Background
Hall was born on January 17, 1761 in Dunglass, Scotland, the eldest son of Sir John Hall, 3rd Baronet (died 1776), and his spouse, Magdalen (died 1763) daughter of Sir Robert Pringle, 3rd Baronet, of Stichill, Roxburghshire.
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James Hall
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also known as
James Hall, 4th Baronet
Education
Hall studied at Christ's College, Cambridge, and the University of Edinburgh. As an Edinburgh student during the early 1780s, Hall studied chemistry under Joseph Black and natural history under John Walker (naturalist). Though mineralogy was frequent taught in medical courses, Walker was one of the first professors to offer systematic lectures on the new field of geology. While attending Walker's popular course, Hall was taught how to use the chemical composition of minerals to determine relative age of strata.
Career
Hall was intimately acquainted with James Hutton and John Playfair, and having studied rocks in various parts of Europe he was eventually led to accept and to demonstrate the truth of Hutton's views with regard to intrusive rocks. He commenced a series of experiments to illustrate the fusion of rocks, their vitreous and crystalline characters, and the influence of molten rocks in altering adjacent strata. He thus assisted in proving that granitic veins had been injected into overlying deposits after their consolidation. He studied the volcanic rocks in Italy and recognized that the old lava flows and the numerous dikes in Scotland must have had a similar origin. He made further experiments to illustrate the contortions of rocks. The results were brought before the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He died at Edinburgh on the 23rd of June 1832. He represented in parliament (1807-1812) the old borough of Michael in Cornwall; he also wrote an Essay on the Origin, History and Principles of Gothic Architecture (1813).
Achievements
Membership
Member of Parliament (1807-1812)
Connections
Hall married Helen (d. 1837), daughter of Dunbar Douglas, 4th Earl of Selkirk and sister of the 5th Earl of Selkirk. They had issue: three sons and three daughters. His eldest son, John Hall (1787-1860), who succeeded him, was a Fellow of the Royal Society; the second son, Captain Basil Hall, was the distinguished traveller; the third son, James Hall (1800-1854), was a painter, art-patron, and a friend of Sir David Wilkie.
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Born
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Died
June 23, 1832 (aged 71) -
Nationality
British -
Ethnicity