Title: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay & Wellington Provincial Districts]

Author: Cyclopedia Company Limited

Publication details: The Cyclopedia Company, Limited, 1908, Christchurch

Part of: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand

License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 New Zealand Licence

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Mr. William Hodgson, Receiver of Rates for the Napier Borough Council, was born at Norwich, Nnfollk, England, in the year 1844, and is the son of the late Mr. Thomas Hodgson, of that city. He was educated at the private school of Mr. Samuel Gidney, and was afterwards apprenticed to the grocery trade. At eighteen years of age he joined the dramatic profession, and for nearly fourteen years was a member of various stock companies in provincial theatres, including the Queen's Theatre (Manchester), Theatre Royal (Dublin), Theatre Royal (Hanley), Princes Theatre (Edinburgh), and at Bolton, Blackburn, Preston, Belfast, Leeds, Bradford, Aberdeen, Greenock, and other places. Mr. Hodgson arrived in New Zealand in the ship “Mataura” (Captain Brown), in 1877, and for seven years was book-keeper for a Napier merchant. He received his present appointment in 1884. Mr. Hodgson's reminiscences of his dramatic days have been often pleasantly recalled by meeting travelling members of the profession, with whom he had been previously acquainted, such as Messrs J. L. Toole, Harry Paulton, F. Maccabe, T. B. Appleby, and Harry Taylor. His engagements were generally in juvenile lead, and light comedy business. Mr. Hodgson acts as returning officer in local and general elections, and was for many years secretary to the Napier school committee. He has on many occasions in Napier rendered valuable assistance in amateur performances for charitable purposes, and is secretary to the Napier Bowling Club. In 1866 Mr. Hodgson married, at Edinburgh, a daughter of Mr. W. H. Weir, scenic artist at the Theatre Royal, Dublin, and has, surviving, one son and one daughter.