Hall, Basil (1788-1844)

1. 3 letters to Dominique Francois Arago. French Astronomer. Paris, 16th January 1836; Edinburgh, 22nd August 1837; Portsmouth, 28th January 1839

2. Letter to Thomas N. Anderson, c. 1830s

3. Note to Francis Jeffrey, c. 1830s

4. Note to Messrs. Robinson and Co., 8th June 1824

5. Signature taken from a letter to Sir Francis Beaufort

6. Letter to Ferguson, Portsmouth, 15th June 1832

7. 2 letters to unkown recipients, 22nd March 1829; 23rd April 1833

8. Letter from Sir William Hutcheon Hall to Sir Roderick - , 1st May 1863

1824-1863

1 file

Purchased from Desgranges, Paris, June 1930 (acc.67390); July 1932 (acc.65635); and September 1932 (acc.65659); Stevens, London, September 1930 (acc.56557); and March 1931 (acc.68135); and from Glendining, London, January 1932 (acc.67620). Provenance details for acc.67430 not recorded.

Basil Hall was a captain in the navy and author. Son of Sir James Hall. Witnessed the battle of Coruna, 1809, carried out pendulum observation of South America (1827 - 8), and interviewed Napoleon. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society (1816). Travelled in North America (1827 - 8). Pronounced insane, he died in Haslam Hospital.

Sir William Hutcheon Hall was an admiral, and worked with Basil Hall in China (1815 - 17). He was employed on steam boats on the Hudson and Delaware rivers (1830 - 9). He was a Fellow of the Royal Society (1847), and commanded the Hecal and the Blenheim in the Baltic (1854 -).