Hall, William Neilson National Historic Person
Hantsport, Nova Scotia
Portrait
(© Courtesy Library and Archives Canada)
Address :
Hantsport, Nova Scotia
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
2008-08-26
Life Date:
1827 to 1904
Other Name(s):
-
Hall, William Neilson
(Designation Name)
Research Report Number:
2007-092
Importance:
First person of African descent and the first Nova Scotian to be awarded a Victoria Cross, he has become a role model for the military
Plaque(s)
Original Plaque: Baptist Church Hantsport, Nova Scotia
As the first person of African descent and the first Nova Scotian to be awarded the Victoria Cross, William Hall became an inspiration for the military and a source of pride for Canadians and persons of African descent everywhere. His service with the Royal Navy during the Indian Mutiny in 1857 typified the value many African Canadians placed on loyalty to the British Empire and the freedom it represented to them during the 19th century. Occurring at a time when terms of eligibility for the honour were still being defined, Hall's award illustrated that valour preceded ancestry and race in the selection process.