Gerard Hodgkinson
Encyclopedia
Gerard William Hodgkinson OBE
, MC
(19 February 1883 – 6 October 1960) played first-class
cricket
for Somerset
between 1904 and 1911. He was born at Clifton
, Bristol
and died at Wookey Hole
, Somerset
. He was also the plaintiff in a celebrated literary libel case in the 1930s and a decorated soldier and airman who saw service in both the First and Second World Wars.
Gerard Hodgkinson was educated at Eton College
and then joined the family business. In 1904, he made the first two of 19 first-class cricket appearances for Somerset as a right-handed middle- or lower-order batsman. He was not successful in his 1904 matches for Somerset, nor when he reappeared in two games in 1906. In 1907, he played six times for the county, the most appearances in a single season, and made 49 in the match against Worcestershire
, his highest to that point: this was the match in which Bert Bisgood
, making his first-class debut, scored 82 and an unbeaten 116, the first time a Somerset batsman made 100 on debut. Hodgkinson did not play for Somerset in 1908 or 1909, but returned for four games in 1910 and in his first match of the season, against Gloucestershire
he made the highest score of his career. Coming in with Somerset at 134 for six wickets, he hit 99 before his partner for a last-wicket stand of 68, Jack White
, was out, leaving him a run short of a century. He never reached such heights again in first-class cricket: that was his only score of more than 50, though in the match against the Indians in 1911
he made 44 in the first innings and 41 in the second. He did not appear in first-class cricket after the 1911 season.
record held in The National Archives indicates that although in the First World War his "home" was at Wookey, he was also at this stage a "settler" in British East Africa.
Hodgkinson joined the East African Mounted Rifles
on 10 August 1914, six days after the war had been declared. He later transferred to the 2nd County of London Yeomanry
, in the territorial cavalry division known as the Westminster Dragoons
, but from 1916 he was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps
as a pilot. In June 1917, still seconded to the Royal Flying Corps, he was promoted from second lieutenant to lieutenant and had by this time been awarded the Military Cross
. In February 1920, the London Gazette
reported that he was "unemployed" from March 1919 with the rank of captain. And in 1921 he was finally officially discharged from the County of London Yeomanry.
Hand-written notes in his record from 1918 state that he has "extensive knowledge of Central Africa and South Somaliland and the Swahili language" and said that he was a "fit GS (flying) with a strong recommendation for duty in a warm climate". He appears to have served in the East Africa region from July 1918 until his effective discharge the following year.
In 1932, the novelist John Cowper Powys
published A Glastonbury Romance
, the second of his so-called Wessex novels. The plot traced the activities of a large number of people within a fictionalised small Somerset town where there is a struggle between a charismatic and mystical leader John Geard, and the local landowner, Philip Crow, whose ownership and entrepreneurial exploitation of mining at the Wookey Hole caves is a counterpoint to the folk mysticism of Geard and the activities of anarchists and revolutionaries within the town. Though the plot is clearly fantastical, Powys ingenuously blended real places and people into the novel and Hodgkinson successfully sued for libel on the basis that the person, the character and the activities of the capitalist Philip Crow were based on him. The libel case had a direct effect on Powys's career and output: subsequent editions of A Glastonbury Romance carried disclaimers reinforcing its status as fiction, and Powys's next novel Weymouth Sands was revised and published under a different name in the UK to avoid a repetition of the lawsuit from citizens of Weymouth.
. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1945 New Year's Honours list, by which time he was a squadron leader
in the RAF Reserve. He finally retired from the RAF on 23 July 1945 and was granted the rank of wing commander
on his retirement. A collection of material about his son, Colin, indicates that Hodgkinson was involved in intelligence work in the RAF during the war.
Hodgkinson had sold the family home at Glencot in the 1930s but continued to live and work in Wookey until his death. The mill and caves complex was sold to Madame Tussauds
in 1973, 13 years after his death.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(19 February 1883 – 6 October 1960) played first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
for Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
between 1904 and 1911. He was born at Clifton
Clifton, Bristol
Clifton is a suburb of the City of Bristol in England, and the name of both one of the city's thirty-five council wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells...
, Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and died at Wookey Hole
Wookey Hole
Wookey Hole Caves is a show cave and tourist attraction in the village of Wookey Hole on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills near Wells in Somerset, England.Wookey Hole cave was formed through erosion of the limestone hills by the River Axe...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. He was also the plaintiff in a celebrated literary libel case in the 1930s and a decorated soldier and airman who saw service in both the First and Second World Wars.
Family background and cricket career
Hodgkinson's family owned and operated the Wookey Hole Paper Mill, which was established in 1610 and was the last manufacturer of handmade paper in the United Kingdom. In the early years of the 20th century, the mill employed 200 people, and local caves on the river Axe on the property had been known from early times, but the discovery in Victorian times of an extensive network of linked caves turned the business increasingly into a tourism one. The family home was Glencot House, a mock-Jacobean pile completed in 1887 and now a luxury hotel.Gerard Hodgkinson was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and then joined the family business. In 1904, he made the first two of 19 first-class cricket appearances for Somerset as a right-handed middle- or lower-order batsman. He was not successful in his 1904 matches for Somerset, nor when he reappeared in two games in 1906. In 1907, he played six times for the county, the most appearances in a single season, and made 49 in the match against Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
, his highest to that point: this was the match in which Bert Bisgood
Bert Bisgood
Bertram Lewis Bisgood, , was a cricketer who played first-class cricket for Somerset from 1907 to 1921 as a batsman and wicketkeeper. Known as "Bert" or "Bertie", he was born at Glastonbury and died at Canford Cliffs, Dorset...
