Henry Price Hodges

Mr Henry Price Hodges was born in Putley, Herefordshire, England in early 1862, later being baptised on 9 March that same year.He was the son of Thomas Hodges (1835-1904), a gardener, and Emily Rebecca Rose (1835-1906). His father was originally from Tarrington, Herefordshire whilst his mother was from Trowbridge, Wiltshire and they were married in Trowbridge on 8 June 1859. He had seven known siblings: George James (b. 1860), James John (b. 1864), Emily (b. 1867), Anne Mary Blanche (b. 1870), Alice (b. 1872), Thomas (b. 1874) and Robert (b. 1877).

Spending his early life in different villages in Herefordshire, the family moved to Worcestershire sometime around 1866 before resettling in the village of Northway near Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire where he was educated at Tewkesbury Grammar School. Henry appeared there with his family on the 1871 census but they later moved to Ashchurch, Gloucestershire before showing up on the 1881 and 1891 censuses living in Tibberton, also in Gloucestershire. Henry had already left home by the time of the 1881 record and was listed at an address in Hucknall Torkard, Nottinghamshire and was described as a railway clerk. He later moved to Southampton and became a music and pianoforte dealer.

He was married in the latter months of 1884 to Ellen Almy (b. 1858), a Dorset native, and their first child Roland Almy (1884-1893) was born towards the close of the year. He would be followed by: Gordon (1886-1965), Stella (1887-1966), Archibald Harry (1888-1958), Harold Herbert (1889-1905), Frank Stanley (1890-1956), Cyril Augustine (1893-1910), Hubert Selwyn (1895-1972), Henry Price (1899-1973), Leo Cecil Vernon (1902-1971) and Arnold Richard (1906-1975).

The 1891 census shows Henry and his family living at 102 St Mary Street, St Mary, Southampton and he was described as a dealer in musical instruments. The family were living at The Cotswolds, a substantial 13 room house on Highfield Lane, Portswood, Southampton by the time of the 1911 census. 

Hodges boarded the Titanic at Southampton as a second class passenger and held ticket number 250643 which had cost £13; he was travelling to Boston to visit relatives.¹

Hodges wrote a letter to Mr Hector Young, Newtown Conservative Association in Southampton, which was posted at Queenstown:

'We've had a fine time up to now. You don't notice anything of the movement of the ship. OK on top deck there are twenty boys marching round and singing. Others are playing cards and dominoes; some are reading and some writing. Everything is quite different to what we thought to see at sea.'

Henry Hodges died in the sinking; his body was later recovered by the MacKay Bennett (#149):

His body was buried at Fairview Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia on 10 May 1912.

His estate was administered to his widow:

Hodges, Henry Price, of "The Cotswolds", Highfield Lane Portswood, Southampton. Probate registered London 3rd September 1912, to Ellen Hodges, widow. Effects £16,694.5.3d.

She also received relief from the Mansion House Titanic Fund:

March 1913
Number P. 55. Hodges, Ellen, widow and Henry, Leo and Richard, children received £2 7s 0d. weekly.

Ellen Hodges was never remarried and in later years relocated to Bognor Regis, Sussex. She died there on 12 April 1938 and was buried in the The Old Cemetery, Southampton; Henry is commemorated on her headstone. 

"Henry P. Hodges, husband, who passed away on the Titanic, April 1912".

In September 1998 a plaque to the memory of Mr. Hodges was unveiled at the County Hotel (now the Highfield House Hotel), Highfield Lane, Portswood, Southampton. SO17 1AQ, which is the site of the large house that Mr. Hodges lived with his wife and eight children in 1912.