William Hals
Encyclopedia
William Hals was a British historian who compiled a History of Cornwall, the first work of any magnitude that was ever printed in Cornwall. He was born at Tresawen, in the parish of Merther
in Cornwall. Much of his work was never published but was used by other Cornish historians, including Gilbert, Tonkin, and Whitaker. Some of his original work is now held by the British Library.
, and his last wife was a Courtenay of Tremere. He died without issue in 1737 or 1739 at Tregury (Tregurtha), in the parish of St Wenn
, of which he owned the rectorial tithes,
In about 1750 a publisher from Exeter by the name of Andrew Brice published Hals's Complete History of Cornwall, Part II being the Parochial History, containing accounts of seventy-two parishes, Advent
to Helston
. The fascicules were printed progressively at Truro (160 pp. in all). However the first part was never published.
It is believed that the scandalous details included by Hals caused a discontinuance of the publication. Hals's incomplete History is very rare. The most complete copy is in the Grenville Library at the British Library
.
The Parochial History of Cornwall by Davies Gilbert
was based on the collections of Hals, with additional collections by Thomas Tonkin
. Much of Hals's digressions and gossip is omitted. The manuscripts of Hals's History passed through various hands, and belonged at one time to Dr John Whitaker
. They were given by Whitaker's daughter, Mrs Taunton, to Henry Sewell Stokes
of Bodmin
, Cornwall. Mr Stokes transferred them to Sir John Maclean, from whom they were acquired in 1875 for the British Museum.
Lamorran and Merther
Lamorran and Merther is a united ecclesiastical parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom.Merther is located two miles west of Truro . Merther church is dedicated to St Coan but is now disused and ruinous. A new church was built at Tresillian Bridge in 1904...
in Cornwall. Much of his work was never published but was used by other Cornish historians, including Gilbert, Tonkin, and Whitaker. Some of his original work is now held by the British Library.
Family
He married three times. His first wife was an Evans of Landrini in Wales, his second a Carveth of PerranzabuloePerranzabuloe
Perranzabuloe is a coastal civil parish and a hamlet in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The hamlet is situated just over a mile south of the principal settlement of the parish, Perranporth; the hamlet is also seven miles south-southwest of Newquay...
, and his last wife was a Courtenay of Tremere. He died without issue in 1737 or 1739 at Tregury (Tregurtha), in the parish of St Wenn
St Wenn
St Wenn is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated six miles west of Bodmin and nine miles east of Newquay....
, of which he owned the rectorial tithes,
Parochial History of Cornwall
Hals began his work on the history of Cornwall in 1685, forming a collection which he continued for nearly 50 years until 1736, but it was never actually finished.In about 1750 a publisher from Exeter by the name of Andrew Brice published Hals's Complete History of Cornwall, Part II being the Parochial History, containing accounts of seventy-two parishes, Advent
Advent, Cornwall
Advent is a civil parish on the north-western edge of Bodmin Moor in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is named after St Adwenna and lies in the Registration District of Camelford....
to Helston
Helston
Helston is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated at the northern end of the Lizard Peninsula approximately 12 miles east of Penzance and nine miles southwest of Falmouth. Helston is the most southerly town in the UK and is around further south than...
. The fascicules were printed progressively at Truro (160 pp. in all). However the first part was never published.
It is believed that the scandalous details included by Hals caused a discontinuance of the publication. Hals's incomplete History is very rare. The most complete copy is in the Grenville Library at the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
.
The Parochial History of Cornwall by Davies Gilbert
Davies Gilbert
Davies Gilbert FRS was a British engineer, author, and politician. He was elected to the Royal Society on 17 November 1791 and served as President of the Royal Society from 1827 to 1830....
was based on the collections of Hals, with additional collections by Thomas Tonkin
Thomas Tonkin
-Early Life:He was born at Trevaunance, St Agnes, Cornwall, and baptised in its parish church on 26 September 1678, was the eldest son of Hugh Tonkin , vice-warden of the Stannaries 1701, and High Sheriff of Cornwall 1702, by his first wife, Frances , daughter of Walter Vincent of Trelevan, near...
. Much of Hals's digressions and gossip is omitted. The manuscripts of Hals's History passed through various hands, and belonged at one time to Dr John Whitaker
John Whitaker (historian)
John Whitaker B.D., F.S.A. , was an English historian and Anglican clergyman. Besides historical studies on the Roman Empire and on the early history of Great Britain he was a reviewer for London magazines and a poet.-Life:He was the son of James Whitaker, innkeeper, and was born in Manchester on...
. They were given by Whitaker's daughter, Mrs Taunton, to Henry Sewell Stokes
Henry Sewell Stokes
Henry Sewell Stokes was a British poet.The Cornish poet Stokes was a schoolfellow of Charles Dickens; later literary friends included Tennyson and Robert Stephen Hawker. His great nephew, Sewell Stokes, was a novelist, biographer and playwright....
of Bodmin
Bodmin
Bodmin is a civil parish and major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated in the centre of the county southwest of Bodmin Moor.The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character...
, Cornwall. Mr Stokes transferred them to Sir John Maclean, from whom they were acquired in 1875 for the British Museum.
Other works
Other works in manuscript form held in the British Library- The History of St. Michael's Mount,
- An Latimer ay Kernow, a Dictionary of the Cornish Language
- John Keigwin's MS. of Mount Calvary (Pascon agan ArluthEarly Cornish TextsSpecimens of Middle Cornish texts are given here in Cornish and English. Both texts have been dated within the period 1370-1410 and the Charter Fragment is given in two Cornish orthographies. -Background:The absorption of Cornwall within the Kingdom of England was not immediate...
), (1679–1680) (amended transcript)
Sources
- Boase and Courtney's Bibl. Cornub. 1874, i. 204, iii. 1214
- Polwhele's Hist. of Cornwall, 1806, v. 203
- D. Gilbert's Parochial Hist. of Cornwall, passim
- Notes and Queries, 3rd ser. xii. 22
- Gent. Mag. 1790 pt. ii. pp. 608, 711, 1791 pt. i. p. 32
- William Thomas LowndesWilliam Thomas LowndesWilliam Thomas Lowndes , English bibliographer, was born about 1798, the son of a London bookseller.His principal work, The Bibliographer’s Manual of English Literature—the first systematic work of the kind—was published in four volumes in 1834...
's Bibliographer's Manual 1858, i. 525 - Lysons's Magna Britannia, 1814, cv. 2
- H. Merivale's Historical Studies, 1865, p. 357
- Journal of Brit. Archæol. Assoc. xxxiii. 37
- Information from Mr. Stokes; see also note in Mr Stokes's Voyage of Arundel.