Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Houghton, Henry Hall-

1397577Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 27 — Houghton, Henry Hall-1891Augustus Robert Buckland ‎

HOUGHTON, HENRY HALL- (1823–1889), divine, son of Jeremiah Houghton, by his wife, Hannah Hall, was born at Dublin on 10 Dec. 1823. He was educated first at Sherborne school, and afterwards obtained a close scholarship at Pembroke College, Oxford. He graduated B.A. without honours in 1845, and became M.A. in 1848. He was ordained deacon in 1849, and priest in 1850. Until 1852 he served the curacy of St. Peter's, Cheltenham, but from that year ill-health compelled him to refrain from active work. In 1871, on the death of his uncle, John Hall, hon. canon of Bristol since 1846, he succeeded to the estate of Melmerby, Cumberland, and changed his name to Hall-Houghton. The work of his life was the endeavour to promote the accurate study of holy scripture. In conjunction with Canon Hall, he founded at Oxford in 1868, 1870, and 1871 the Canon Hall and the Hall-Houghton prizes for a knowledge of the Greek Testament, the Septuagint, and the Syriac versions. To the Church Missionary Society he gave in all a sum of 4,500l. to promote the systematic study of holy scripture by natives of North India, West Africa, North-west America, and New Zealand. In 1875 Hall-Houghton married Mary, daughter of the Rev. John Dawson Hull. He died at Melmerby Hall, on 4 Sept. 1889.

[Record, 20 Sept. 1889; Church Missionary Society Intelligencer, November 1889; Oxford University Calendar, 1890; information supplied by Mrs. Hall-Houghton.]