▶Date of birth:   6 May 1879       Place of birth: Lichfield, Staffordshire

▶Father: John Humphries Hodson      Mother: Annie Figgins

▶Spouse(s):  -    Date(s) of marriage:       Place(s) of marriage:

▶Occupation: Clergyman (Anglican)

▶Lifestory: The Revd. Dr Augustine (also Austin) John Hodson passed his entire career in Gloucestershire, eventually becoming Bishop of Tewkesbury. He was born in Lichfield in 1879, the eldest son of solicitor John Humphries Hodson, and his wife Annie (née Figgins); his younger brother, Robert Leighton Hodson, was the Vicar of St Stephen, Cheltenham 1917-25, and later the Bishop of Shrewsbury 1944-59.

Hodson was educated at Lichfield King Edward VI grammar school and at Bridgnorth grammar school before he was admitted to Christ Church, Oxford, Careswell Exhibitioner, BA (third class in Modern History) 1901, MA 1904; he also took the Law Society Final Examination. He trained for the Anglican ministry at St Stephen’s House, Oxford 1906, and was ordained Deacon in 1906, and Priest (both Gloucester) in 1908.

From 1906 he was licensed Curate of All Saints, Cheltenham, and amongst other duties also served as Honorary Secretary to the Cotswold Convalescent Home at Cleeve Hill; he lived in unfurnished accommodation at 4 Albert Place, Cheltenham and left the town in 1911 to become Assistant Diocesan Missioner, Gloucester 1911-15. After his work in Gloucester he was licensed Curate-in-Charge of St Peter’s Church, Leckhampton 1915-21, during which time he also served as a Temporary Chaplain to the Forces 1918-20 and between 1918-21 lived at Upnor (now Regency Lodge, 69 Pittville Lawn). While at Leckhampton he was authorised by the Consistory Court at Gloucester to erect a war memorial chapel, of which the costs were to be defrayed amongst his parishioners and others; his sisters lived with him as, it was said, “unpaid curates”.

After his time at Leckhampton he was appointed Perpetual Curate of Chalford, near Stroud in Gloucestershire 1921-24, and was then presented with the living of Wootton-under-Edge by his College, as Vicar 1924-34; from 1922 until 1926 he lived in Pittville at Upnor (now 19 Wellington Square, to which he transplanted his old house name).

He added Chaplain to the High Sheriff of Gloucestershire to his other roles by 1932 and, with a reputation as an administrator (on the diocesan Board of Finance, the Fishponds Training College Council, and elsewhere) as well as a spiritual leader, was appointed Archdeacon of Gloucester 1933-48 (and a Residentiary Canon from 1934), and in 1938 was appointed first Suffragan Bishop of Tewkesbury, where he remained until 1955, when he resigned on account of ill health.

Hodson lived latterly at 86 Kingsholm Road, Gloucester, and died, unmarried, at Gloucester in early 1961, at the age of eighty-one.

▶Moved to Pittville from:  (1) Oxford; (2) Gloucester      Moved from Pittville to: (1) Gloucester; (2) Wootton-under-Edge

▶Date of death:   28 January  1961    Place of death: Gloucester

▶Date of burial:  2 February 1961       Place of burial: Cremation after service in Gloucester Cathedral

▶Notes:   Gloucester Citizen 16r January 1965     ID: 14790

Contributor(s):  John Simpson/Alan Munden