Forward:
John Hail/Hale, Revolutionary War Soldier

Family historians usually know of others who are researching the same surnames and ask them to collaborate. In 2011, I learned of Mrs. Nadine “Muriel” Hale Lynch who had written a book about her Hale family of Bledsoe County, TN. Since I knew that the Miser and Hale family from whom I descend had lived in Bledsoe County, TN, (before they moved to Arkansas), I contacted Mrs. Lynch and purchased the last copy of her book at that time. There is at least one copy in the Bledsoe County Public Library in Pikeville, Bledsoe County, TN.

“Spanning the Centuries of Time with the Hale Family”
by
Murial “Nadine” Hale Lynch
Arrow Printing Company
June 1990, 397 Pages
Summarized by Mary Fern Souder
2022-2023

Mrs. Lynch's book included a complete transcription of the pension application of John Hail/Hale, plus several additional pages of information she obtained in the Revolutionary War Pension Archives.

In reviewing Ms. Lynch’s book, along with online census records and land records, I immediately noticed times that the Hales and Misers had lived very close to each. The information presented in Ms. Lynch’s book was essential in formulating my theory about the children of the Revolutionary War veteran. John Hail/Hale. Her research in Bledsoe County spanned several decades and the book she wrote is truly a monument to the extended Hail/Hale family.

The Revolutionary War application of John Hale has also been transcribed and posted by Will Graves at:
https://revwarapps.org/s1765.pdf

The first part of the upcoming section will be a synopsis of the information in Mrs. Lynch’s book, interspersed with personal observations. The book included a transcription of the entire pension application of the Revolutionary War veteran, John Hail/Hale, plus several additional pages that were not included in the online transcription by Will Graves.

John Hale’s 1833 pension application gave a running account of his birth ca. 1773 or 1774 in Bedford County, TN, his five tours of service as a private in the Colonial Army of Virginia, and his travels after his discharge. Following is an account of the places he lived:

1753 or 1754: Born in Bedford County, VA
1776-1783: Served five tours in the Revolutionary War from Bedford County, VA
1783: Discharged
1783: Wythe County, VA, for a few months
1784: Greene County, TN, for about two years
1786: Washington County, TN, near ten years
1795: Blount County, TN, for about two years (Blount County records show five years)
1804: Bledsoe County, TN: At the time of his pension application (in 1833) he had lived "over 20 years in Bledsoe County, TN."
He died in Bledsoe County, TN, between 1840-1843.

The above dates where John Hail/Hale lived were taken from his memory and probably not entirely correct. In case the above dates are off by a few years, possible marriages for this John Hail/Hale could correspond to the times he lived in the following counties:

1. John Hail, b. 1753-54. + Unknown, ca. 1773, VA

2. John Hail/Hale/Hall, + Mary Hail/Hale/ Hall, 17 Aug 1793, Wythe County, VA.

(The above marriage bond was almost unreadable and county officials gave three online permutations for the spelling for both the bride and groom: Hale, Hail, and Hall.) Perhaps the date was also unreadable, but it would need to be dated 1783 (not 1793) for it to be the marriage of the following John Hall who first maried Mary Hail/Hale. John Hall's first wife (Mary Hail/Hale) needed to be deceased before 1830, with him remarried, and enumerated with John Hale, Sr., and John Hall, Sr., on page 228 of 1830 census in Bledsoe County, TN: (This is a lot of hoops to jump through.)

1830 Census, Bledsoe County, TN, page 228:
John Hall (40-50); 5 children and a young wife (20-30), and probably his second marriage
Revolutionary War veteran John Hale, Sr., (70-80); wife same age
John Hall, Sr., (60-70), wife same age

3. John Hail + Sarah Lauderdale, 19 Oct 1801, Greene County, TN

4. John Hale + Elizabeth Wiley, 6 November 1820, Blount County, TN. Our Hail/Hale family had left Blount County before 1815, and moved to McMinn County, TN, before moving to Bledsoe County, TN. However, Alexander Hale and his family stayed in Blount County until after 1860. Alexander Hale had a son named John Hale.

5. John Hale + Elizabeth Smith, 8 Sept 1825, Washington County, TN, Jonathan Maltby, M.G. The Smith family was highly intermarried with the Hail/Hale family. However, since land records show that John Hail/Hale, Sr., Revolutionary War veteran, arrived in Bledsoe County, TN, by 1822, he would have had to return to Washington County, TN, for this marriage to be fohim.

The present study did not attempt any examination of other records in Greene County, TN, or Washington County, TN, and it would be a good idea to search Hail/Hale records in those counties.

6. John Hail/Hale, Revolutionary War Veteran, + Unknown Woman, married bet. 1831-1840. On the 1840 census in Bledsoe County, TN, she was age 60-70 and he was age 86. (No marriage record.)

Since the 1830 census for Revolutionary War veteran, John Hale, shows the only other occupant in his home was a female his same age, it is assumed that she was his wife. John Hale’s 1833 pension application said he had no “documentary widow,” which either meant that she had died, or else that it was not possible to document their marriage date and place with an affidavit. However, the 1840 census showed a female at least a decade younger than he, and his probate mentioned an (unnamed) widow.

