William Hall (April 28, 1827 - August 25 1904) was the first black person, the first Nova Scotian, and third Canadian-born recipient of the Victoria Cross. Born at Horton's Bluff, Nova Scotia, in 1827 as the son of a freed slave, at age 17 Hall joined the merchant navy as a seaman. Later, he volunteered for the Royal Navy at Liverpool, England, February 1852. When the Indian Mutiny broke out in May 1857, Hall was on HMS Shannon en route to China. Wikipedia
William Hall Birth: Apr. 28, 1827 Death: Aug. 25, 1904 Indian Mutiny Victoria Cross Recipient, the first man of color and the first Canadian seaman to receive the award. www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11341159
From top: Victoria Cross recipients Campbell Mellis Douglas, Herbert Taylor Reade and William Edward Hall. www.legionmagazine.com/features/victoriacross/04-03.asp
The definitive Wikipedia entry for William Hall. Wikipedia is the biggest multilingual free-content encyclopedia on the Internet. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hall
William Hall Birth: Apr. 28, 1827 Death: Aug. 25, 1904 Indian Mutiny Victoria Cross Recipient, the first man of color and the first Canadian seaman to receive the award. www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11341159