John Hodgson (Pennsylvania politician)

American politician (died 1881)

John Hodgson

Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the Chester County district
In office
1858–1858

Serving with Eber W. Sharpe and Morton Garrett

Preceded by| Ebenezer V. Dickey, James Penrose, Paxson Vickers
Succeeded by| Isaac Acker, William T. Shafer, Caleb Pierce
Personal details
Died| December 2, 1881 (aged 74)
Chester, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political party| Democratic
Spouse|

Elizabeth Hall

(m. 1829, died)​

Children| 5
Occupation|

* Politician
* newspaperman

John Hodgson (died December 2, 1881) was an American politician and newspaperman from Pennsylvania. He served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing Chester County in 1858. He published various newspapers in Pennsylvania, including the Norristown Herald, The Jeffersonian and Democratic Herald, and the Chester Times.

## Early life

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John Hodgson was born to Ann(e) and William Hodgson. He moved with his family from England to America at the age of five or nine. They settled in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and his father was a minister of the Protestant Episcopal Church and his mother sold candy from a store in front of their home on West Gay Street.[1][2][3] He learned the printing trade as an apprentice at the Village Record in West Chester under Charles Miner.[1][3][4]

## Career

[edit]

After learning the trade, Hodgson moved to Doylestown in Bucks County, and was a compositor at the Bucks County Intelligencer there.[1][3] He then moved to Norristown in Montgomery County. In 1834, he purchased the Norristown Herald, a Whig paper and published it for a few years before selling the publication to Robert Iredell in 1837. He moved briefly to western Virginia and then moved to Philadelphia. He worked as a dry goods merchant in Philadelphia.[1][4][3][5]

In 1842, Hodgson moved back to West Chester. On September 5, 1843, he started publishing the West Chester Herald. After a month, on October 3, it was published as The Jeffersonian and Democratic Herald, a Democratic weekly newspaper. He initially published it with Asher M. Wright. Wright left the paper in February 1845 and he became the sole owner. He later turned the paper over to his sons William and Charles. He worked as editor of the paper until 1865.[1][4][6] During the Civil War, The Jeffersonian was known as a Copperhead newspaper, supporting the anti-war movement and slavery. At one point, federal authorities seized the paper.[3][7]

Hodgson was elected as a Democrat and served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing Chester County in 1858.[1][8][9] He moved to Chester in the summer of 1876.[10] In September 1876, he established the Chester Times (or Chester Daily Times) in Chester.[1][11] After failing health, he sold the paper to J. Craig Jr. on March 7, 1877.[10]

## Personal life

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Hodgson married Elizabeth Hall of Doylestown, daughter of Samuel Hall and sister of the editor of the Bucks County Intelligencer, in December 1829. They had five children, William Hall, Elizabeth, Annie, Charles and John. His wife died in Philadelphia around 1843.[1][2][3][12] His son William would start the Daily Local News.[4] His brother Francis Hodgson was a minister at St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church.[13]

Hodgson died on December 2, 1881, aged 74, in Chester.[1][13]

## References

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1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Encyclopedia of Genealogy and Biography of the State of Pennsylvania. Vol. 2\. The Lewis Publishing Company. 1904. pp. 729–732. Retrieved December 29, 2023 - via Archive.org.
2. ^ a b Wiley, Samuel T. (1893). Garner, Winfield Scott (ed.). Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsylvania, Comprising A Historical Sketch of the County. Gresham Publishing Company. p. 680. Retrieved December 29, 2023 - via Archive.org.
3. ^ a b c d e f Manber, Jeffrey; Dahlstrom, Neil (2005). Lincoln's Wrath. Sourcebooks, Inc. pp. 39–43. Retrieved December 29, 2023 - via Archive.org.
4. ^ a b c d Heathcote, C. W., ed. (1932). A History of Chester County Pennsylvania. National Historical Association, Inc. pp. 167–168. Retrieved December 29, 2023 - via Archive.org.
5. ^ Bean, Theodore W., ed. (1884). History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Everts & Peck. p. 459. Retrieved December 29, 2023 - via Archive.org.
6. ^ West Chester, Past and Present; Centennial Souvenir. Daily Local News. 1899. p. 9. Retrieved December 29, 2023 - via Archive.org.
7. ^ Shankman, Arnold M. (1980). The Pennsylvania Antiwar Movement, 1861–1865. Associated University Presses, Inc. pp. 73, 85, 214, 229. ISBN 978-0-8386-2228-5. Retrieved December 29, 2023 - via Archive.org.
8. ^ "John Hodgson". Pennsylvania House of Representatives Archives. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
9. ^ Thomson, W. W., ed. (1898). Chester County and Its People. The Union History Company. p. 441. Retrieved December 29, 2023 - via Archive.org.
10. ^ a b Ashmead, Henry Graham; Johnson, William Shaler (1883). Historical Sketch of Chester, on Delaware. Republican Steam Printing House. pp. 218–219. Retrieved December 29, 2023 - via Archive.org.
11. ^ Palmer, Charles, ed. (1932). History of Delaware County. Vol. 2\. National Historical Association, Inc. p. 34. Retrieved December 29, 2023 - via Archive.org.
12. ^ Davis, W. W. H. (1904). History of Doylestown, Old and News. Intelligencer Print. Retrieved December 29, 2023 - via Archive.org.
13. ^ a b "Death of an Editor". The Daily Gazette. December 5, 1881. p. 2. Retrieved December 29, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.

*[m.]: married