Correspondence of Francis George Hall

This material is held atSchool of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) Archives, University of London

Scope and Content

The collection comprises detailed and informative series of typescript letters from Francis Hall to his father relating to his life and activities in South Africa (1880-1891) and East Africa (1892-1901). It also includes typescript copies of four letters (1883-1884) from Francis's brother Albert Lambert Hall.

Administrative / Biographical History

Francis George Hall was born 11 October 1860 at Saugor, India, the third son of Lieutenant-Colonel E. Hall. Following his education at Sherbourne and Tonbridge he worked for the Bank of England. In 1880 he resigned and went to South Africa. There he followed a number of occupations including schoolteacher, soldier, farmer, and gold miner before returning to England in 1891. The following year he joined the Imperial British East Africa Company and became Acting Superintendent of the District of Kikuyu. Hall remained as District Officer after company control was ceded to the British government. He married Beatrice Russell in May 1898 and was to have returned home in April 1901, but died after contracting dysentery on 18 March 1901.

Arrangement

The volumes are arranged in chronological order.

Access Information

Open

Acquisition Information

Transferred to SOAS from the Bodleian Library, Oxford in 1968, with additional deposit in 1972.

Other Finding Aids

Unpublished handlist

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to publish, please contact Archives & Special Collections, SOAS Library in the first instance

Related Material

PP MS 1 Mackinnon