I began researching my family history in the mid 1990's and have focused for the last decade on those Hall ancestors who were in that part of Taunton, Bristol County, Massachusetts that became Raynham in 1731, beginning with Samuel Hall (1656-1716), son of the emigrant ancestor, Edward Hall of Rehoboth, Massachusetts.

There were 2 Samuel Halls near the same age in Taunton, one being the Samuel Hall mentioned above, who married Abigail Pratt, and the other Samuel who was born in 1664, married Elizabeth Bourne, and was a grandson of George Hall of Taunton. The Hall families were not related.

David B. Hall, in his book The Halls of New England, published in 1883, thoroughly confused the wives and children of these 2 Samuel Halls and those errors continued to be carried over into other published work ... even today!

The original Town of Raynham Cemetery, now known as the Pleasant Street Cemetery, consisted of one acre, 8 rods that was deeded to the town of Raynham on July 4, 1737 by Jonathan Hall (1686-1750), a son of Samuel Hall (1656-1716), son of Edward Hall, the emigrant ancestor.

The early Hall burials, beginning with Samuel and his family are in the Hall Plot in present day Pleasant Street Cemetery, the part that would have been the original Hall Burial Ground and included in the 1 acre, 8 rods deeded to the town in 1737.