Observation:
In 1830 in Bledsoe County, TN, John Hale, Jr. lived near the Revolutionary War veteran, John Hale, Sr., on page 228 of the census. However, in 1840 this John Hale, (Jr.), still lived near his former neighbors, while Revolutionary War veteran John Hail, Sr., had moved to live near another presumed son, Robert Hail, (father of Mary Polly Hale who married John L. (5/3) Miser).

In 1830, Mary Polly Hale and her husband, John L. (5/3) Miser, lived one household away from her father, the above Robert Hale, in Bledsoe County, TN.

Since John Hail/Hail could not read or write, (as evidenced by his "X" mark on the Revolutionary War application), and did not leave a Will, the children who are attributed to him (with the exception of John T. Hail/Hale, Jr.), are based on family legend, and proximity to him on census or other court records. Mrs. Lynch's book includes two sons:

John (T.) Hale, Jr. born ca. 1787, md. Martha Jane Tate
Children:
Thomas Hale, b. 1787, md. Jerusha V. Smith, sister of Susan P. Smith
William Hale, b. 10 Apr 1813 md. Susan P. Smith
Isham Hale, b. 1819, md. Nancy Tucker
Hezekiah Hale, b. 1824
King (or King Hezekiah) Hale, b. 1826, md. Martha Jane Tucker
Martha Jane Hale, b. 1828, md. Moses Morris Tucker
Acquilla Hale, b. 1833, md. Matilda Swofford

Thomas Hale, born 790, md. Mary Ann (Unknown)
Children:
Elizia Hale, b. 1790, md. Mary Ann Agee
John N. Hale, b. 5 Nov 1814, md. Mary Ann Nichols
Andrew Jackson Hale, b. 1820 md. Mary Wyatt & Eliz. Selby
Sarah Hale, b. 1823, md. John Rector
Arvazena Hale, b. 1824, md. Alfred Hyder
Elizabeth Hale, b. 1828, md. Luke Lay
Thomas Hale,b . 1829, md. Sarah Ann Low & Susan Evans
Mary Ann Hale, b. 1832, md. Richard Lay
Michael Hale, b. 1838, md. Susannah (Unknown)

I have placed for following additional persons as children of John Hail/Hale, Revolutionary War veteran. Placing Isham Hale as the son of John Hail/Hail would require a second, younger wife:

*Note that I am not mentioning the John Hail/Hale/Hall who married Mary Hail/Hale/Hall on 17 Augusut 1793, in Wythe County, TN, because at the time of John Hale's Revolutionary War pension application, he said he had left Wythe County 12 years previous to the date of that marriage. Nonetheless, several Trees have placed the Revolutionary War veteran, John Hale, and married to Mary Hail in 1793.

1. Elizabeth "Betsy" Hale, born 27 April 1779 in Blount County, TN, who married John (4/8) Miser ca. 1797 in Blount County, TN.

2. Robert Hale, b. ca. 1783, VA, whose daughter, Mary Polly Hale married John L. (5/3) Miser.

3. Isham Hale, b. ca. 1800 + Unknown, born ca. 1800, Blount Cunty, TN, 1843 administrator of the Will of John Hail, Revolutionary War veteran. Presumed son Isham Hale who bought land in 1822 in Bledsoe County, TN, on which John Hail was occupying. This Isham Hale was in Bledsoe County, TN, in 1830. Isham Hale is presumed to be the same man who lived in Marion County, TN, in 1840. He cannot be located after 1840.

County census records in Bledsoe County in 1830, 1840, 1850, and 1860, list the above John T. Hale, (Jr.), as simply John Hale. Perhaps he signed a legal document using his middle initial or, more likely, his descendants knew his middle name. (I will continue calling him John T. Hale in order to be consistent with Mrs. Lynch’s designation.)

Beginning before 1840 there was a steady exodus of Hale descendants from Bledsoe County, TN, that continued for many years. Some simply moved to other counties in Tennessee, but others moved to Arkansas, Alabama, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. Thomas B. Hale, born 1842 (son of William Isaac and Susan P. Smith) and his wife Jerusha Swafford, left Bledsoe County, and went to Texas. The first weekend in August a family reunion is held in Texas for descendants of the Hale, Bagwell and Swafford families. In 1989 they had their 61st annual reunion.

Mrs. Lynch’s book, published in 1990, contains relevant information regarding the pension informatin of John Hale on pages 1-17. Pages 18-27 highlight the two sons of John T. Hale, Jr.: Thomas Hale and William Hale. Family histories, vintage family photos, biographies, land records, and accounts of family reunions appear on pages 28-299. These were lovingly compiled and submitted by current Hail/Hale descendants who lived in (or still had connections to) Bledsoe County, TN. Pages 300-375 give a descendency pedigree for the two sons of John T. Hale: Thomas Hale and William Hale.

