Admiral Sir William Hutcheon Hall, KCB, FRS (c. 1797 – 25 June 1878), was a British officer in the 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...

. He served in the First Anglo-Chinese War

First Opium War

The First Anglo-Chinese War , known popularly as the First Opium War or simply the Opium War, was fought between the United Kingdom and the Qing Dynasty of China over their conflicting viewpoints on diplomatic relations, trade, and the administration of justice...

 and 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...

. In China, he commanded the iron steamship Nemesis of the East India Company

East India Company

The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...

.

Early life and career

Hall was born circa 1797 to William Hall and his wife Mary (née Hutcheon). He joined the Royal Navy on 24 October 1811 as a first-class volunteer on board HMS Warrior

HMS Warrior (1781)

HMS Warrior was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 18 October 1781 at Portsmouth.A year after her launch she took part in the Battle of the Saintes. In 1801, she was part of Admiral Sir Hyde Parker's reserve squadron at the Battle of Copenhagen, and so did not...

 under Captains George Byng

George Byng, 6th Viscount Torrington

George Byng, 6th Viscount Torrington was a Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy. His son, the seventh Viscount, served as Governor of Ceylon between 1847 and 1850....

 and John Tremayne Rodd

John Tremayne Rodd

Vice-Admiral Sir John Tremayne Rodd, KCB was an officer of the Royal Navy noted for his services during the Napoleonic Wars. Rodd served in a number of ships, including under Admiral Sir Charles Cotton and during the Battle of the Basque Roads...

. In 1816–17, he served as a midshipman

Midshipman

A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...

 under Captain Basil Hall

Basil Hall

Basil Hall, FRS was a British naval officer from Scotland, a traveller, and an author. He was the second son of Sir James Hall, 4th Baronet, an eminent man of science.-Biography:...

, with whom he attended William Amherst

William Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst

William Pitt Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst, GCH, PC was a British diplomat and colonial administrator. He was Governor-General of India between 1823 and 1828.-Background and education:...

's embassy visit to China. After returning to England in November 1817, he was appointed to the frigate

Frigate

A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...

, HMS Iphigenia, under Captain Robert Mends

Robert Mends

Captain Sir Robert Mends was a prominent British Royal Navy officer of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, who lost an arm in the American War of Independence, caught in an explosion at the Battle of Groix in 1795 and wounded again at the Action of 6 April 1809...

 in the West Africa Squadron

West Africa Squadron

The Royal Navy established the West Africa Squadron at substantial expense in 1808 after Parliament passed the Slave Trade Act of 1807. The squadron's task was to suppress the Atlantic slave trade by patrolling the coast of West Africa...

. He was later promoted as master

Master (naval)

The master, or sailing master, was a historic term for a naval officer trained in and responsible for the navigation of a sailing vessel...

 of the sloop

Sloop

A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....

, HMS Morgiana. In this rank, he served in the British West Indies, Mediterranean, and Home stations until 1836. After studying steam engines in Glascow, Scotland, and on board steamers trading to Ireland, he travelled to the United States, where he was employed in steamboats on the Delaware and Hudson

Delaware and Hudson Canal

The Delaware and Hudson Canal was the first venture of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, which later developed the Delaware and Hudson Railway...

.

China

In November 1839, Hall obtained command of Nemesis of the British East India Company

East India Company

The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...

 in China, where he served in the First Anglo-Chinese War

First Opium War

The First Anglo-Chinese War , known popularly as the First Opium War or simply the Opium War, was fought between the United Kingdom and the Qing Dynasty of China over their conflicting viewpoints on diplomatic relations, trade, and the administration of justice...

 (1839–43). The ship's first engagement was against Chinese forts and a fleet of junks

Junk (ship)

A junk is an ancient Chinese sailing vessel design still in use today. Junks were developed during the Han Dynasty and were used as sea-going vessels as early as the 2nd century AD. They evolved in the later dynasties, and were used throughout Asia for extensive ocean voyages...

 in the Second Battle of Chuenpee

Second Battle of Chuenpee

The Second Battle of Chuenpee was fought between British and Chinese forces at the Bocca Tigris, China, on 7 January 1841 during the First Opium War. The British captured the forts on the islands of Chuenpee and Tycocktow. The battle led to negotiations between British Plenipotentiary Charles...

 on 7 January 1841. He was Mentioned in Despatches for his part in the battle. He was also present at the Battle of First Bar

Battle of First Bar

The Battle of First Bar was fought between British and Chinese forces at First Bar Island and its surrounding area in the Canton River, China, on 27 February 1841 during the First Opium War.- Background :...

 on 27 February. In commemoration of his service, he was commonly known in the navy as "Nemesis Hall". William Dallas Bernard, an Oxford graduate who studied life and customs in China, used Hall's notes to write an account of the war in the Narrative of the Voyages and Services of the Nemesis from 1840 to 1843 (1844). Hall was promoted captain

Captain (Royal Navy)

Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...

 with seniority on 22 October 1842.

