Fanny Hall

Little is known about Fanny Hall’s birth and early life, but she became a key member of the Tyler household sometime during the 1840s. Letters exchanged between Tyler family members reveal that Hall served as First Lady Julia Tyler’s lady’s maid at the White House. A lady’s maid was one of the most important roles on a first lady’s domestic staff. They oversaw her wardrobe and appearance, which typically included dressing them, preparing and mending clothing and accessories, and styling their hair. They traveled with the presidential party and waited on the first lady as needed.¹ 

After leaving the White House, Fanny’s husband, Tony Hall, died from cancer in 1845 and was buried at Sherwood Forest, the Tyler’s plantation in Virginia. Still, Julia relied heavily on Fanny, so much so that her husband John described Fanny as Julia’s “right hand in all that relates to her chamber.”² Hall likely also helped care for young children of the Tyler families. She accompanied John and Julia Tyler to the Peace Conference in Washington, D.C. in 1861, where the former president hoped that a compromise on slavery could prevent a civil war. When this failed, Tyler threw his support behind the Confederacy and was elected to the Confederate House of Representatives. In early 1862, he traveled to Richmond, Virginia, to take his seat but died before he could take his oath.³ Julia later recollected traveling to Richmond “with old nurse Fanny, and the baby,” which suggests Hall was present for Tyler’s death.⁴

In his will, John Tyler asked Julia to “take good care of my faithful servants William Short and Fanny Hall so that their old age may be rendered comfortable,” but he did not free either of them.⁵ The Civil War brought Fanny and many others their freedom, but there is little else known about her life post-emancipation. According to research produced by Sherwood Forest, Hall may be recorded in the 1880 Census in Kempsville, Virginia, as “Fanny Hall” age 90 is listed on the same page as Victoria Short Brown, who was also enslaved by the Tylers.⁶