PROMINENT PERSONS
^77
theological teaching instituted formerly by
John Blair Smith. In 1809 the general as-
sembly of the Presbyterian church had dis-
cussed the subject of ministerial education,
the outcome of which was the founding of
the Theological Seminary at Princeton. The
Presbyteries of Virginia, however, were in
favor of synodical seminaries, and in 1812,
at the same time that Dr. Alexander was
chosen head of the Princeton Seminary,
the Virginia synod resolved to have a semi-
nary of its own and elected Dr. Hoge as
their professor. Dr. Hoge, therefore, filled
both offices — president of the college and
professor of theology — until his death.
Afterward the Theological Seminary was
separated from the college and under Dr.
John Holt Rice rendered independent Dr.
Hoge was an active member of the Ameri-
can Bible Society. As a preacher he was
singularly powerful and effective. A volume
of "Sermons" was published in 1820, after
Dr. Hoge's death. Two of his sons, gradu-
ates of the college under their father's ad-
ministration, also became distinguished as
preachers — Samuel Davies Hoge, professor
of mathematics and science at the State
University in Athens, Ohio, and John Blair
Hoge, D. D., tutor in Hampden-Sidney Col-
lege and peculiarly gifted with literary
talent. Dr. Moses Drury Hoge, of Rich-
mond, a graduate of the college under Presi-
dent Maxwell, is a son of Samuel Davies
Hoge, who married a daughter of Drury
Lacy. Dr. Moses Hoge died in Philadel-
phia, July 5, 1820.
Hall, Thomas, born in 1750, son of John
Hall (1722-98) and Sarah Parry, his wife.
He took the degree of Bachelor of Arts at
the College of Philadelphia in 1773; 2i"d
VIK-.12
appears to have taken orders in England.
He returned to America in 1774, to take
cl.arge of an important parish in Virginia.
He took an active part in the preliminary
stages of the revolution; but his love for
the union with the mother country was too
great for him to approve of the actual seces-
sion of the American colonies. Before the
end of the war, he left Virginia, and never
returned to America, although he never
ceased protesting his most ardent love for
his native land, and in one of his letters
confessed his mistake in not adopting the
course pursued by it. He served for some
time as minister of an important church at
Bristol, England, and afterwards became
chaplain to the British colony at Leghorn,
and remained there until his death, April
12, 1825. His letters describing conditions
in Italy during the Napoleonic wars are
most interesting. Tassenari, the historian,
tells of a singular act of bravery on the part
of Dr. Hall. When Napoleon marched upon
Leghorn in 1803, the English residents, tak-
ing as much of their property as they could,
sailed away, with few exceptions. Na-
poleon, who intended to detain them, was
greatly disappointed, and it is said that he
entertained the barbarous idea of destroy-
ing the English cemetery. But when Dr.
Hall declared that only over his dead body
should it be entered he desisted. Dr. Hall
had a large acquaintance in Virginia, and
several members of his family, and the
Maryland family of Halls, came there from
England, induced by him. His own de-
scendants are found in Italy. He was a
kinsman of the celebrated Dr. Rush, of Phil-
adelphia.
Digitized by