Russia

After the outbreak of 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...

 (1853–56) against Russia, Hall was not able to obtain command of a vessel corresponding to his seniority, so on 15 March 1854 he accepted the 6-gun paddle steamer

Paddle steamer

A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...

, HMS Hecla, which was engaged in the Baltic

Baltic region

The terms Baltic region, Baltic Rim countries, and Baltic Rim refer to slightly different combinations of countries in the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea.- Etymology :...

 and was again Mentioned in Despatches, and slightly wounded. He transferred to the 72-gun HMS Blenheim

HMS Blenheim (1813)

HMS Blenheim was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 31 May 1813 at Deptford Dockyard.She was placed on harbour service in 1831. In 1854/5 she saw service in the Baltic as a 60-gun steam screw...

 in November 1854, and in 1855 was engaged in the capture of Bomarsund, among other battles. Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich

Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia

Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia was the second son of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia.During the reign of his brother Alexander II, Konstantin was an admiral of the Russian fleet and reformed the Russian Navy. He was also an instrumental figure in the emancipation of the serfs...

, second son of Tsar Nicholas I

Nicholas I of Russia

Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...

, remarked, "of all bold and seamanlike operations, this of Captain Hall's—taking his steamer seven miles up a creek of intricate navigation in an enemy's country—is the most daring I could have imagined; I cannot but admire such gallantry, even in an enemy." Hall was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath

Order of the Bath

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...

 on 5 July 1855.

Works and later life

Hall invented iron bilge tanks for ships, adopted by the navy, and "Hall's patent anchor". On 30 April 1845, he married Hilare Caroline Byng, third daughter of his first captain, George Byng. They had one daughter, Frances Russell Hall, who married Captain Charles Davis Lucas

Charles Davis Lucas

Charles Davis Lucas VC was an Irish born officer of the Royal Navy and the first 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...

 in 1879. Lucas had won 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....

 while serving under Hall in 1854 aboard HMS Hecla. Hall was appointed to HMS William and Mary on 3 March 1847 to assist in relief efforts during the Great Irish Potato Famine. He was transferred to HMS Dragon

HMS Dragon (1798)

HMS Dragon was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 2 April 1798 at Rotherhithe. She was designed by Sir William Rule, and was the only ship built to her draught....

 on 6 May. During his time in command of Dragon, he was reprimanded for the poor state of her gunnery, and the ship was paid off on 8 June 1850.

In 1847, Hall was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, where he served several years in its Council. His writings involved developing national defences, and employing boatmen, fishermen, and armed merchant steamers as part of the naval reserve. He was an active supporter of the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society

The Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society

-The Shipwrecked Mariners Society:The Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society or the Shipwrecked Mariners for short, is a national charity founded in 1839, which operates throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, whose purpose is to provide help to former merchant seamen,...

 for 26 years. In 1863, he was promoted to rear admiral

Rear Admiral (Royal Navy)

Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....

. He retired from active service on 2 April 1866, was promoted a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath

Order of the Bath

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...

 on 13 March 1867, and was promoted (on the retired list) to vice admiral

Vice Admiral (Royal Navy)

Vice admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It equates to the NATO rank code OF-8 and is immediately superior to rear admiral and is subordinate to the full admiral rank.The Royal Navy has had vice admirals since at least the 16th century...

 on 26 July 1869, and admiral on 11 December 1875. He died of apoplexy

Apoplexy

Apoplexy is a medical term, which can be used to describe 'bleeding' in a stroke . Without further specification, it is rather outdated in use. Today it is used only for specific conditions, such as pituitary apoplexy and ovarian apoplexy. In common speech, it is used non-medically to mean a state...

 at Phillimore Gardens, Kensington

Kensington

Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...

, London, on 25 June 1878, and was buried in the churchyard of St. Lawrence's Church, Mereworth

Mereworth

Mereworth is a village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. The Wateringbury Stream flows through the village and powered a watermill, the site of which now lies within the grounds of Mereworth Castle.-History:...

, Kent, on 29 June.

Selected works

• Sailors' Homes, Their Origin and Progress (1852)
• Our National Defences (1876)