The Riddell Collection of Wax Seals:
Seal Life Stories: the remarkable careers of 23 individuals from the Riddell Collection of Wax Seals
9: sir james hall of dunglass (1761-1832)
Sir James Hall of Dunglass by Angelica Kauffman (National Galleries of Scotland. Licence: Creative Commons CC by NC)
One of Scotland’s pioneering geologists, James founded the field of experimental geology. Born at the family estate of Dunglass, East Lothian, to Sir John Hall and Magdalen (Pringle), he studied at Cambridge, Edinburgh, and Brienne in France (alongside Napoleon Bonaparte). While studying in Edinburgh he attended classes taught by Joseph Black and John Walker.
Towards the end of the C18, many theories regarding the origins of Earth’s rocks circulated among the scientific community, one of which focussed on igneous rocks. One school of thought believed they had been deposited in primeval oceans (Neptunists), while another thought the process involved the intense heat and pressure of volcanic activity (Plutonists).
James was initially of the Neptunist persuasion but after spending time with James Hutton (a Plutonist) he set out to help prove Hutton’s theories by designing and building a furnace in which he heated basalt and limestone, and showed that basalt returned to its original structure, while limestone cooled into marble. He went on to demonstrate through various experiments, the extent of the effects of volcanic activity and pressure upon rock formation.
After succeeding to the Dunglass baronetcy aged 15, James was M.P. for St Michael’s in Cornwall in 1807 & 1812, and President of The Royal Society of Edinburgh.
James Hall’s wife, Lady Helen Hall is the subject of a 2013 biography by Sally Wilson Lady Helen Hall, Lang-heidit Lady, which details her life and achievements at a time in which women were rarely recognised for roles outside marriage and child-bearing.