Family papers of the Hall Family of Hartford, Connecticut. Primarily correspondence, the collection includes letters written between Dr. Joseph Barnard Hall and his wife, Elizabeth "Beata" Wainwright Hall, before and during their marriage. Often letters were written while one of the pair was in Ashfield, Massachusetts, or in Fenwick, Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Dr. Hall was the medical director of Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance for many years. The couple's son, Joseph Talcott Hall, attended Kent School and Yale University, and regularly wrote to his parents during that time. While serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Joseph Talcott Hall corresponded with his wife, Gertrude Conklin Hall. The couple numbered their letters during this period. Other family members represented include Elizabeth Wainwright Hall's brother Col. Philip S. Wainwright and sister Mabel Wainwright, as well as members of the Conklin family. Additionally, the collection contains schoolwork by Elizabeth Wainwright Hall and Joseph T. Hall, property information, a Photostat of Gertrude Conklin Hall's application for membership in the Society of Colonial Dames, and information regarding several family members' estates. An account book found in the collection most likely dates from Dr. Joseph B. Hall's time in private practice. Other books include 12 volumes of journals kept by Elizabeth Wainwright Hall, several guest books (one contains an autograph from Count Ilya Tolstoy), a family recipe book, Gertrude Conklin Hall's garden club book and a travel diary can also be found. Joseph B. Hall's parents, Orvilla (Bassett) and Joseph Hall, supplied him with genealogical information. According to a family history recorded by Joseph Hall in 1890, the family can trace its roots to Mayflower passengers in two ways. Several family estate settlements and wills were passed down. Orvilla Hall preserved a lock of her son's hair from age four months.