, making his first-class debut, scored 82 and an unbeaten 116, the first time a Somerset batsman made 100 on debut. Hodgkinson did not play for Somerset in 1908 or 1909, but returned for four games in 1910 and in his first match of the season, against Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
he made the highest score of his career. Coming in with Somerset at 134 for six wickets, he hit 99 before his partner for a last-wicket stand of 68, Jack White
Jack White (cricketer)
John Cornish White, known as "Farmer" or "Jack", was an English cricketer who played for Somerset and England. White was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1929...
, was out, leaving him a run short of a century. He never reached such heights again in first-class cricket: that was his only score of more than 50, though in the match against the Indians in 1911
Indian cricket team in England in 1911
The Indian cricket team toured England in the 1911 season and played 23 matches, of which 14 were first-class. It was the first tour by an 'All Indian' team...
he made 44 in the first innings and 41 in the second. He did not appear in first-class cricket after the 1911 season.
Military career
Hodgkinson's Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
record held in The National Archives indicates that although in the First World War his "home" was at Wookey, he was also at this stage a "settler" in British East Africa.
Hodgkinson joined the East African Mounted Rifles
King's African Rifles
The King's African Rifles was a multi-battalion British colonial regiment raised from the various British possessions in East Africa from 1902 until independence in the 1960s. It performed both military and internal security functions within the East African colonies as well as external service as...
on 10 August 1914, six days after the war had been declared. He later transferred to the 2nd County of London Yeomanry
County of London Yeomanry
Several British Army regiments have born the title County of London Yeomanry . Most have been mounted, then armoured regiments.-1st County of London Yeomanry:...
, in the territorial cavalry division known as the Westminster Dragoons
Westminster Dragoons
The Westminster Dragoons are central London’s only Territorial Army cavalry unit. One of the Royal Yeomanry's five squadrons, their current role is to support the Formation Reconnaissance Regiments and the Joint Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Regiment on operations by providing...
, but from 1916 he was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
as a pilot. In June 1917, still seconded to the Royal Flying Corps, he was promoted from second lieutenant to lieutenant and had by this time been awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
. In February 1920, the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
reported that he was "unemployed" from March 1919 with the rank of captain. And in 1921 he was finally officially discharged from the County of London Yeomanry.
Hand-written notes in his record from 1918 state that he has "extensive knowledge of Central Africa and South Somaliland and the Swahili language" and said that he was a "fit GS (flying) with a strong recommendation for duty in a warm climate". He appears to have served in the East Africa region from July 1918 until his effective discharge the following year.
Later life and literary libel
An obituary in 1996 of Hodgkinson's son Colin, who was born in 1920 and who himself had an extraordinary career as a war-time pilot despite losing both legs in an air accident, gives a small portrait of Gerard Hodgkinson in the inter-war period. "[Colin]'s earliest memories of his father were of a powerful man in hunting pink. As he learned later, he was an outstanding Master of Foxhounds with the Mendip, a big-game hunter and a fine shot," it says. Hodgkinson was joint master of the Mendip Farmers' Hunt from 1929 to 1932. He was also the owner and manager of the Wookey Hole caves at this time.In 1932, the novelist John Cowper Powys
John Cowper Powys
-Biography:Powys was born in Shirley, Derbyshire, in 1872, the son of the Reverend Charles Francis Powys , who was vicar of Montacute, Somerset for thirty-two years, and Mary Cowper Johnson, a descendent of the poet William Cowper. He came from a family of eleven children, many of whom were also...
published A Glastonbury Romance
A Glastonbury Romance
A Glastonbury Romance is a novel by John Cowper Powys, published in 1932. Usually considered Powys' most famous work, the novel is part of his "Wessex Novels," also including Wolf Solent, Maiden Castle, and Weymouth Sands...
, the second of his so-called Wessex novels. The plot traced the activities of a large number of people within a fictionalised small Somerset town where there is a struggle between a charismatic and mystical leader John Geard, and the local landowner, Philip Crow, whose ownership and entrepreneurial exploitation of mining at the Wookey Hole caves is a counterpoint to the folk mysticism of Geard and the activities of anarchists and revolutionaries within the town. Though the plot is clearly fantastical, Powys ingenuously blended real places and people into the novel and Hodgkinson successfully sued for libel on the basis that the person, the character and the activities of the capitalist Philip Crow were based on him. The libel case had a direct effect on Powys's career and output: subsequent editions of A Glastonbury Romance carried disclaimers reinforcing its status as fiction, and Powys's next novel Weymouth Sands was revised and published under a different name in the UK to avoid a repetition of the lawsuit from citizens of Weymouth.
Second World War service and after
Although he was in his late 50s, Hodgkinson was re-commissioned as a pilot officer in the Royal Air Force in January 1940. In July 1940 he was given the rank of flying officerFlying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1945 New Year's Honours list, by which time he was a squadron leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
in the RAF Reserve. He finally retired from the RAF on 23 July 1945 and was granted the rank of wing commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
on his retirement. A collection of material about his son, Colin, indicates that Hodgkinson was involved in intelligence work in the RAF during the war.
Hodgkinson had sold the family home at Glencot in the 1930s but continued to live and work in Wookey until his death. The mill and caves complex was sold to Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds is a wax museum in London with branches in a number of major cities. It was founded by wax sculptor Marie Tussaud and was formerly known as "Madame Tussaud's", but the apostrophe is no longer used...
in 1973, 13 years after his death.