Laurence Hynes Halloran

Laurence Hynes Halloran (1765-11831). Portrait attributed to Augustus Earle (1793-1838). Courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Laurence Hynes Halloran (29 December 1765 - 8 March 1831) was an English poet, miscellaneous writer, and schoolteacher.

Life

Halloran, ‘apparently a native of Ireland,’ was born in 1766.

England and South Africa

He became master of an academy at Alphington, near Exeter, where he had as a pupil the future master of the rolls, Lord Gifford. Here he published Odes, Poems, and Translations, 1790, and Poems on Various Occasions,’ 1791.

A few years later Halloran was a chaplain in the royal navy. He published a charity sermon for 19 December 1797, in celebration of the naval victories.

He was chaplain on board the Britannia, the vessel which carried the flag of admiral the earl of Northesk, 3rd in command at the battle of Trafalgar. During the engagement Halloran, who had a very loud and clear voice, stood beside the commander and repeated the word of command through a speaking-trumpet after him. He soon published A Sermon on Occasion of the Victory off Trafalgar, delivered on board H.M.S. Britannia at Sea, 3 November 1805, and The Battle of Trafalgar, a poem, 1806.

He was afterwards appointed rector of the public grammar school at Cape Town, and chaplain to the forces in South Africa. There in 1810 a duel took place between 2 officers. A court-martial was held on the parties engaged in the affair. Halloran warmly espoused the cause of the accused and wrote their defense. Lieutenant-general the Hon. H.G. Grey, considering that his interference was improper, ordered Halloran to move to Simon's Town. Rather than do this he resigned his chaplaincy, but revenged himself by publishing a satire, Capabilities, or South African Characteristics, 1811.

Thereupon the governor of the colony, the Earl of Caledon, ordered a criminal prosecution to be commenced against him. He was found guilty, was condemned in costs, and was banished from the colony (Proceedings, including Original Correspondence, &c., at the Cape of Good Hope, in a Criminal Process for a Libel instituted at the Suit of Lieut.-Gen. the Hon. H.G. Grey, by order of the Earl of Caledon, Governor of the Colony, 1811).

He returned to England, where, preaching and teaching, he led a somewhat erratic life. He styled himself a doctor in divinity. He introduced himself at Bath to Rev. Richard Warner, who describes him as of "striking but not prepossessing appearance." Warner, however, employed him for some time till he heard rumors that he was an impostor. Halloran, being asked for proof of the position he assumed, could only produce papers for deacon's orders; those relating to priest's ordination and doctor's degree had (he said) been mislaid by a maid-servant. They were never produced, and Halloran soon after left Bath to resume his wandering life.

In 1818 he was charged at the Old Bailey with having forged a frank, by which the revenue was cheated of tenpence, on a letter addressed to the rector whose church he was serving. "He persisted in pleading guilty, because, he said, the only person who could establish his innocence was dead," and added "that the charge would not have been brought against him but for a subsequent quarrel with his rector." He was sentenced to 7 years' transportation. The reporter, who calls him (apparently without suspicion) "a Doctor of Divinity" adds that "he has a large family" (Gentleman's Magazine 1818, ii. 462).

Australia

Halloran arrived in Sydney in June 1819, and was immediately given a ticket of leave by Governor Lachlan Macquarie. Halloran, with help from Simeon Lord and John Macarthur, established a school for "Classical, Mathematical and Commercial Education" (also known as Sydney Grammar School). When news of this reached London obstacles were put in his way by the English authorities, but Lachlan Macquarie and Thomas Brisbane successively supported him, and he established a high reputation as a teacher. In February 1827 he applied for a grant of land for a free grammar school which he proposed to establish at Sydney. Governor Darling was, however, less sympathetic, and Halloran had great difficulty in providing for his family of 9 children.

He founded a weekly paper, the Gleaner, of which the initial number appeared on 5 April 1827. However, in September, an action against the paper for libel was successful, and its last number came out on 29 September 1827.

In 1828 Darling for the sake of his children gave him the office of coroner but he did not keep the position long, and in the same year was in trouble with Archdeacon Scott, who objected to Halloran's prefacing some public lectures he was giving with part of the Anglican church service. In 1830 he established a "Memorial Office" the intention being that he should draw up statements for people desiring to bring their grievances before the government.

Halloran was a good schoolmaster who honestly endeavored to re-establish his reputation in Sydney. It was hard on him that his past sins were never allowed to rest. Unfortunately, he was of a quarrelsome nature and owed much of his misfortune to this throughout his life. The statement that he had forged his clerical orders is attested to in a private letter from Henry Hobhouse, under-secretary of state, to Earl Bathurst, and there is ample evidence from his dismissals from clerical office in England that the Anglican authorities there held that he had never been properly ordained.

Halloran died at Sydney.

