William Hall (VC)
| William Edward Hall | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
28 April 1821 Horton, Nova Scotia |
| Died | 27 August 1904 (aged 83) Avonport, Nova Scotia |
| Buried at | Hantsport Baptist Church Cemetery, Nova Scotia |
| Allegiance |
 United States (1847–49) United Kingdom (1849–76) |
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy Royal Navy
|
| Years of service | 1847–1876 |
| Rank | Quartermaster |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Victoria Cross |
William Edward HallVC (28 April 1827 – 27 August 1904) was the first black person, first Nova Scotian, and third Canadian to receive the Victoria Cross. He received the medal for his actions in the Siege of Lucknow during the Indian Rebellion. Hall and an officer from his ship continued to load and fire a 24-pounder gun at the walls after the rest of the party had been killed or injured by the defenders.
William Edward Hall was born at Horton, Nova Scotia, in 1827 as the son of Jacob and Lucy Hall, who had escaped American 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, Nova Scotia 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.
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