John Lesslie Hall
Encyclopedia
John Lesslie Hall also known as J. Lesslie Hall, was an American literary scholar and poet known for his translation of Beowulf
.
Born in Richmond, Virginia
, the son of Jacob Hall, Jr., Hall attended Randolph-Macon College
and received a PhD from Johns Hopkins University
. He taught English history and literature at the College of William and Mary
from 1888 to 1928 (becoming head of
the English department and dean of the faculty, and receiving an honorary LLD
in 1921); he "was one of the original members of the faculty which reopened the college in 1888." He was also concerned with the history of his native Virginia; he frequently spoke at Jamestown
and "compared Jamestown's Great Charter of 1618 and the assembly of 1619 with the Magna Charta at Runnymede."
In 1889 he married Margaret Fenwick Farland, of Tappahannock, Virginia
. Their children were Channing Moore Hall, John L. Hall Jr., Joseph Farland Hall, and Sarah Moore Hall.
Beowulf
Beowulf , but modern scholars agree in naming it after the hero whose life is its subject." of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature.It survives in a single...
.
Born in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, the son of Jacob Hall, Jr., Hall attended Randolph-Macon College
Randolph-Macon College
Randolph–Macon College is a private, co-educational liberal arts college located in Ashland, Virginia, United States, near the capital city of Richmond. Founded in 1830, the school has an enrollment of over 1,200 students...
and received a PhD from Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
. He taught English history and literature at the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
from 1888 to 1928 (becoming head of
the English department and dean of the faculty, and receiving an honorary LLD
Legum Doctor
Legum Doctor is a doctorate-level academic degree in law, or an honorary doctorate, depending on the jurisdiction. The double L in the abbreviation refers to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both Canon Law and Civil Law, the double L indicating the plural, Doctor of both...
in 1921); he "was one of the original members of the faculty which reopened the college in 1888." He was also concerned with the history of his native Virginia; he frequently spoke at Jamestown
Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia. Established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607 , it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke...
and "compared Jamestown's Great Charter of 1618 and the assembly of 1619 with the Magna Charta at Runnymede."
In 1889 he married Margaret Fenwick Farland, of Tappahannock, Virginia
Tappahannock, Virginia
Tappahannock is the oldest town in Essex County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,068 at the 2000 census. Located on the Rappahannock River, Tappahannock is the county seat of Essex County...
. Their children were Channing Moore Hall, John L. Hall Jr., Joseph Farland Hall, and Sarah Moore Hall.
Selected works
- (tr.) Beowulf: An Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem (D. C. Heath, 1897)
- Judas: A Drama in Five Acts (H.T. Jones, 1894)
- (tr.) Judith, Phœnix, and Other Anglo-Saxon Poems (Silver, Burdett and company, 1902)
- Old English Idyls (Ginn & Company, 1899), original poems in the style of Old English verse
- Half-hours in Southern History (B. F. Johnson Publishing Co., 1907)
- English Usage: Studies in the History and Uses of English Words and Phrases (Scott, Foresman and Company, 1917)
External links
- John Lesslie Hall Papers, 1885-1928 at the Special Collections Research Center of the College of William and Mary