Spencer Timothy Hall, Burnley

iBase ID

277829

Reference identifier

EBU20190219006

Title

Spencer Timothy Hall, Burnley

Place

Burnley

Personal names

Dr. Spencer Timothy Hall, Harriet Martineau

General notes

"Dr." Spencer Timothy Hall, author, mesmerist and homeopath, Burnley. Born the son of a Quaker farmer in 1812 in Sutton in Ashfield, Notts., he was apprenticed as a compositor and as a teenager began writing and mixing in literary circles. By 1836, he had become a printer, publisher, and author, with the pen-name "The Sherwood Forester", and later worked as a newspaper editor. However, after hearing a lecture he took up mesmerism in 1841, and became a very successful lecturer and practitioner, and was credited with having "cured" the famous writer Harriet Martineau (1802-76). He later also practised homeopathy, and hydropathy, although he had no recognised British medical qualification. He lived in Burnley from 1870-80, was a founder member of the Burnley Literary and Scientific Club and in 1877 wrote "Pendle Hill and its Surroundings". He later fell on hard times and ill health and was granted a pension in 1884 . He died at Blackpool on 26.4.1885. An appeal was launched to raise funds for his widow who was 20 years his junior, and had been left in poverty, still with young children. Hall's death was widely reported with obituaries in many contemporary newspapers (e.g. Burnley Express 2/5/1855 p.6) . Information on Spencer T. Hall can also be found in an article by Ken Spencer for the Burnley Historical Society publication "Retrospect" 10.3. 1982 and other sources held in Burnley Library .

Medium

Photographic print

Colour

Monochrome

Original image size

15 x 20.5

Year of image

1877 ?

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Locator

T51

Collection link