Austin Hodson Explained

Austin Hodson
Bishop of Tewkesbury
Diocese:Diocese of Gloucester
Term:1938–1955
Successor:Edward Henderson
Ordination:1906 (deacon); 1908 (priest)
Ordained By:Edgar Gibson (Gloucester)
Consecration:1938
Consecrated By:Cosmo Lang (Canterbury)
Birth Date:6 May 1879
Nationality:British
Religion:Anglican
Parents:John & Annie
Alma Mater:Christ Church, Oxford

Augustine John Hodson (called Austin;[1] 6 May 187928 January 1961)[2] was the first Bishop of Tewkesbury (suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Gloucester) from 1938[3] until his resignation in 1955.[4]

Son of John and Annie, Hodson was educated at Lichfield Grammar School and Christ Church, Oxford. He studied for ordination at St Stephen's House, Oxford, and never married.

He was made deacon in Advent 1906 (23 December), by Edgar Gibson, Bishop of Gloucester, at Gloucester Cathedral, and ordained priest in 1908, serving his curacy at All Saints', Cheltenham. Between 1911 and 1915 he was Assistant Missioner to the Gloucester Diocesan Mission before serving Leckhampton as curate-in-charge (1915–1921); during the latter he was also a temporary chaplain[5] (1918–1920). He had been interviewed by the Chaplain-General in July 1918, was described as 'Dark, keen... good' and sent to France to work in a Casualty Clearing Station.[6] Before he was demobilised, it was reported, 'Has done good work as hospital chaplain in spite of rather poor health'.[7] He moved in 1921 to become Vicar of Chalford, then of Wotton-under-Edge from 1924.

Hodson departed Wotton in 1934 to become a canon residentiary of Gloucester Cathedral, in which post he remained until death. During that time, he was Archdeacon of Gloucester (1938–1948) and Bishop of Tewkesbury — the first suffragan bishop of the diocese (1938–1955). He was consecrated a bishop on 24 February 1938[8] (the Feast of St Matthias), by Cosmo Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Lambeth Palace chapel; and resigned the See effective 31 March 1955. His younger brother was Robert, Bishop suffragan of Shrewsbury.

References

  1. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=040-gdr_6&cid=8#8 National Archives — Bishops of Tewkesbury
  2. Augustine Hodson. The Times (London, England), Monday, 30 January 1961; p. 12; Issue 54992
  3. Ecclesiastical News. Bishop of Tewkesbury consecrated The Times (London, England), Saturday, 26 February 1938; p. 14; Issue 47929
  4. Resignation of the Bishop of Tewsbury The Times, Tuesday, 29 March 1955; p. 8; Issue 53200C; col. D
  5. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/searches/subjectView.asp?ID=P46080 Reference in National archives
  6. Index Card Museum of Army Chaplaincy
  7. TNA WO374/33968
  8. https://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20141101224038/http://ww3.gloucestershire.gov.uk/DServe/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqCmd=show.tcl&dsqSearch=(RefNo=='GDR') Records of the Diocese of Gloucester