William Hall
Encyclopedia
William Nelson Hall VC
(25 April 1827 – 27 August 1904) was the first black person, first Nova Scotia
n, and third Canadian
to receive the Victoria Cross
. He received the medal for his actions in the Siege of Lucknow
.
slave owners in Maryland
during the War of 1812
and were brought to freedom in Nova Scotia by the British Royal Navy
as part of the Black Refugee
movement. The Halls first lived in Summerville, NS
where Jacob worked in a shipyard operated by Abraham Cunard
until they bought a farm across the Avon River at Horton Bluff. Hall first worked in shipyards at nearby Hantsport, Nova Scotia
, before going to sea at the age of seventeen. He sailed first on merchant ships based out of the Minas Basin
including the barque
Kent of Kentville, Nova Scotia
.
from 1847 to 1849. He served for a time aboard the USS Ohio
alongside John Taylor Wood
, who later supported Hall's US Navy pension claim.
Hall volunteered for the British Royal Navy
in February 1852, serving at first aboard HMS Rodney
. Hall fought in the Crimean War
serving ashore in a naval brigade from Rodney at the battles of Inkerman
and Sebastapol in 1854.
When the Indian Mutiny broke out in May 1857, Hall was on HMS Shannon
en route to China
. She was intercepted and ordered to Calcutta (since renamed Kolkata
). A Shannon Brigade was formed of several gunners, sailors, and marines, under Captain William Peel. The ship was towed over 600 miles up the Ganges River
to Allahabad
. Then the force fought across country to Campbell's headquarters at Cawnpore and were in time to take part in the Siege of Lucknow
.
, India
, naval guns were brought up close to the Shah Nujeff mosque, and the gun crews kept up a steady fire in an attempt to breach and clear the walls, while a hail of musket balls and grenades from the mutineers inside the mosque caused heavy casualties. Able Seaman Hall and Lieutenant Thomas James Young
, the battery's commander, were eventually the only survivors, all the rest having been killed or wounded, and between them they loaded and served the last gun. His citation reads:
in 1859 and on October 28, 1859, he was presented with the Victoria Cross by Rear Admiral Charles Talbot
while Donegal was anchored at Queenstown Harbour
. Hall rose to the rating of Petty Officer
First Class in HMS Royal Adelaide
by the time he retired in 1876. He returned to his home village in Horton Bluff where he ran a small farm until his death in 1904.
where his grave is marked by a monument at the Baptist church. The Royal Canadian Legion in Hantsport is named "The Lucknow Branch" in honour of his Victoria Cross action. Hall's Victoria Cross was repatriated from Britain in 1967 by the government of Nova Scotia
and is on permanent display at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
in Halifax. Hall is also featured in exhibits at the Halifax Citadel
and at the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia
.
Canada Post commemorated William Hall on a stamp, first issued on February 1, 2010 in Hantsport, Nova Scotia and officially launched at the Black Cultural Centre on February 2, 2010. Hall was designated a Nationally Historic Person by the Canadian Historic Sites and Monuments Board at Hantsport on October 8, 2010 and a new plaque was unveiled in his honour.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(25 April 1827 – 27 August 1904) was the first black person, first Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
n, and third Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to receive the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
. He received the medal for his actions in the Siege of Lucknow
Siege of Lucknow
The Siege of Lucknow was the prolonged defense of the Residency within the city of Lucknow during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. After two successive relief attempts had reached the city, the defenders and civilians were evacuated from the Residency, which was abandoned.Lucknow was the capital of...
.
Early life
Hall was born at Horton Bluff, Nova Scotia, in 1827 as the son of Jacob and Lucy Hall, who had escaped AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
slave owners in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and were brought to freedom in Nova Scotia by the British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
as part of the Black Refugee
Black Refugee (War of 1812)
The Black Refugees from the War of 1812 were African American slaves who fought for the British and were relocated to Nova Scotia. The Black Refugees were the second group of African Americans, after the Black Loyalists, to flee American enslavement in wartime and be relocated to Canada...
movement. The Halls first lived in Summerville, NS
Summerville, Nova Scotia
Summerville is a small community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in The Municipality of the District of West Hants in Hants County.- History :...
where Jacob worked in a shipyard operated by Abraham Cunard
Abraham Cunard
Abraham Cunard was a United Empire Loyalist carpenter, timber merchant, and ship owner from Halifax, Nova Scotia, best known as the father of shipping magnate Samuel Cunard....
until they bought a farm across the Avon River at Horton Bluff. Hall first worked in shipyards at nearby Hantsport, Nova Scotia
Hantsport, Nova Scotia
Hantsport is a rural Canadian town and seaport located in the western part of Hants County, Nova Scotia. Hantsport is located just south of the county boundary with Kings County, and sits on the west bank of the Avon River in a tidal estuary.The town is most best known for its history of...
, before going to sea at the age of seventeen. He sailed first on merchant ships based out of the Minas Basin
Minas Basin
The Minas Basin is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy and a sub-basin of the Fundy Basin located in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is known for its extremely high tides.- Geography :- Boundary :...
including the barque
Barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
Kent of Kentville, Nova Scotia
Kentville, Nova Scotia
Kentville is a town in Kings County, Nova Scotia. It is one of the main towns in the Annapolis Valley, and it is the county seat of Kings County. As of 2006, the town of Kentville had a population of 5,815 people....
.
