseph Hale is listed for the first time in 1811. His name appears consistently until 1818. He is listed again in 1821, and either he or another Joseph Hale is listed in 1824. Then there is a gap until 1837. After 1841, his widow, Ruth's, name appears through 1850.

In these directories, Joseph Hale's occupation is variously listed as carter or laborer. He apparently moved from time to time and, based on the 1820 and 1830 Census records, was residing in Penn Township of Philadelphia County during those years. The table below shows, for each available year, the information given, including occupation and address:

Year Directory Publisher Listing
1808 James Robinson No listing for Joseph Hale
1809 James Robinson No listing for Joseph Hale
1810 James Robinson No listing for Joseph Hale
1811 James Robinson Joseph Hail, carter
George near Twelfth
1812 None available
1813 John A. Paxton Joseph Hail, labourer
George above Twelfth
1814 B. & T. Kite Joseph Hale, carter
George above Twelfth
1815 None available
1816 James Robinson Joseph Hale, carter
George above Twelfth
1817 James Robinson Joseph Hale, carter
George above Twelfth
1818 John Adams Paxton Joseph Hail, carter
back 399 Race
1819 None available
1820 None available

According to the 1820 Census of Pennsylvania, there were only two Hale house holds headed by men named “Joseph”. One of these was a Joseph Hale who resided in Catawissa Township of Columbia County. The other Joseph Hale resided in Penn Township of Philadelphia County, with the following persons in his household as of the first Monday in August 1820:

Males Females
Age over 45 1 -
Age 26 to 45 - 1
Age 16 to 26 - -
Age 10 to 16 - 1
Age under 10 2 2

See National Archives microcopy 33, roll 109, p 33. The number of persons and their ages is reasonably consistent with the Bible record of Joseph Hale's family:

Born Age
Joseph Hale 5 May 1776 44
Ruth Robinson Hale 2 Nov. 1785 34
Harriet Hale 30 Sep. 1803 16
Thomas Hale 30 Sep. 1807 12
Joseph Hale, Jr. 14 Jan. 1810 10
Rebecca Hale 18 Mar. 1813 7
David Hale 14 Oct. 1916 3
Hannah Hale 10 Jan. 1819 1

The only significant discrepancy is that the census record does not account for Thomas Hale, who would have been 12 years old. Perhaps he died between 1810 and 1820 or was living in someone else's household.

The Philadelphia City Directory, published by McCarthy & Davis in 1821, lists Joseph Hail, carter, residing on "Arch west of Schuylkill Third." This record would seem to indicated that Joseph Hale was back in the city in 1821. Perhaps. However, it is more probable that this address was based on information collected more than a year before the directory was published and before Joseph Hale moved to Penn Township of Philadelphia County.

Between 1823 and 1837, there is only one listing for a Joseph Hale—in 1824. Is this our Joseph Hale or another person? We do not know.

Year Directory Publisher Listing
1822 None available
1823 DeSilver None for Joseph Hale
1824 ? Joseph Hail, milkman
Abbot's Garden Gray's
Ferry Road
1825 Wilson None for Joseph Hale
1826 None available
1827 None available
1828 DeSilver None for Joseph Hale
1829 DeSilver None for Joseph Hale
1830 DeSilver None for Joseph Hale

According to the 1830 Census of Pennsylvania, there were three Hale households headed by men named “Joseph”. One of these was the Joseph Hale who resided in Catawissa Township of Columbia County. Another was a Joseph Hale (perhaps Joseph Hale, Jr.) who resided in Union Township of Berks County. The other Joseph Hale resided in Penn Township of Philadelphia County, with the following persons in his household as of June 1, 1830:
Males Females
Age 60 and over - -
50 to 60 1 -
40 to 50 - 1
30 to 40 - -
20 to 30 - -
15 to 20 - 1
10 to 15 - 1
5 to 10 1 2
0 to 5 - -

