William Wood Hall was born 23 May 1832 in Hopes Rough, Much Cowarne, Herefordshire, England, United Kingdom to William Hall (1790-1841) and Francis Wood (1795-1862) and died 23 December 1891 Snowville, Box Elder County, Utah, United States of unspecified causes. He married Almira Jane Reid (1840-1912) 3 October 1858 in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. He married Sophronia Priscilla Reid (1842-1870) 1863 .
William Wood Hall - English Immigrant to America and Convert to Mormonism.
Vital Statistics
- Father: William Hall (1790-1841) -
- Mother: Francis Wood (1795-1862) -
- 1832-May-23 : Birth at Hopes Rough, Much Cowarne, Herefordshire, England
- 1855 : Migration to America
- 1858-Oct-03 : Marriage (1) to Almira Jane Reid (1840-1912) - at Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa
- 1861: 1 June - Left Florence, Nebraska with the David H. Cannon company to travel across the plains to Utah, settled in Southern Idaho.
- 1863 : Marriage (2) to Sophronia Priscilla Reid (1842-1870) - younger sister of Almira Jane.
- 1891-Dec-23 : Died in Snowville, Box Elder, Utah, USA
Biography
Born in Hopes Rough, Much Cowarne, Herefordshire, England
Migration to America, he settles in Iowa near the residence of his step brother, Samuel Badham, another Mormon English immigrant and veteran of the Mormon Battalion. While living in this area he meets Almira Jane Reid. A lot of these events and their migration to Utah are recorded in her diary.
- Biography of William Wood Hall - FamilySearch
1855 Migration to America
William’s older brother Henry died in England in 1852, when William would have been about 20 years old. Three years later, by age 23, William had somehow secured enough for passage to come to America. He left England on 9 Feb 1855 on the ship ‘New World’ and landed in New York City on 17 Mar 1855.
Sarah Fronk tells us: “He worked wherever he could get work and finally in Ohio he got work from (a Mormon) John Hendeson Reid (1815-1862) ( (who built log cabins and made shingles}, and boarded at his home. That is where he became acquainted with my grandmother Almira Jane Reid (1840-1912).”
1861 Wagon Train

This family were participants in the David Cannon 1861 Pioneer Company, a 79 day wagon train traveling from Florence (now Omaha, Nebraska) to Salt Lake City in the early summer. It was the first of 12 such wagon trains of the year. It was a large train of 68 wagons and nearly 300 passengers led by a young 23-year old missionary returning home from England, Elder David H Cannon. Several diary/biographical accounts exist.

Gravestone of William W Hall (1832-1891) in Snowville Cemetery. The Date is incorrect
He was buried on Christmas Day, 1891 in Snowville Cemetery.
Marriage and Family
- Sophronia Almira Hall (1865-1921) - 2nd wife to Hyrum Edwards (son of Patriarch Charles Edwards, a mormon immigrant convert from Derbyshire England - see page 544, The Millenial Star, Liverpool), and married twice to John Phillips
- Cumorah Angus Hall (1867-1918) - m. Elna Christensen
- William Tracy Hall (1869-1901) - m. Susan Edwards, daughter of Hyrum Edwards above and his first wife (Elizabeth Coltrin) and also granddaughter to Zebedee Coltrin.
- Ether Mahonri Hall (1872-1893) - died at age 21 in Salt Lake City.
- Alphonso Prentiss Hall (1874-1913) - m. Ellen Gilskey
- Septema Ann Hall (1877-1877) - Died young
- John Wood Hall (1880-1907) - m. Susan Edwards also, died at age 24 in drowning accident in Taber, Alberta
Other Sealings
- Sealed in 1889 to his wife's sister Sophronia Priscilla Reid (1842-1870) and her daughter from her 2nd marriage : Sophronia Permelia Hall (1864-1870). Not married in mortality.
Children
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Sophronia Permelia Hall (1864-1870) | 1 December [[]] Ogden, Weber County, Utah | 26 February [[]] |
Siblings
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Henry Hall (1830-1852) | April 1830 Hopes Rough, Much Cowarne, Herefordshire, England, United Kingdom | 28 September 1857 West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom | |
William Wood Hall (1832-1891) | 23 May 1832 Hopes Rough, Much Cowarne, Herefordshire, England, United Kingdom | 23 December 1891 Snowville, Box Elder County, Utah, United States | Almira Jane Reid (1840-1912) Sophronia Priscilla Reid (1842-1870) |
James Hall (1836-1909) | 1836 Hopes Rough, Much Cowarne, Herefordshire, England, United Kingdom | 17 March 1909 Wednexbury, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom | Sarah Saunders (1839-) |
Hannah Hall (1836-1903) | 25 February 1837 Hopes Rough, Much Cowarne, Herefordshire, England, United Kingdom | 1903 Herefordshire, England, United Kingdom | John Breeze (1830-1903) |
Legacy
- Lewis J Phillips (1923-1945) - gson - died in Europe at the end of World War II.
Vital Records
1861 Cannon Wagon Train
From the Journal of Bartlett Tripp - Entry for Friday - June 7th. Census of 61 wagons shows Eldridges and Halls sharing one wagon, during their overland journey from Nebraska to Utah.
(Friday - June 7th) "Came out about 7½ - 2½ mi to Ferry at Columbus swam the loose stock—Teams commenced crossing at 9 and were all across at 5. P.M.—Ferry extends about half way across the river. boat coming to the shore on the east side leaving a long distance on the west side to be forded—Quick sand forms it [at] bottom which renders the fording very difficult for loaded wagons—most passed with little difficulty. some teams afraid of the water—In camp near the west bank of the Fork with plenty of water and wood—a very fine Spring about ¾ of a mile from camp[.] our team came in today which raises our number to 61 wagons—They are as follows[:]"
A) Thomas Eldridge & wife. 3 chil. Wm. Hall. wife & 1 child[,] Sophronia Barlow. Mary Davis. 2 oxen. 4 cows. 1 wag.
1870 US Census
Taken in the community of East Weber, Weber Co, Utah - 03-July-1870.
- William Hall (M-38) Ocp: Farmer / born in England
- A Jane Hall (F-30) - born in Illinois
- Joseph S A Hall (M-14) - born in Iowa
- Sophronia Hall (F-5) - born in Utah
- C M A Hall (M-3) (Cumorah Angus) - born in Utah
- William Hall (M-5mo) - born in Utah
- Amelia Savage (F-18) - daughter of English family living next door, probably helping with the children
- John Stifle (M-28) - ocp: Railroad Hand
1880 US Census
Taken at Carlew Valley, Oneida Co, Idaho.
- William Hall (M-48 / Father)
- Almira Hall (F-40 / Mother)
- Sophronia Hall (F-15)
- Lumorah Hall (M-13)
- William F. Hall (M-10)
- Ether Hall (M-8)
- Alphonzo Hall (M-5)
- A. R. Prentiss (M-55) - Almira's Uncle
Journal Addendum by Sarah Phillips Fronk
Sarah wrote concluding remarks to the journal of Almira Jane Reid to describe how she passed away. She also relates how William's son (William Wood Hall) had cut his eye when Sarah was very young. Then she gives a different age for William when his father died - it is the last sentence in the entire record. Also, Grandpa (William Wood Hall) only had one eye, he was cutting down hop vines from around the house. In place of cutting down, he cut up and the knife went in his eye and the sight run out. I was too little to remember which eye. Grandpa (William Wood Hall) was only eight years old when his father died.
References
- LucasCountyan Blog - Story of Almira and her family in Iowa.
- Gravesite of W.W. Hall - FindAGrave Memorial #57022280