Basil Hall
British Labour Party activist and lifeboat sailor
About Basil Hall
Lived 1865 – 1942 (aged 76).
Basil William Reid Hall (31 October 1865 – 10 August 1942 ) was a British Labour Party activist and lifeboat sailor.
Born in Sunderland, Hall was educated at Versailles, and at Twyford School in Winchester. He joined the Royal Navy in 1878, training on HMS Britannia. He reached the rank of captain, but left in 1894 to join the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), becoming an inspector of lifeboats, and also lecturing in support of the organisation. In 1914, he led the rescue operation of , for which he received the Silver Medal of the RNLI.
Hall became active in the Fabian Society, serving on its executive initially in 1909, and devoting more time to politics after his retirement, in 1919. He was also the chair of the 1917 Club, and served on the Labour Army and Navy Advisory Committee.
Through the Fabian Society, Hall became active in the Labour Party, for which he stood unsuccessfully in Lewes at the 1923 United Kingdom general election, 1924 by-election, and 1924 United Kingdom general election, and Lowestoft at the 1929 United Kingdom general election.
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Important facts
People in Basil Hall's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Basil Hall's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Basil Hall?
British Labour Party activist and lifeboat sailor
When was Basil Hall born?
Basil Hall was born on 31 October 1865.
When did Basil Hall die?
Basil Hall died on 10 August 1942.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Basil Hall (Labour politician)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Basil Hall. https://biography.guide/basil-hall-1865/
MLA: "Basil Hall." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/basil-hall-1865/.
Chicago: "Basil Hall." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/basil-hall-1865/.
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