A quote from Ms. Lynch’s book, page 7:

“It is said that the John N. Hale’s originally came from Buncombe County, NC,* and that he and his new bride left there and came to Pikeville, Tennessee. They named all but one of their children biblical names: Rebecca, James, Elijah, Elisha (twins), John, Isaac and Sarah. . . Many lived into their 90’s. The average age of their sons at death was 86 years and six months.”

John Newton Hale was b. 1814 in Bledsoe County, TN, and died there in 1881. Census records from 1850 to 1880 show his birthplace as Tennessee. His wife, Mary A. “Polly” Nichols was born in SC.

Mrs. Lynch descends from the Hail family of Bledsoe County, TN, but was unable to link her earliest known ancestor, the above John Newton Hale, born 1814 in TN, husband of Mary A. “Polly” Nichols, born 1817 SC, back to his father. More recent researchers have placed John N. (Newton) Hale as the son of Thomas Hale (1791-aft 1860) and wife Mary Ann Unknown.

*Comments by Mary Fern Souder regarding Elish Kirklin/Kirkland one of the character witnesses for the Revolutionary War pension of John Hail/Hail, Elisha Kirklin/Kirkland:

“He (John Hale) states that he is known in his present neighborhood to John Budgmon (Bridgeman) Esquire, Merchant of Pikeville, Elishor (Elisha) Kirklen, Esquire, Merchant, Eli Thurman, sheriff of Bledsoe County, and James A. Whiteside, Attorney at Law, who can testify to his characters (sic) for veracity and their beliefs of his services as a soldier of the Revolution."

In most cases of obtaining references, one chooses the most prominent and well known persons within his or her acquaintance. In 1830 Elisha Kirklin owned eight slaves. On the 1836 property list in Bledsoe County, TN, Elisha Kirklin had property valued at $2,070, and slaves valued at $3,000. He paid $9.00 in tax. On the 1839 tax list in Bledsoe County, Elisha Kirklin managed 2,000 acres of school land valued at $400, owned a farm valued at $1,500, and owned seven slaves valued at $4,200. In 1840 he had 14 slaves.

*Some say that Elisha Kirkland’s daughter, Jane Kirkland, married Richard Hail, which may be true. The couple can be seen next to his father, Robert Hail, on the 1840 census in Bledsoe County, TN, where they are listed on the same page as the Revolutionary War veteran, John Hail. Richard and Jane Kirkland Hail/Hale allegedly went to Henry County, IA.

*However, other researchers state that the above Richard Hale was a descendant of Revolutionary War veteran Simon Hale, born 1753 in Isle of Wright County, VA. Simon Hale did have a descendant named Richard Hale, but some online Trees have blended the descendants of Revolutionary War veterans John Hail/Hale and Simon Hale. (It is doubtful that Simon Hale, born 1753 in Isle of Wright County, VA, was related to John Hale, born 1753-54 in Bedford County, TN.)

Between the time between Muriel Nadine Hale Lynch published her book in 1990 and before 2022, an incorrect pedigree was published online at GENi for the Revolutionary War veteran, John Hale of Bledsoe County, TN. Commentary regarding the incorrect pedigree is contained in the following link, and the information regarding John Hail/Hale will corrected in the Study of John Hail/Hale.

A Misattribution for the Pedigree of John Hale of Bledsoe County, TN

Also of interest to those who descend from our family are two volumes written about the Swafford Family: “Swaffords of Sequatchie Valley, Tennessee,” Volumes 1 and 2, both Third Editions, 1990, by Ray C. Swofford. These volumes trace the eight known sons of Peter James Swafford, born ca. 1725 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, who married Rennie Howard, born ca. 1735 in Dublin, Ireland. There were no known daughters.

Volume 1 contains 603 pages, plus index, and recounts information about sons Jacob, Paul (who moved to Northern Georgia and has not been traced), John, Abraham and Isaac Swafford. Volume 2 contains 1415 pages, plus index, and recounts information about sons Aaron, Thomas and William Swafford.

Neither Elizabeth “Betsy” Swafford who married Michael (5/1) Miser nor Mary "Polly" Swafford who married George Washington (5/4) Miser are listed in the Swafford books, but both are named in the Miser books.

Deepest gratitude is extended to Muriel Nadine Hale Lynch for her many years of Hale research and to all who contributed to her book. Her research provided the background and the impetus for my reserch on John Hail/Hale, Revolutionary War veteran.

Current valuable contributions were made by Carolyne L. Knight, Certified Public Library Manager, who is also a Tennessee Certified Archives Manager, as well as the Director of the Bledsoe County, TN, Library; sbogle at the Blount County, TN, Library; Kim at the Midwest Genealogy Library in Independence, MO; lontgime Hale researchers, Mike and Darla Terry; The Rev. Melvin Coffelt, The Pea Ridge (AR) Graphic, Mary K. Pitts, the late Joe Neal Pitts, the late Miss Elizabeth Parham Robnett, in addition to numerous Miser/Hale family historians who are named in the attached Miser DNA Study.