HOSKING, SIR JOHN HENRY (1854-1928) was born at Penzance, Cornwall, and came to New Zealand with his parents in the Rock City when only a year old. He was educated at Auckland and at the age of 16 was articled to Samuel Jackson. In 1875, having passed the necessary examinations, he was admitted by Judge Gillies, and he at once proceeded to Dunedin to take up a post as managing clerk to E. P. Kenyon. In 1877 he was admitted to a partnership which lasted till 1898, Hosking carrying on most of the time alone after the departure of Kenyon to England. He was a first-class conveyancer.

Accepting the advice of S. Solomon (q.v.) to enter into practice as a barrister, he showed himself also an excellent advocate, a sound and able lawyer. He gave valuable assistance in drafting the Bank of New Zealand legislation in 1894. In 1907 he took silk with the first batch of K.C.'s in New Zealand, and in the following year he entered into a new partnership with John Cook. In 1913, with A. McIntosh, he acted as a royal commission to inquire into the working of the Public Trust office, and in 1914 he was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court. During his tenure of this appointment he had to decide many difficult and intricate legal questions arising out of post-war legislation designed to adjust the relations between mortgagees and mortgagors. In 1924 he was appointed to carry this work to a conclusion under the mortgages final extension act. He was also chairman of the war pensions board.

Hosking retired from the bench in 1925 and was knighted (K.B.) in that year. He married Kathleen, daughter of Colonel Reader. With his wife he took a prominent part in Dunedin in the early activities of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children, Lady Hosking being first president of the Dunedin branch. He died on 30 May 1928.

N.Z. Law Jour., 12 Jun 1928; N.Z. Herald and Otago Daily Times, 31 May 1928.

Reference: Volume 1, page 224

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