See National Archives microcopy FM 19, roll ____, p 182. The number of persons and their ages is reasonably consistent with the Bible record of Joseph Hale's family assuming that the older children not accounted for were no longer living in Joseph's household:
Not
Born Age Accounted For
Joseph Hale 5 May 1776 54
Ruth Robinson Hale 2 Nov. 1785 44
Harriet Hale 30 Sep. 1803 26 *
Thomas Hale 30 Sep. 1807 22 *
Joseph Hale, Jr. 14 Jan. 1810 20 *
Rebecca Hale 18 Mar. 1813 17
David Hale 14 Oct. 1916 13 *
Hannah Hale 10 Jan. 1819 11
Mary Hale 19 Jan. 1821 9
Martha Hale 19 Jan. 1821 9
Isaac Hale 28 Mar. 1823 7

Joseph Hale is not listed in any of the Philadelphia city directories until 1837 when two Joseph Hales are listed.

Year Directory Publisher Listing
1831 DeSilver None for Joseph Hale
1832 None available
1833 DeSilver None for Joseph Hale
1834 None available
1835–6 DeSilver None for Joseph Hale
1837 DeSilver Joseph Hale, lab.
South by Gray's Ferry Road
Joseph Hale, lab.
St. John Ab. Beaver
1838 None available
1839 A. M'Elroy Joseph Hale
Cedar op. Sch. Beach
Joseph Hale
526 North Second
1840 A. M'Elroy Ruth Hale, dealer
111 South Front

Since no index of the 1840 Census of Pennsylvania has yet been published, we will have to search the entire microfilm of the Philadelphia Census to locate his record. We have not yet had time to do this. However, we have searched the microfilm of Penn Township of Philadelphia County. He is not recorded in this township in 1840.

Joseph Hale died 4 March 1841. Thereafter, there is no directory listing of a Joseph Hale until 1847. The Ruth Hale who is listed in the directory is believed to be Joseph's widow.

Year Directory Publisher Listing
1841 A. M'Elroy Joseph Hale, lab.
Rear 4th N. Creek
1842 A. M'Elroy Ruth Hale
Cedar N. Sch. Beach
1843 None available
1844 A. M'Elroy Mrs. Ruth Hale
Cedar n. G. Ferry Road
1845 A. M'Elroy Mrs. Ruth Hale
Cedar n. G. Ferry Road
Ruth Hale
36 Coates al.
1846 Ruth Hale
36 Cedar ab. Ashton
1847 A. M'Elroy Joseph Hale, lab.
Alden ab. Poplar
Ruth Hale
36 Coates Al.
1848 A. M'Elroy Ruth Hale
Nichols Av.
1849 A. M'Elroy Ruth Hale
6 Courtlin Pl.
1850 A. McElroy Ruth Hale
6 Courtlin Pl.
1851 ? Joseph Hale, boatman
Alder ab. Girard Av.

Ruth Hale's name does not appear in the index to household heads in the 1850 Census. However, a “Ruth Haile”, age 55, was recorded in the household of John Hasson of Cedar Ward. Since our Ruth Hale would have been 64 when the 1850 Census was conducted, we do not know if this was our Ruth Hale. See National Archives microcopy 432, roll 812, p 88.

When the 1860 Census was taken, Ruth Robinson Hale was living with her daughter, Martha—who by then was married to her second husband, Jacob F. Ayres—at East Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. They probably resided at the small community of Spring Grove where a forge was located. The household consisted of:

Name Age Occupation
Jacob Ayers 65 Forgeman
Martha 35
John S. 21 Forgeman
Rebecca A. 4
Harriett M. 2
Martha E. 7/12
Ruth Hale 75

Since Martha was born in 1821, her age was actually 39 rather than 35, but the other ages jibe with Bible records. John S. was John Sharp, Martha's son by her earlier marriage, who was born 10 May 1838. The three younger children were daughters of Jacob and Martha. According to the census record, all these persons were born in Pennsylvania. Jacob Ayres owned no real estate, but his personal estate was valued at $120. Moreover, according to the census, he could neither read nor write. See National Archives original, v 35, p 5.

