Papers of William Shakespeare Hall, 1861–1895/Obituary
Obituary Notice of
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE HALL
from
"The North West Times", of
February 16, 1895.
Copied by
Roebourne, February 16, 1895.
"On Monday night last between 10.30 & 11.30 there passed away suddenly & mysteriously from our midst one of the most brilliant, upright, honest & valued lives that has ever lived amongst us, when Mr. William Shakespeare Hall, chairman of the Cossack Municipal Council, & the oldest resident in the district, was found floating lifeless in the Cossack Creek; but a few minutes after he had been cracking jokes in his usual humorous style with a friend. The old gentleman was passionately fond of bathing, and made it a practice to take a dip every night in Cossack Creek, when opportunity offered. Going to a spot on the beach he prepared for his ablution, and recognising Mr. W.A.S. Watts (Clerk of Council) walking along the beach, requested his company in the water. Mr. Watts not caring for cold at that particular time — it had been raining heavily — jokingly declined, and a few words of good-humoured chaff passed between them. Mr. Hall swam towards the steps on the north end of the jetty and Mr. Watts thought he was resting awhile. Wishing to resume the conversation, he called out to him; but received no reply. The call was repeated with no response. Becoming a little alarmed at receiving no answer from so convivial a spirit as Mr. Hall, he hurried to the steps; but could see nothing of him there. His alarm increased by this he reported his suspicions to the police, who were at the other end of the jetty; and search for the missing man was immediately instituted. The jetty was scanned high and low, and inquiries were made of all within hearing distance if they had seen anything of him; but his disappearance was still shrouded in mystery. Boats were secured and search was continued up the creek as the tide was flowing in. Constable Peirt's eye caught something suspicious looking close to the shore, and when W.p.c. Wilson and Captain England, who were out in one of the boats, were called to the spot to examine the object, it was found to be the lifeless body of Mr Hall stretched at full length and submerged about 6 inches. They drew him into the boat and carried him on shore, where all possible efforts were exerted to produce animation. They were carried on persistently for two hours, without success and then given up as useless. A most singular coincidence in connection with his death is this. It was the wont of Mr. Hall to speak of his feats in the water. He remarked to one of our representatives (and, we believe, had frequently made the remark to others) that he could do anything but one in the water, and that was to sleep. "This," he would say, "I must try some day just for the fun of the thing, you know." And it was a strange thing that he should sleep on the water; but it was the everlasting sleep from which none awaken.
They The funeral was announced to take place at Cossack and a double-carred special train filled with friends of the deceased left Roebourne at 2 p.m. in heavy rain. Owing to the bad state of the road to Cossack, no suitable conveyance could be procured to take the body to the cemetery The difficulty was soon surmounted by the ready offers from friends to carry the coffin by relays; (one old friend of the pearling days Mr Augustus S.Roe).Midst the pouring rain which never ceased for a moment, the volunteers carried their esteemed friend's remains to their last resting place, several stoppages having to be made to ring in the changes, as their burden was heavy. Had it not been for the universal esteem and respect in which the deceased was held when in life, we do not think that such devout veneration for his departed spirit would have been displayed. At the graveside there was many a sorrowful face, which spoke the loss all those present had sustained (Two pathetic figures an old Malay diver, named Sintal: and a native who had been in his domestic life Whalebone). The impressive Anglican service was read by Mr. W.D. Cowan, J.P.
William Shakespeare Hall was the second son of Henry Edward Hall, firstly of Shakerstone Manor, and Newton Burgolands, Leicestershire, England, and afterwards of Mandurah, W.A. He was born in London. His father having disposed of his life interest in his property, about the time of Governor Stirling landing at Swan River, proceeded with his wife and young family to W.A., where they landed among some of the earliest colonists in 1829, the year of the colony's foundation. Mr. Hall senior brought a 25 ton cutter in the barque he was a passenger by, which, upon his arrival, served him in cruising along the coast, to explore the seaboard country. Eventually he settled at Mandurah, where he commenced farming. Some time after his cutter was wrecked, whereupon he migrated with his family to Perth. Here W.S. Hall, the subject of our biographical sketch, commenced his education under Mr. Wittenoom, the first Colonial Chaplain. Mr. Hall senior then went to the Old Country and joined his eldest son who had been educated at Eton; (and when of age) they finally severed their connection with the Motherland, by cutting off the entail to the property, disposing of it entirely and returning to the colony. Wongong farm was purchased, and there Shakespeare Hall learnt farming. Arriving at the age of manhood about the time of the famous gold discoveries in Victoria he could do no better, so he thought, than leave his father's home to seek his fortunes among the eager throngs hurrying in the race for gold. He followed gold digging in Bendigo and elsewhere with fluctuating fortune for 8 years and then returned to W.A. He entered into an engagement with the Government to prospect for gold in the vicinity of the Swan; bu the project had no looked-for results. About this time he accomplished the then unheard of feat of travelling overland to Champion Bay (Geraldton) single-handed, which was deemed a feat of great daring.
