Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

Sir William Hutcheon Hall, (c. 1797 – 25 June 1878), was a British

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

officer. He served in the

First Anglo-Chinese War The First Opium War (), also known as the Opium War or the Anglo-Sino War was a series of military engagements fought between Britain and the Qing dynasty of China between 1839 and 1842. The immediate issue was the Chinese enforcement of the ...

and

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...

. He was one of the first British officers to make a thorough study of steam engines. In China, he commanded the iron steamship ''

Nemesis In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ( grc, Ῥαμνουσία, Rhamnousía, the goddess of Rhamnous), was the goddess who personifies retribution, a central concept in the Greek world view. Etymology The n ...

'' of the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

. Although it was not officially commissioned as a Royal Navy warship, the

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong *Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Traf ...

enabled Hall to count his time in the ''Nemesis'' as if he had served in one of

Her Majesty's Ship His (or Her) Majesty's Ship, abbreviated HMS and H.M.S., is the ship prefix used for ships of the navy in some monarchies. Derived terms such as HMAS and equivalents in other languages such as SMS are used. United Kingdom With regard to the s ...

Early life and career

Hall was born circa 1797 in Berwick,

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...

, England, to William Hall and his wife Mary (née Hutcheon).Laughton, J. K.. "Hall, Sir William Hutcheon (1797?–1878)". ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (2004 ed.). Oxford University Press. . He joined the Royal Navy on 24 October 1811 as a first-class volunteer on board under Captains George Byng and

John Tremayne Rodd Vice-Admiral Sir John Tremayne Rodd, KCB (c. 1769 – 4 October 1838) 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 durin ...

. In 1816–17, he served as a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...

under Captain

Basil Hall Basil Hall (31 December 1788 – 11 September 1844) 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 Although his family home was ...

, with whom he attended William Amherst's embassy visit to China. After returning to England in November 1817, he was appointed to the

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

, , under Captain Robert Mends in the

West Africa Squadron The West Africa Squadron, also known as the Preventative Squadron, was a squadron of the British Royal Navy whose goal was to suppress the Atlantic slave trade by patrolling the coast of West Africa. Formed in 1808 after the British Parliame ...

. He was later promoted as

master Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...

of the

sloop A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...

, . In this rank, he served in the British

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

, and Home stations until 1836. After studying steam engines in Glasgow, 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 The Delaware and Hudson Railway (D&H) is a railroad that operates in the Northeastern United States. In 1991, after more than 150 years as an independent railroad, the D&H was purchased by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP). CP operates D&H ...

.Stephen, Leslie; Lee, Sidney (1890).
Dictionary of National Biography
'. Volume 24. New York: Macmillan and Co. pp. 94–95."Obituary: Admiral Sir William Hutcheon Hall, F. R. S., K. C. B.". ''Proceedings of the Royal Society and Monthly Record of Geography'' (The Royal Geographical Society) 1 (3): 214–216. March 1879. .

China

In November 1839, Hall obtained command of ''Nemesis'' of the British

in China, where he served in the

(1839–42). For his services, the

procured an

Order in Council An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council ('' Ki ...

to enable it to make him a lieutenant on 8 January 1841. The Admiralty later obtained power to enable him to count his time in the ''Nemesis'' as if he had served in one of

s.Clowes, William Laird (1901).
The Royal Navy: A History from the Earliest Times to the Present
'. Volume 6. London: Sampson Low, Marston and Company. p. 285. The ship's first engagement was against Chinese forts and a fleet of

junks A junk (Chinese: 船, ''chuán'') is a type of Chinese sailing ship with fully battened sails. There are two types of junk in China: northern junk, which developed from Chinese river boats, and southern junk, which developed from Austronesian ...

in the

Second Battle of Chuenpi The Second Battle of Chuenpi () was fought between British and Chinese forces in the Pearl River Delta, Guangdong province, China, on 7January 1841 during the First Opium War. The British launched an amphibious attack at the Humen strait (Bogu ...

on 7 January 1841. He was

Mentioned in Despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

for his part in the battle. He later fought in the

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 Pearl River, Guangdong province, China, on 27 February 1841 during the First Opium War. Background On 21 February 1841, ...

on 27 February, and the

Broadway expedition The Broadway expedition was a British military expedition that explored the Broadway River (present-day Xi River) in Guangdong province, China, on 13–15 March 1841 during the First Opium War. The river was also called the ''Inner Passage'' or ...

on 13–15 March. 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). Under the command of

Richard Collinson Admiral Sir Richard Collinson (7 November 1811 – 13 September 1883) was an English naval officer and explorer of the Northwest Passage. Early life He was born in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England, then part of County Durham. He joined the R ...

