Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/253

Rh lin, in Bristol, England, and at University college, Toronto, where he was graduated in 1856. He was appointed a queen's counsel in 1873, a bencher of the law society in 1874, and chairman of its legal educational committee in 1875. He was senior law-examiner in Toronto university for several years, until he was elected to represent the law society in the senate of that institution. He was one of the originators of the Toronto university association, and has been president of the literary and scientific society of that institution. He was elected to the parliament of Ontario in 1871, and became master-in-ordinary of the supreme court in October. 1883. Together with Robert A. Harrison (afterward chief justice) he edited a volume of "Municipal Law Reports" (1863), and has also published educational law manuals and other works. He was a contributor and equity reporter to the Upper Canada "Law Journal" for several years, and has written on parliamentary and legal questions.

HODGKINSON, John, actor, b. in England in 1766; d. near Bladensburg, Md.. 12 Sept., 1805. In 1792 he came to this country, and first appeared at the Southwark theatre in Philadelphia as Belcour, in the "West Indian." Soon afterward he appeared in New York on his opening night at the John street theatre as Vapid in "The Dramatist." Later he went to Boston, Philadelphia, and other cities. In 1793 he bought out the interest of John Henry in the theatrical firm of Hallam and Henry, and in 1798 became the active manager of the Boston theatre. On the opening night of that year he recited a prologue written by Robert Treat Paine, and later in the season, when President John Adams attended the theatre, introduced and sang for the first time the song of 4i Adams and Liberty." His career was checkered by successes and misfortunes, until he retired from management in favor of William Dunlap. One of his favorite characters was that of Osmond in " The Castle Spectre." Dunlap says his real forte was low comedy. Such was his versatility that in a single season. in Charleston, S. C. he acted eighty different characters; and such his memory that, after a few readings, he could recite perfectly any new part. He was also an efficient stage-manager. Hodgkinson wrote several short-lived plays that were never published. — His wife. Arabella, actress, b. in Engand about 1765.; d. in New York city in September, 1804, appeared as Miss Brett at the Haymarket theatre, London, in 1784, and subsequently joined the company of comedians in Bath. In 1792 Miss Brett came to this country in company with Hodgkinson, and shortly after their arrival in New York city she was married to him. Her first appearance here was at the Southwark theatre in Philadelphia, within the year of her arrival. In the year following she became a member of the company of the John street theatre in Xew York, and. in course of time, she visited other large cities of the Union. Mrs. Hodgkinson's ability was confined to singing parts, and the personation of romps and young girlish characters.

HODGSON, Francis, clergyman, b. in Duffield, England, 13 Feb.. 1805; d. 16 April, 1877. He early came to the United States, and settled with his family in West Chester, Pa. In 1828 his active ministry in the Methodist Episcopal church began, with an appointment at Dauphin, Pa., which was followed by pastorates in Philadelphia, New York, Hartford, New Haven, and elsewhere. He was presiding elder of the South Philadelphia district during 1859-62. He was the author of an "Examination into the System of New Divinity" (New York, 1829); "The Ecclesiastical Polity of Methodism Defended"; "The Calvinistic Doctrine of Predestination Examined and Refuted " (Philadelphia, 1855) ; and " Fidelity to Truth."

HODGSON, Sir Robert, Canadian jurist, b. in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, in 1 798 ; d. 16 Sept., 1880. He was educated at the Collegi- ate school, Windsor, Nova Scotia, and admitted to the bar of that province in 1819. He was ap- pointed surrogate and judge of probate for Prince Edward Island in 1828, attorney-general and advo- cate-general the same year, president of the legis- lative council in 1840, and acting chief justice in 1841. In 1851, on the introduction of responsible government into the colony, he resigned all these offices except those of surrogate and judge of pro- bate. He was again appointed chief justice in 1852, and judge of the court of vice-admiralty in 1853. He administered the government of Prince Edward Island in 1865 and 1868, and from July, 1873, till July, 1874. when he was appointed lieu- tenant-governor of the island, and retained this office till July, 1879. He was knighted in 1869.

HOE, Robert, manufacturer, b. in Leicestershire, England, 29 Oct., 1784; d. in Westchester county, N. Y., 4 Jan., 1833. He was apprenticed to a joiner by his father, who was a farmer, but succeeding in purchasing his articles of indenture from his master, came to the United States in 1803. Soon after his arrival in New York he found employment at his trade, and after the invention by his brother-in-law, Peter Smith, of a hand printing-press, was associated with him and his brother, Matthew Smith, in their manufacture. In 1823 he succeeded to the sole control of the business, which rapidly developed with the increased demand for presses and other printing material. The Hoe press was brought out by him, and built from ideas that were obtained from the English flat-bed cylinder presses. He is said to have been the first American machinist to employ steam as a motor for his machinery. Failing health compelled his retirement from business in 1832, and he died during the following year. &mdash; His son, Richard March, inventor, b. in New York city, 12 Sept., 1812; d. in Florence, Italy, 7 June, 1886, entered his father's workshop at the age of fifteen, became thoroughly familiar with every detail of the business, and was made senior member of the firm in 1833. He showed considerable inventive skill, and kept steady pace with the demands on his establishment for improved and rapid presses. In the style of press that was prevalent when he entered business, the type was placed on a flat bed, inked by a roller that travelled back and forth, and then laid under a cylinder which carried the paper. He soon improved this method by placing the type on a fixed cylinder, and making the impression-cylinders travel around it. Later he placed the type on a revolving cylinder, in contact with which revolved four iron impression-cylinders, each carrying sheets of paper. This rotary press became known as Hoe's &ldquo;lightning press.&rdquo; At first it consisted of but two cylinders, but their number was increased to four, six, eight, and finally to ten. Subsequently he built a press capable of printing from a long sheet, or web, of paper, and on both sides of the sheet at a single operation. This press is a combination of the most delicate and intricate devices. A roll of paper five miles long is put through the machine at the rate of eight hundred feet a minute. As the sheets come out they are passed over a knife which cuts them apart, and they are then run through an apparatus which folds them for the mail or for carriers. These completely printed and folded