Mrs. Sarah Hall was born in Philadelphia October 30th, 1761, and died in
that city April 8th, 1830. She was the daughter of the Rev. John Ewing,
D.D., a member of the Ewing family of the Eighth district of this
county, and one of the most distinguished scholars and divines of his
time, and who was for many years Provost of the University of
Pennsylvania and pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of
Philadelphia.
Miss Ewing's early education was confined to learning to read and write,
and in acquiring a thorough knowledge of housewifery. In 1782 she
married John Hall, a member of the Hall family of the Eighth district,
and the newly wedded pair came to reside in the house near Rowlandville,
formerly owned by the late Commodore Conner, and now occupied by his son
P.S.P. Conner.
It was while residing in this old mansion, surrounded by the picturesque
scenery of the Octoraro hills, that she wrote the poem entitled "Sketch
of a Landscape," which no doubt was inspired by the beauty of the
surrounding scenery and the fine view of the "Modest Octoraro," which
may be had from the porch of the old historic mansion in which she
resided.
After a residence of about eight years in Cecil county the family
removed to Philadelphia, where Mr. Hall successively filled the offices
of Secretary of the Land Office, and United States Marshal for the
District of Pennsylvania. The family returned to Maryland in 1805, and
resided on Mr. Hall's paternal estate for about six years.
Mrs. Hall's literary career commenced with the publication of her
writings in the _Port Folio_, a literary magazine published in
Philadelphia about the beginning of this century, and of which her son,
John E. Hall, subsequently became the editor. She soon attained high
rank as a magazine writer, and, until the time of her death, occupied a
position second to none of the female writers of this country.
Mrs. Hall is best known in the literary world by her book entitled
"Conversations on the Bible." It was written after she was fifty years
of age and the mother of eleven children, and was so popular as to
astonish its author by the rapidity of its sale.