Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-08-08
EitZpdWard Hall.

1t was remarkable career which end
ed in the death of Fitzedward Hall. in
February last. The story OF his life has
especial interest for Nermonters. for he
was of Vermont lineage, and had relatives
in Vermont, with whom, however We
think he did not maintain very close per-
sonal relations. He was a cousin of our
townsnIdu, the late Mr.. Edward Lyman.
He was the grandson of Lot Han. who,
having served e. an officer on a Massa-
chnsot It's prlvuteer in the War Of the Rev
"lutiou and having been twice captured
by British cruisers came to the then new
State of Vermont in l1S2. lie studied law
in Eemiuston' settled in Westminster.
became prominent in his profession. rep
resented the town in the Legislature. was
a presidential elector, member of the
Council Of Censors, and q Judge Of the Su-
prone Court of Vermont for seven Years.
1894 to 1890 inclusive, winning the reputn-
tou of AN upright, Just ana capable Jurist
and patriotic citizen. lie married n Miss
Fitch, granddaughter Of one OF the colon-
ial governors of Connecticut. Their son.
Eanlcl Han, was born in Westminster,
W. studied at AIIddlebury college in the
class of l>u5, graduated at Dartmouth. es
tahlished himself as lawyer in Troy, n.
" ana gain wealth and standing in
that city. file had five sons, the eldest of
whom was i'itzedward Hall. Another son
was Benjamin H. Hail. who wrote the
history oi Eastern Vermont" one of
the best of the Vermont histories. second
only to lilland Halls Early History Of
were only distantly related having a
common ancestor in John Hail who came
over from England in 1890
Fitzo dWard Han took the degree Of civil
engineer in the Troy Polytechnic in lS42,
and then had two years at Harvard, in
the class Of i6 hut did not graduate with
the class, his college course being cut
short by sudden mission to India One
of his younger brothers, after reading
Dana's Two Years Before the Mast"
took an intense fancy for the sea; ran
away from his home and shipped as a
sailor on merchantmen, bound for Cal
cutta. Fizcdward was sent after him in
the spring Of 1916. The ship he sailed on
was wrecked off the mouth of the Ganges,
and as he could not return by it as he had
planned, he improved his stay on shore
in getting some acquaintance with the
fiihdustani language. lie had had a
strong bent for the study Of language
from hoyhood, having begun taking notes
on English words and phrases at Is, and
having added to his studies in the classics
ana natural sciences at Harvard a special
course in Homaic, or Modern Greek. lie
spent three years in Calcutta, acquiring
ltndustani, Persian, Sanskrit and Ben
gall, and laying the foundation for his
worldwide fame as an Oriental scholar
and phlologist. From Calcutta he went
| to Benares. where he received an unso-
lcttod appointment to Il chair in the gov-
eminent college. In 1876 he was made In
trail province of India, with his headquar.
tiers at Saugur. During the Sepoy rebel
lion he shared for nine months in the de-
fence Of the fort at that point, exhibiting
the skill as "A marksman which he had
gained In tiger hunting. Surviving the
perils Of the siege and of the pestlencs
he took vacation OF year or two, COM
ing home to America in 1859, and going
thence to England to receive the degree
of u. &, J.. from Oxford in 1860. In lS6.
he bade goodbye to India and went to
London, to accept the chair of Sanskrit
and Indian Jurisprudence in Kings col
leGc, and the librarlanship of the India
Office, subsequently he was Examiner ir
Iiindustani and Sanskrit for the Civil Ser.
vice Commission, succeeding Prof. Max
Muller In that office. In 1869 he completed