Private life

Halloran was born a Catholic, but became an Anglican in 1792. While living in Exeter he married Mary ("Polly") Boutcher, a Catholic lady 10 years older than he was, by whom he had 6 children. His sister's illegitimate daughter Anna (12 years younger than he was) also posed as his wife, and they had 12 children together. The year after her death in Australia in 1823, Halloran bigamously married 16-year-old Elizabeth Forrester Turnbull by whom he had 4 more children.

His son, Henry Halloran (born 1811), became a leading public servant at Sydney and was created C.M.G. in 1878. He was the author of much verse which like his father's was of only mediocre quality. He was well known in the literary circles of his day, and was a good friend to Henry Kendall.

Writing

At Exeter he published ‘Odes, Poems, and Translations,’ 1790, and ‘Poems on Various Occasions,’ 1791. These include a variety of subjects, as ‘Ode on His Majesty's Birthday,’ ‘Animal Magnetism,’ ‘Anna,’ ‘Extempore Effusion to the Memory of an Infant,' 'Elegy under a Gallows,' &c., 'Ode on the proposed Visit of their Majesties to the City of Exeter,' 1791.

After the Battle of Trafalgar he published A Sermon on Occasion of the Victory off Trafalgar, delivered on board H.M.S. Britannia at Sea, 3 November 1805, and The Battle of Trafalgar, a poem, 1806.

Besides the works noted Halloran wrote: 1. 'Lacrymæ Hibernicæ, or the Genius of Erin's Complaint, a ballad,' 1801. 2. 'The Female Volunteer' (a drama under the name of 'Philo-Nauticus'), 1801. 3. 'Stanzas of affectionate regard to the Memory of Capt. Dawson of the Piedmontaise,' 1812.

Publications

Poetry

• Odes, Poems, and Translations. Exeter, UK: 1790.
• Poems on Various Occasions. Exeter, UK: R. Trewman, 1791.
• Four Occasional Poems: As a specimen of an intended publication. London: Debrett, 1796.
• Lachrymae Hibernicae; or, The genius of Erin's complaint: A ballad. London: W. Hughes, for S. Jordan, 1801.
• The Battle of Trafalgar: A poem; to which is added, A selection of fugitive pieces, chiefly written at sea. London: privately published, printed by Joyce Gold, 1806.
• Newgate; or, Desultry sketches in a prison: A poem. London: printed by E. Howlett, [1818?]

Play

• The Female Volunteer; or, The dawning of peace: A drama, in three acts. London: privately published, printed by J. Sheeton, 1801.

Non-fiction

• A Sermon: For the general fast, 8th of March, 1797. Exeter, UK: printed by M'Kenzie & Son, 1797.
• A Sermon for the 19th day of December, 1797: Being the day appointed for a general thanksgiving. London: printed by Sampson Low, [1797?]
• On the Observance of the Sabbath: A sermon. Wisbech, UK: privately published, printed by John White, 1800.
• On the Duties of Compassion and Benevolence: A sermon. . Exeter, UK: printed by M'Kenzie & Son, [180-?]
• A Sermon: On the necessity of discipline, the duty of subordination, and the fatal effects of disobedience, and rebellion delivered on board His Majesty's ship, 'Britannia'. London: W. Bulmer, for W.N. Gardiner, 1804.
• A sermon: On the guilt of dishonesty, in it's various degrees. Cape Town: privately published, 1808.
• Proposals for the foundation and support of a public free grammar school, in ... Sydney. Sydney: Government Printer, 1825.

Translated

• Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian, L'Orgueil corrigé: Comédie en trois actes = Pride Corrected: A comedy in three acts. London: privately published, 1801.

Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.

See also

• List of British poets

References

• A. G. Austin, 'Halloran, Laurence Hynes (1765 - 1831)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 1, MUP, 1966, pp 506–507. Retrieved 20 January 2009
•  Watt (1890) "Halloran, Lawrence Hynes}first=Francis" in Stephen, Leslie; Lee, Sidney Dictionary of National Biography 24 London: Smith, Elder, pp. 120-121 . Wikisource, Web, July 5, 2016.

External links

Poems

• Lines on the late Victory obtained over the Toulon Fleet by Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson, K.B"
• "Tributary Stanzas of affectionate Regard to the Memory of Wm. Dawson, Esq."

Books

• Laurence Hynes Halloran at Amazon.com

About

• Laurence Hynes Halloran in the Australian Dictionary of Biography
• Serle, Percival (1949). "Halloran, Laurence Hynes". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus and Robertson. http://gutenberg.net.au/dictbiog/0-dict-biogHa-He.html#halloran1. Retrieved 2009-01-20. 
• Rev. Lawrence Hynes Halloran (1766-1831) at English Poetry, 1579-1830

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, the Dictionary of National Biography (edited by Leslie Stephen). London: Smith, Elder, 1885-1900. Original article is at: Halloran, Lawrence Hynes