Susanna Boylston

Susanna Boylston Adams Hall was born on March 5, 1708, in Brookline, in the Province of Massachusetts Bay. She was the daughter of Peter Boylston (circa 1673–1743) and Anne White Boylston (1685–1772). Her paternal grandparents were Dr. Thomas Boylston and Mary Gardner Boylston, and her maternal grandparents were Benjamin White and Susanna Cogswell White. The Boylston family was regarded as one of the more prominent families in New England. Notable relatives included cousin Ward Nicholas Boylston, a benefactor of Harvard College, and uncle Zabdiel Boylston, a physician recognized for performing the first surgical operation by an American physician and for inoculating hundreds of Boston residents during a smallpox outbreak. Another relative, cousin Mary Boylston, was the mother of Mary Hallowell, who married John Elmsley, the Chief Justice of Upper Canada.

In 1734, Susanna married John Adams Sr. (1691–1761). There are limited personal records about her; her name appears infrequently in the written accounts of the Adams family. Historian David McCullough commented that no known writings of hers have survived, and it is suggested that she may have been illiterate, as others often read aloud to her. John Adams, her son, noted in his memoirs that both his parents were fond of reading, and he was taught to read early at home.

Susanna and John Adams Sr. had several children, including:

- John Adams (1735–1826), who became the second President of the United States.

- Peter Boylston Adams (1738–1823), a farmer and militia captain in Braintree, Massachusetts.

- Elihu Adams (1741–1775), a militia company commander during the American Revolution who died from dysentery.

Following her first husband's death, Susanna married Lieutenant John Hall on October 17, 1766. Lieutenant Hall was born in 1698 and died in 1780; reports indicate that he did not have a harmonious relationship with her adult children.

Susanna Boylston Adams Hall died in Quincy, Massachusetts, on April 21, 1797. Her death occurred approximately one month after her son John Adams assumed the presidency of the United States.