John Lesslie Hall


John Lesslie Hall, also known as J. Lesslie Hall, was an American literary scholar and poet known for his translation of Beowulf.

Early life

John Lesslie Hall was born on March 2, 1856, in Richmond, Virginia, to Jacob Hall Jr. Hall attended Randolph–Macon College and received a PhD from Johns Hopkins University.

Career

Hall taught English history and literature at the College of William & Mary from 1888 to 1928, becoming head of the English department and dean of the faculty, and receiving an honorary LLD in 1921. He "was one of the original members of the faculty which reopened the college in 1888". He was also concerned with the history of his native Virginia; he frequently spoke at Jamestown and compared Jamestown's Great Charter of 1618 and the assembly of 1619 with the Magna Charta at Runnymede."

Personal life

In 1889, he married Margaret Fenwick Farland, of Tappahannock, Virginia. They had three sons and one daughter, Channing Moore, John Lesslie Jr., Joseph Farland, and Sarah Moore.
Hall died on February 23, 1928, at his home in Williamsburg. He was buried in Hollywood Cemetery.

Works

Hall's Beowulf follows the text closely, with alliteration:

Selected works