Naval career
Hall briefly served in the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
from 1847 to 1849. He served for a time aboard the USS Ohio
USS Ohio (1820)
The second USS Ohio was a ship of the line of the United States Navy. She was designed by Henry Eckford, laid down at New York Navy Yard in 1817, and launched on 30 May 1820. She went into ordinary and in the ensuing years decayed badly. Refitted for service in 1838, Ohio sailed on 16 October 1838...
alongside John Taylor Wood
John Taylor Wood
John Taylor Wood was an officer in the United States Navy who became a "leading Confederate naval hero" as a captain in the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
, who later supported Hall's US Navy pension claim.
Hall volunteered for the British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in February 1852, serving at first aboard HMS Rodney
HMS Rodney (1833)
HMS Rodney was a two-deck 90-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 18 June 1833 at Pembroke Dockyard.Rodney was the ship where William Hall , later to become the first Black man and one of the first Canadians to win the Victoria Cross, began his naval career in 1852.Rodney...
. Hall fought in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
serving ashore in a naval brigade from Rodney at the battles of Inkerman
Battle of Inkerman
The Battle of Inkerman was fought during the Crimean War on November 5, 1854 between the allied armies of Britain and France against the Imperial Russian Army. The battle broke the will of the Russian Army to defeat the allies in the field, and was followed by the Siege of Sevastopol...
and Sebastapol in 1854.
When the Indian Mutiny broke out in May 1857, Hall was on HMS Shannon
HMS Shannon (1855)
HMS Shannon was a Liffey-class steam frigate of the Royal Navy.She was originally ordered as a sail driven Leander-class frigate,. but was re-ordered as screw frigate on 4 April 1851. She was built at Portsmouth Dockyard and launched on 24 November 1855...
en route to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. She was intercepted and ordered to Calcutta (since renamed Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
). A Shannon Brigade was formed of several gunners, sailors, and marines, under Captain William Peel. The ship was towed over 600 miles up the Ganges River
Ganges River
The Ganges or Ganga, , is a trans-boundary river of India and Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. By discharge it...
to Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
. Then the force fought across country to Campbell's headquarters at Cawnpore and were in time to take part in the Siege of Lucknow
Siege of Lucknow
The Siege of Lucknow was the prolonged defense of the Residency within the city of Lucknow during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. After two successive relief attempts had reached the city, the defenders and civilians were evacuated from the Residency, which was abandoned.Lucknow was the capital of...
.
Relief of Lucknow
On 16 November 1857 at LucknowLucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, naval guns were brought up close to the Shah Nujeff mosque, and the gun crews kept up a steady fire in an attempt to breach and clear the walls, while a hail of musket balls and grenades from the mutineers inside the mosque caused heavy casualties. Able Seaman Hall and Lieutenant Thomas James Young
Thomas James Young
Captain Thomas James Young VC was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
, the battery's commander, were eventually the only survivors, all the rest having been killed or wounded, and between them they loaded and served the last gun. His citation reads:
Later career
Hall remained with the Royal Navy for the rest of his career. He joined the crew of HMS DonegalHMS Donegal (1858)
HMS Donegal was a 101-gun screw-driven first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 23 September 1858 at Devonport Dockyard....
in 1859 and on October 28, 1859, he was presented with the Victoria Cross by Rear Admiral Charles Talbot
Charles Talbot (Royal Navy officer)
Admiral Sir Charles Talbot KCB was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, The Nore.-Naval career:...
while Donegal was anchored at Queenstown Harbour
Cobh
Cobh is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour. Facing the town are Spike Island and Haulbowline Island...
. Hall rose to the rating of Petty Officer
Petty Officer
A petty officer is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotion OR-6. They are equal in rank to sergeant, British Army and Royal Air Force. A Petty Officer is superior in rank to Leading Rate and subordinate to Chief Petty Officer, in the case of the British Armed...
First Class in HMS Royal Adelaide
HMS Royal Adelaide (1828)
HMS Royal Adelaide was a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 28 July 1828 at Plymouth.When first ordered in 1812 she was intended to be a second rate of 98 guns, but in the general reclassifications of 1817 she was reclassed as a first rate.By the time of the 1871...
by the time he retired in 1876. He returned to his home village in Horton Bluff where he ran a small farm until his death in 1904.
Commemorations
Hall is buried in Hantsport, Nova ScotiaHantsport, Nova Scotia
Hantsport is a rural Canadian town and seaport located in the western part of Hants County, Nova Scotia. Hantsport is located just south of the county boundary with Kings County, and sits on the west bank of the Avon River in a tidal estuary.The town is most best known for its history of...
where his grave is marked by a monument at the Baptist church. The Royal Canadian Legion in Hantsport is named "The Lucknow Branch" in honour of his Victoria Cross action. Hall's Victoria Cross was repatriated from Britain in 1967 by the government of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and is on permanent display at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a Canadian maritime museum located in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia.The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a member institution of the Nova Scotia Museum and is the oldest and largest maritime museum in Canada with a collection of over 30,000 artifacts...
in Halifax. Hall is also featured in exhibits at the Halifax Citadel
Halifax Citadel
Halifax Citadel is a provincial electoral district in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, that elects one member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly.Its current Member of the Legislative Assembly is Leonard Preyra of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party....
and at the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia
Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia
The Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia is located in Cherrybrook, Nova Scotia near Halifax. The Centre serves as a museum and a library resource center for the African Nova Scotian community and the Black Canadian community as a whole. The organization of the Black Cultural Society was...
.
Canada Post commemorated William Hall on a stamp, first issued on February 1, 2010 in Hantsport, Nova Scotia and officially launched at the Black Cultural Centre on February 2, 2010. Hall was designated a Nationally Historic Person by the Canadian Historic Sites and Monuments Board at Hantsport on October 8, 2010 and a new plaque was unveiled in his honour.