HODGSON, WILLIAM CHARLES (1826-94) was born at Chorley, Lancashire, the son of William Hodgson, a Manchester cotton spinner. Having lost his money by the introduction of the power loom, and having married his deceased wife's sister (then forbidden by the law of the Church) William Hodgson came to New Zealand in the Himalaya, arriving in Nelson in 1844. He took up 50 acres of land at Wakapuaka, upon which he and his family struggled in vain to establish themselves. The father died in 1847 and the son, who had been educated at the Manchester Grammar School and had hoped to go to Oxford, taught the private school which had been established in Nelson by Thomas Arnold (q.v.). He afterwards taught under the education board at Wakapuaka, and in 1863 was appointed inspector of schools. He represented Nelson in the Provincial Council in 1865. Hodgson retired in 1893 and died on 28 Jul 1894. A man of great literary taste and classical learning, Hodgson wrote a good deal of verse, the quality of which ranks very high amongst New Zealand poetry. Classical allusion and graceful diction abound, some of the choicest of his verse being English versions of Greek poems. A volume of his poetry, selected by A. A. Grace (who also wrote a biographical introduction) was published in 1896. A sister of Hodgson married J. W. Barnicoat (q.v.).

Cycl. N.Z., v; Grande; Hodgson, op. cit. (p); The Colonist, Jul 1894.

Reference: Volume 1, page 218

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