We are not certain where Ruth Robinson Hale is buried. Gravestones of Joseph Hale who died in 1841, his wife, Ruth, who died in 1867, their daughter, Martha, who died in 1897, and her second husband, Jacob Ayres, who died in 1881, are arranged side-by-side in the churchyard of Hibernia Methodist Church, West Brandywine Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. The old church was built about 1840 or 1841, approximately two miles north of Wagontown, probably to serve the families of the men who worked at Hibernia Iron Works. This iron works or furnace was erected in 1785 and abandoned in 1880. The site of the iron works, including the old Methodist church and its graveyard, are now part of Chester County's 721-acre Hibernia Park.

If Joseph Hale and his wife, Ruth, are actually buried beside Jacob and Martha Ayres, it is remarkable considering the span of time involved. The four markers are of the same size, design, and stone and the characters were apparently engraved by the same stonecutter. Mrs. William B. (Rhoda Yost) Russell recalls that her grandmother, Mrs. William (Julia Ann Sharp) Yost, told her she had replaced the original stones. Perhaps she did. On the other hand, perhaps the stones for Joseph and Ruth Hale represent memorials rather than grave markers. The Hale gravestones at Hibernia read:

Joseph Hale Ruth R. Hale
1776 - 1841 1785 - 1867

However, the record book of Ronaldson's Cemetery, a photostat copy of which is held by the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, contains an entry for Joseph Hale, who died 4 March 1841, age 73, of bronchitis. (See p. 164.) Between 1803 and 1854, the sextons of Philadelphia cemeteries filed reports with the Health Office listing decedent's name, date, and cause of death, age, attending physician and place of burial. These returns, now held by the Philadelphia Department of Records, include a report from the sexton of Ronaldson's Cemetery for Joseph Hale, who died 4 March 1841, age 55, of bronchitis. Attending physician was Dr. D. Harlan. While these two cemetery records and the Bible record differ as to age at death, they are almost certainly for the same person since it would seem too much a coincidence that more than one Joseph Hale died in Pennsylvania on the same date.

With respect to Ruth Robinson Hale, we have found no such conflicting records. However, we have not yet determined where she was residing in 1867. If Jacob Ayres had moved to Hibernia Iron Works from the forge at Spring Grove by 1867, it is probable that she was buried in Hibernia Methodist churchyard. If not, she probably is not buried there.

The Hales had at least nine children:

Harriet Hale
Thomas Hale
Joseph Hale, Jr.
Rebecca Hale
David Hale
Hannah Hale
Mary Hale = John Laird
Martha Hale = 1) John Sharp
= 2) Jacob F_____ Ayres
Isaac Hale

The Hales had at least nine children:

Harriet Hale
Thomas Hale
Joseph Hale, Jr.
Rebecca Hale
David Hale
Hannah Hale
Mary Hale = John Laird
Martha Hale = 1) John Sharp
= 2) Jacob F_____ Ayres
Isaac Hale

Joseph Hale Ruth R. Hale
1776 - 1841 1785 - 1867

The Hales had at least nine children:

Harriet Hale
Thomas Hale
Joseph Hale, Jr.
Rebecca Hale
David Hale
Hannah Hale
Mary Hale = John Laird
Martha Hale = 1) John Sharp
= 2)Joseph Hale Ruth R. Hale
1776 - 1841 1785 - 1867

The Hales had at least nine children:

Harriet Hale
Thomas Hale
Joseph Hale, Jr.
Rebecca Hale
David Hale
Hannah Hale
Mary Hale = John Laird
Martha Hale = 1) John Sharp
= 2) Jacob F_____ Ayres
Isaac Hale

Jacob F_____ Ayres
Isaac Hale