Like his elder brother Ebenezer Hall, Joshua was apprenticed to John Roberts, a Sheffield silversmith and was living with John Roberts and his wife Sarah in Shrewsbury Road, Sheffield at the time of the 1841 Census. Joshua married Elizabeth Moore on 20th December 1847. Elizabeth (born on 9th September 1815 in Middleton-by-Wirksworth) was the eldest daughter of Caleb Moore, the Middleton coal merchant, and Hannah Spencer.

Joshua and Elizabeth had four children:

Ebenezer Albert Hall, born on 26th March 1849 in Sheffield, died on 23rd April 1880 in Sheffield, married Elizabeth Harwood (born in 1848) on 31st December 1874 Job Frank Hall, born on 15th May 1851 in Sheffield, died 1919, married (1) Mary Emma Turner, (2) Charlotte ? Mary A Hall, born around 1854 Lydia Elizabeth Hall, born around 1856 in Sheffield, married a Mr. Wharam

By 1851 Joshua and Elizabeth were living at 157 South Street, Sheffield Park, with their son, Ebenezer Albert Hall aged two, Joshua's brother Job Hall, aged 25, and his three year old niece Agnes Hall. Joshua and Job were both employed as silversmiths.

By 1857 Joshua had become a partner in Martin, Hall & Company, because on 31st October 1857 a patent, no. 2769, for a steam stamp was taken out in the names of R. Martin, Ebenezer Hall and Joshua Hall. In 1859 William Monks was bound apprentice to 'Richard Martin, Ebenezer Hall, and Joshua Hall, of Sheffield afore-said, Silver Platers and Co-Partners in Trade carrying on business under the Style or Firm of Martin, Hall and Company'. The space where Joshua Hall should have signed is blank - was this because of illness?

The 1861 Census records Joshua, Elizabeth and their four children living in Fitzwalter House, Norfolk Road, Sheffield Park, with Elizabeth's sister Sarah Moore and Joshua's brother David, then aged 18.

Joshua died on 12th June 1861 in Sheffield and was buried in Sheffield General Cemetery on 17th June. His brother David died of tuberculosis at Middleton-by-Wirksworth on 16th July 1861 and is buried in his parent's grave in the churchyard of Holy Trinity Church. Joshua's widow Elizabeth survived him for more than 30 years, the 1871 Census records that her unmarried sisters Sarah and Mabel Moore were staying with her at Fitzwalter House and she appears to have lived in Sheffield Park until at least 1881. At the time of the 1891 Census Elizabeth and her unmarried sister Sarah Moore were staying with her son Job Frank Hall, then a widower, in Abbey Lane, Eccleshall Bierlow.

Sources:

St Mary's Wirksworth baptism register 1841 Census for Shrewsbury Road, Sheffield (HO 107/1336/7 folio 22) 1851 Census for Sheffield Park (HO 107/2341 folio 304R) 1861 Census for Sheffield Park (RG 9/3493 folio 117R) 1871 Census for Sheffield Park (RG 10/4689 folio 133R) 1881 Census for Sheffield Park (RG 11/4655 folio 123V) 1891 Census for Eccleshall Bierlow (RG 12/3812 folio 23R) 'Ebenezer Hall' by Joan Lacy-Hatton, Local History Section, Sheffield Central Library 'The Grand Old Man of Abbeydale Ebenezer Hall J.P.', Local History Section, Sheffield Central Library Sheffield General Cemetery Burial Register