Hall, Gordon

Hall, Gordon, a Congregational minister and missionary to India. He was born in Granville (now Tollaind), Mass., April 8, 1781, and graduated from Williams College in 1808 with the first honors of his class. At college he had formed the acquaintance of Samuel J. Mills and James Richards, afterwards missionaries. He commenced the study of theology under Ebenezer Porter, afterwards president of Andover Theological Seminary, was licensed to preach in 1809, and supplied for a time a church at Wooodbury. But from the time of his acquaintance with Mills it seems he had purposed to become a missionary. In 1810 he went to Andover, was ordained at Salem Feb. 6, 1812 and sailed on the 18th from Philadelphia with Nott and Rice, arriving in Calcutta on the 17th of June. The East India Company refused them the privilege of laboring or remaining in its territory, and Messrs. Hall and Nott embarked for Bombay, where they arrived Feb. 11, 1813. Orders from the governor general followed, commanding them to be sent to England; but by the courage and wisdom of Mr. Hall's memorials, the governor was influenced to repeal his order, and Mr. Hall remained. He labored zealously and with great success until March 20,1826, when he was suddenly cut off by cholera. Mr. Hall possessed fine abilities, ardent piety, great courage. and self-sacrifice. His indomitable spirit, and the ability of his appeals to the governor general, did much to open the way for the success of Christianity in India. — American Missionary Memorial, p. 41. (G. L. T.)