Arnold Weinholt Hodson
Encyclopedia
Sir Arnold Wienholt Hodson , KCMG (1881 – 1944) was a British
colonial
administrator who was Governor in turn of the Falkland Islands
, Sierra Leone
and the Gold Coast
.
, Devon
shire, in 1881. He was the eldest son of Algernon Hodson and Sarah Wienholt.
He was educated at Felsted
.
Hodson was in Central Queensland
1900 to 1902 and was part of the Queensland Contingent for South Africa
in 1902. He served in the Transvaal 1902-04.
From 1904 until 1912 he was in the Bechuanaland Protectorate Police Force. His duties as a policeman and magistrate took him into the most remote parts of the territory, one of the his missions being the Damaraland
frontier at the time of the Herero and Nama Wars in German South-West Africa. He was also much involved in trying to reconcile conflicts between tribal chiefs. His several political missions cover a most important period of the history of Botswana
.
One of his journeys, in 1906, was made in the company of Sir Ralph Williams, Resident Commissioner, and was from Serowe
to Livingstone
and the Victoria Falls
via Lake Ngami
. Four years later Hodson organised a hunting trip for High Commissioner Selborne, from Pandamatenga
to Selous' old camp on the Mabebe Flats and on to the Chobe
.
He then went on to Somaliland
1912-14. He served as Consul in Southern Abyssinia
(now Ethiopia) 1914-23, then Consul in South West Abyssinia from 1923-1926.
1926-30. During his tenure, a mountain - Mount Hodson (56°42'S, 27°13'W) - the summit of Visokoi Island
in the South Sandwich Islands - was named after him.
He was Governor of Sierra Leone
1930-1934, where he was known as the 'Sunshine Governor' and was responsible for the creation of the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service, which launched on 7 May 1934. That same year he was knighted.
Finally, he was Governor of the Gold Coast
(now Ghana
) 1934-1941.
Hodson married Elizabeth Charlotte Sarah Hay, daughter of Major Malcolm Vivian Hay in 1928. They had two daughters, Rose and Elizabeth. He died on the 26th May 1944 ('Who was who' 1980, p. 550).
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
colonial
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
administrator who was Governor in turn of the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
and the Gold Coast
Gold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
.
Background
Hodson was born in Bovey TraceyBovey Tracey
Bovey Tracey is a small town in Devon, England, on the edge of Dartmoor, its proximity to which gives rise to the "slogan" used on the town's boundary signs, "The Gateway to the Moor". The locals just call the town "Bovey" ....
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
shire, in 1881. He was the eldest son of Algernon Hodson and Sarah Wienholt.
He was educated at Felsted
Felsted School
Felsted School, an English co-educational day and boarding independent school, situated in Felsted, Essex. It is in the British Public School tradition, and was founded in 1564 by Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich who, as Lord Chancellor and Chancellor of the Court of Augmentations, acquired...
.
Hodson was in Central Queensland
Central Queensland
Central Queensland is an ambiguous geographical division of Queensland that centres on the eastern coast, around the Tropic of Capricorn. Its major regional centre is Rockhampton and the Capricorn Coast and the area extends west to the Central Highlands at Emerald, north to the Mackay Regional...
1900 to 1902 and was part of the Queensland Contingent for South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1902. He served in the Transvaal 1902-04.
From 1904 until 1912 he was in the Bechuanaland Protectorate Police Force. His duties as a policeman and magistrate took him into the most remote parts of the territory, one of the his missions being the Damaraland
Damaraland
Damaraland was a name given to the north-central part of what later became Namibia, inhabited by the Damaras. It was bounded roughly by Ovamboland in the north, the Namib Desert in the west, the Kalahari Desert in the east, and Windhoek in the south....
frontier at the time of the Herero and Nama Wars in German South-West Africa. He was also much involved in trying to reconcile conflicts between tribal chiefs. His several political missions cover a most important period of the history of Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
.
One of his journeys, in 1906, was made in the company of Sir Ralph Williams, Resident Commissioner, and was from Serowe
Serowe
Serowe was famed as Botswana's largest village after Molepolole. Serowe has a rich history in Botswana'; it being the capital for the Bamangwato people in the early part of the 20th century and for being the birth place of many of Botswana's Presidents...
to Livingstone
Livingstone, Zambia
Livingstone or Maramba is a historic colonial city and present capital of the Southern Province of Zambia, a tourism centre for the Victoria Falls lying north of the Zambezi River, and a border town with road and rail connections to Zimbabwe on the other side of the Falls...
and the Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls
The Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya is a waterfall located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe.-Introduction:...
via Lake Ngami
Lake Ngami
Lake Ngami is an endorheic lake in Botswana north of the Kalahari Desert. It is seasonally filled by the Taughe River an affluent of the Okavango River system flowing out of the western side of the Okavango Delta. It is one of the fragmented remnants of the ancient Lake Makgadikgadi...
. Four years later Hodson organised a hunting trip for High Commissioner Selborne, from Pandamatenga
Pandamatenga
Pandamatenga is a village in North-West District, Botswana. It is located close to the country's border with Zimbabwe, whose border post is also known as Pandamatenga....
to Selous' old camp on the Mabebe Flats and on to the Chobe
Chobe District
Chobe District is a district of Botswana, with the headquarters in Kasane. Until 2006, it shared with Ngamiland the North-West District Council as local government. Chobe National park is in the Chobe District...
.
He then went on to Somaliland
Somaliland
Somaliland is an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia. The government of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to the British Somaliland protectorate, which was independent for a few days in 1960 as the State of...
1912-14. He served as Consul in Southern Abyssinia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
(now Ethiopia) 1914-23, then Consul in South West Abyssinia from 1923-1926.
Colonial governor
Hodson was Governor of the Falkland IslandsFalkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
1926-30. During his tenure, a mountain - Mount Hodson (56°42'S, 27°13'W) - the summit of Visokoi Island
Visokoi Island
Visokoi Island is an uninhabited island in the Traversay Islands group of the South Sandwich Islands. It was discovered in 1819 by a Russian expedition under Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, who named the island Visokoi because of its conspicuous height.The island is long and wide, capped by...
in the South Sandwich Islands - was named after him.
He was Governor of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
1930-1934, where he was known as the 'Sunshine Governor' and was responsible for the creation of the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service, which launched on 7 May 1934. That same year he was knighted.
Finally, he was Governor of the Gold Coast
Gold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
(now Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
) 1934-1941.
Hodson married Elizabeth Charlotte Sarah Hay, daughter of Major Malcolm Vivian Hay in 1928. They had two daughters, Rose and Elizabeth. He died on the 26th May 1944 ('Who was who' 1980, p. 550).