A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hall, Charles
HALL. (Commander, 1841. f-p., 21; h-p., 22.)
Charles Hall entered the Navy (into which he was impressed, being at the time Mate of a fine West Indiaman), 8 Aug. 1804, as A.B., on board the Champion 24, Capt. Robt. Howe Bromley, stationed in the Downs. Becoming Master’s Mate, in June, 1805, of the Orion 74, Capts. Edw. Codrington and Sir Arch. Dickson, he fought in the ensuing action off Trafalgar, and in 1807 accompanied the expedition against Copenhagen. In Dec. 1808, and Dec. 1811, he was successively appointed Acting-Master and Acting-Lieutenant of ,the Prometheus sloop, Capts. Thos. Forrest and Hercules Robinson, in command of whose cutter he succeeded in totally destroying, off Pillau, in the Baltic, a French privateer, La Messalina, of 6 guns and 38 men, although protected by the fire of a body of troops on the beach, 2 Aug. 1810. After serving for some time on the Jamaica station, where disease swept off all his messmates, Mr. Hall was superseded from the Prometheus, and, in Aug. 1812, appointed Midshipman of the Warspite 50, Capt. Hon. Henry Blackwood, employed in Basque Roads. In April, 1814, he removed, as a Supernumerary, to the Hannibal 74, Capt. Sir Michael Seymour, with whom he again sailed for the West Indies. On his arrival on that station he was once more, on 19 July, invested with the rank of Acting-Lieutenant, and. appointed to the Venerable 74, flag-ship of Sir Philip Durham; but, the vacancy not proving a legitimate one, he remained unconfirmed till the general promotion, 7 Feb. 1815. He officiated, during the seven following months, as First of the Columbine sloop, Capt. Rich. Henry Muddle, also on the West India station; and was subsequently appointed – 1 Jan. 1824, to the Coast Blockade, as Supernumerary Lieutenant of the Ramillies 74, Capt. Wm. M‘Culloch – 27 July, 1826, as Senior, to the Jasper 10, Capt. Henry Martin Blackwood, on the Mediterranean station, whence he invalided in Nov. 1826 – 10 July, 1835, and 1 Aug. 1836, to the Ordinary at Sheerness and Plymouth, in which service he continued, with his name part of the time on the books of the Téméraire 104, and San Josef 110, Capts. Thos. Fortescue Kennedy and Rich. Thomas, for upwards of three years – and, 20 Sept. 1838, to the command of the Rolla 10, on the coasts of Spain and Africa, where (with the exception of a few months, from 23 Nov. 1840 until 15 June, 1841, passed in acting-command of the Persian 16) he continued to serve, in the same vessel, until paid off 18 Aug. 1842. Commander Hall, who had been promoted to his present rank 23 Nov. 1841, has been employed, since 31 March, 1846, as Second Captain of the Caledonia 120, flag-ship of Sir John Louis, Admiral-Superintendent at Devonport.
A son of this gentleman, Chas. O. B. Hall, is a Mate in the Navy. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.