A party was now being formed under the leadership of Mr. Frank Gregory to explore the terra incognita of the north; and this he joined. The expedition did some twelve months' travelling by land and sea, during which they endured many hardships and dangers, but rendered signal service to the colony. After this he returned to the occupation of his youth; but he had not long settled down to it when Mr. John Wellard, of the Serpentine, prevailed upon him to leave it and come north and open a station for him. They landed the sheep on the North Beach, Cossack, some six weeks behind a like-constituted party of Mr. Padbury's; which did not stay here, but pushed across to the DeGrey. Mr. Hall travelled his stock up to what is now known as Andover and there commenced the first station in the district. He remained there a little short of two years, having thoroughly established the station and tamed the natives, without bloodshed, amongst whom was the native chief known as King Mulangon. He threw up the management on account of ill health and the solitude, there being very few people about the district until the Denison Plains Company came some years later. Returning to the Swan, he went farming some of the land his father had allotted him in 1829; but being offered the vacant managership of the Roebuck Bay Company, he was on the move again. Here he was appointed a justice of the peace; and what with troopers and pensioners (provided by the Government to guard the station) he had quite a little colony under him.
The country proved useless for sheep; and he was ordered to shift bag, baggage and stock to Roebourne. The vessel made two trips, on the second of which she was wrecked on what was afterwards called Perseverance Rocks, that being the stock boat's name. She was not damaged greatly so the stock were not drowned; and at ebb tide every animal was walked ashore safely. Finally he was instructed to break up the concern. The men being paid off shipped in the first boat sent, the ill-fated schooner "Emma", which was lost with all hands comprising 40 souls. Mr Hall luckily stayed behind and took up runs for himself; and after getting things well settled down made short exploration trips inland in company with that well-known pioneer, Mr. John Withnell, and others. Shortly before this, having had a difference with the then Colonial Secretary, he resigned his justiceship. The letter containing the resignation went down in the schooner "Emma" before mentioned, so it is hard to say whether he was or was not a justice of the peace at the time of his death. He went south (after the settlement) and when in middle life married Miss H. Boyd Lazenby, of Perth and Cardup, daughter of a well-known colonist, and brought his 19-year-old bride north, who faced the trials and hardships bravely, her one fear being that the natives would murder her husband in his sleep, as he always slept in the open air. Unknown to him she kept many a weary vigil).
To hark back, relinquishing the idea of squatting, he started business as a general storekeeper. Not being successful and the pearling being now developed, he embarked in that industry with Malays (he procured from Java). The venture proved fairly successful. Throwing this up, he want ashore again, and with a partner started pearl buying. This proved most lucrative, but a sudden drop in prices discourage him and his partner and they decided to dissolve. Mr. Hall again turning his attention and energies to business but they were not successfully applied; and he determined to quit the mercantile sphere for good. He went in for pearling with natives, and worked his boats off and on for several years with varying luck; but losing two boats at different times in hurricanes, the second nearly costing him his life, he became discouraged and came on shore, to mend his broken fortunes. As years began to advance he retired from active employment. He was made a councillor at the port and was twice raised to the civic honour of Chairman of the Town Council, which position he held at the time of his death. He always took a keen interest in public affairs, especially those connected with the north, and was a bold and fearless advocate of the need of separating from the south.
To hark back to the time when Gregory's expedition party were on board the "Dolphin" in Nicol Bay, the crew used to go on the reefs and find m.o.p. shells, which they used to search for pearls and then throw them away. Mr. Hall told the sailors they were throwing away half crowns; and so they saved them. When they reached Fremantle a local merchant bought all the shell they had, at a good price, and shipped them to London; and thereat the pearling industry took its footing. Therefore it may be said that he gave the incentive to pearling, for it was certainly the first move towards its inception. For a long time Mr. Hall's heart had been seriously affected; but he would not nurse himself in any way. He had been a man of prodigious strength in his prime and could not realize its decline with advancing age. Early in the evening of his death some of his family noticed him looking pale & although he seemed quite in his usual spirits. And now he lies in the silent tomb, in a hallowed spot of the Cossack cemetery, the mortal remains of the father of the district, the model of intrepidity, integrity and honour, an honoured husband, revered father and true friend and unquestionably the most esteemed personage who has ever associated himself with the north."