1923] HOWE, GEORGE ROGERS HALL, LOVER OF PLANTS 91 



GEORGE ROGERS HALL, LOVER OF PLANTS 



James M. Howe, Jr. 



(The Journal is glad of the opportunity to print this account of the life of Dr. Hall 

 written by his grandson, for little is known at least to this generation of the man who 

 first sent Japanese plants direct to the United States and to whom American gardens 

 owe the introduction of the Japanese Yew, the most valuable plant brought to the 

 United States from Japan, Malus Halliana Parkmanii, Abies homolepis, Thujopsis 

 dolobrala, Magnolia steltata and Lilium auratum. To Mr. Howe's paper is added an 

 appendix containing a list of the plants known to have been first introduced into this 

 country by Dr. Hall, and an account of the important collection of trees which he planted 

 on his farm in Bristol, R. 1., which now contains the largest specimens in the United 

 States of a few species. — Ed.) 



George Rogers Hall was born in Bristol, R. I. on March, 1820. 



Dr. Hall's farm, which was purchased by his father in 1830 and on 

 which he spent many years of his life, is situated on the westerly side of 

 the main road connecting the towns of Warren and Bristol. It consists 

 of a level area along the road, a rocky slope, and finally more level land 

 extending down to the waters of Narragansett Bay. The situation is 

 an unusually fine one. The old farmhouse, however, is set near the high- 

 road and does not command any special outlook. A lane runs back from 

 the street and continues down to the shore, dividing the farm into two 

 nearly equal parts. 



Hall went to Trinity College, Hartford, graduating in 1842, and from 

 there to the Harvard Medical School, matriculating with the class of 

 1846. 



After graduation, young Dr. Hall decided to embark for China, sailing 

 under the auspices of members of the King family of Newport, who seem 

 to have been friends of his father. In China Dr. Hall met Edward Cunning- 

 ham and David Oakes Clark, both of Milton, Massachusetts, and formed 

 with them the close friendship which lasted all their lives. 



Dr. Hall commenced practice in the foreign settlement of Shanghai, 

 built a house there and in the year 1850 came back to America to marry 

 Helen Beal, daughter of Thomas Prince Beal, a lawyer of Kingston, 

 Mass. Mrs. Hall returned with him to his China home. Here three 

 sons were born — Chandler Prince 1851, Edward Cunningham 1853, 

 George Rogers 1854. 



Mrs. Hall returned to America with her three small sons in 1854, the 

 youngest, George, falling ill and dying on the voyage. Mrs. Hall's letters, 

 written at this time and during her stay in China, are full of charm and 

 of the warmest affection for the husband whom she was now leaving 

 behind. 



Soon after his wife's departure, Dr. Hall gave up the active practice 

 of medicine and joined with his friend, Cunningham, in the more lucrative 

 business of trade. Dr. Hall made a number of voyages on Cunningham's 

 schooner yacht, the Halcyon, and on one occasion had a serious brush 

 with pirates, who at that time infested the China seas. A voyage was 

 made to Japan in 1855 before the formal opening of that country to trade. 