, then Lieutenant Hall also saw action on the island of Taisam near Ningbo in February 1842 on the ''Nemesis''. He was promoted

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

with seniority on 22 October 1842.Service records for William Hutcheon Hall, se
Hall, William H—Admiralty: Officers' Service Records (Series III)—Commission and Warrant Branch: Executive Officers A-L
an
Hall, William H—Admiralty: Officers' Service Records (Series III)
''DocumentsOnline'',

The National Archives National archives are central archives maintained by countries. This article contains a list of national archives. Among its more important tasks are to ensure the accessibility and preservation of the information produced by governments, both ...

(fee usually required to view pdfs of full original records). Retrieved on 16 March 2010.

Russia

After the outbreak of the

(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 A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine that drives paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses wer ...

, , which was engaged in the

Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages * Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originati ...

and was again Mentioned in Despatches, and slightly wounded. He transferred to the 72-gun in November 1854, and in 1855 was engaged in the capture of Bomarsund, among other battles. Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich, second son of Tsar Nicholas I, 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 The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved Bathing#Medieval ...

on 5 July 1855.

Works and later life

Hall was one of the first British officers to make a thorough study of steam engines. He 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 Rear Admiral (Royal Navy), Rear Admiral Charles Davis Lucas Victoria Cross, VC (19 February 1834 – 7 August 1914) was born in Ireland and was the first person to win the Victoria Cross. An officer of the Royal Navy, he performed the earliest act ...

in 1879. Lucas had won the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

while serving under Hall in 1854 aboard HMS ''Hecla''. Hall was appointed to on 3 March 1847 to assist in relief efforts during the Great Famine of Ireland. He was transferred to 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 Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

, 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 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 merc ...

for 26 years. In 1863, he was promoted to

rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

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

on 13 March 1867, and was promoted (on the retired list) to vice admiral on 26 July 1869, and

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

on 11 December 1875. He died of

apoplexy Apoplexy () is rupture of an internal organ and the accompanying symptoms. The term formerly referred to what is now called a stroke. Nowadays, health care professionals do not use the term, but instead specify the anatomic location of the bleedi ...

Phillimore Gardens Phillimore Gardens is a street in Kensington, West London, England. Phillimore Gardens runs roughly north to south from Duchess of Bedford's Walk to Kensington High Street. The houses on the west side all back on to Holland Park. History The r ...

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...

, London, on 25 June 1878, and was buried in the churchyard of

St. Lawrence's Church, Mereworth St Lawrence's Church is an Anglican parish church at Mereworth, Kent, United Kingdom. It is in the deanery of West Malling, the Diocese of Rochester and Province of Canterbury. The church was built in the mid-1740s by John Fane, the 7th Earl ...

, Kent, on 29 June.

Selected works

*Bernard, W. D.; Hall, W. H. (1844). ''Narrative of the Voyages and Services of the Nemesis from 1840 to 1843''
Vol. 1

Vol. 2
London: Henry Colburn. *Bernard, W. D.; Hall, W. H. (1845).
Narrative of the Voyages and Services of the Nemesis from 1840 to 1843
' (2nd ed.). London: Henry Colburn. *Bernard, W. D.; Hall, W. H. (1847).
The Nemesis in China
' (3rd ed.). London: Henry Colburn. *Hall, W. H. (1852).
Sailors' Homes, Their Origin and Progress
'. London: W. H. Dalton. *Hall, W. H. (1876). ''Our National Defences''.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, William Hutcheon 1797 births 1878 deaths Companions of the Order of the Bath Fellows of the Royal Society Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Royal Navy admirals Royal Navy personnel of the Crimean War Royal Navy personnel of the First Opium War People from Berwick-upon-Tweed Officers of the West Africa Squadron