Papers of the Revd. Basil Hall

This material is held atUniversity of Exeter Archives

Reference
- GB 29 EUL MS 107
Dates of Creation
- 20th century
Name of Creator
- Basil Hall
Language of Material
- English Latin Greek Hebrew Spanish Italian
Physical Description
- Two boxes.

Scope and Content

Typescript and manuscript notes and drafts, mainly concerning Calvin. The bulk of the collection contains numerous photocopies of archival manuscripts, many from the 17th c. or earlier (including from the National Library, Spain, the Realbibliotheca de Lorenzo, and the Apostolic Library at the Vatican). Also contains copies and typescripts of various undergraduate theses relating to Calvin and Geneva, 1960s-1970s, and copies of relevant articles or chapters from academic publications, mid-late 20th c.

Administrative / Biographical History

The Revd. Professor (George Yule) Basil Hall (1915-1994), church historian and priest, was born in Ryton-on-Tyne, Northumberland, and studied English at Durham University. He then went on to study theology at Westminster College, Cambridge, and was ordained as a minister of the Presbyterian Church of England, working at Brighton Avenue Presbyterian Church, Gateshead, and also at Blundellslands (near Liverpool). He then taught church history at the College of the Welsh Presbyterian Church in Aberystwyth, before returning to Cambridge University, where he was later appointed Professor of Church History at Westminster College. He then took a similar chair at the University of Manchester (1967-1975) before returning to Cambridge as Dean of St. John's College (1975-1980). He retired to Exeter where he held an honorary lectureship in the Department of Theology at the University of Exeter (? 1982-1994). He died in Switzerland in 1994.

His publications include: The Genevan version of the English Bible (1957), Calvin and Biblical humanism (1960), Reformation without tarrying for theology (1960), Calvin against the Calvinists (1962), John Calvin: humanist and theologian (1967), John a Lasco, 1499-1560: A Pope in Reformation England (1971), The Reformation City (1971), Humanists and protestants: 1500-1900 (1990).

Arrangement

Originally contained within a range of files and portfolios. The collection has now been entirely repackaged in new files, retaining the identical content of the original folders.