HODGES, Charles (1802-1848) — London
Bookseller, stationer & playing-card publisher; poet; collector. Published Astrophilogeon 1828, a pack of sixty playing-cards consisting of thirty terrestrial and thirty celestial maps: the case is lettered Astrophilogeon, a game of science and amusement; co-published with James Warner Stopforth, a pack of fifty-two maps of the world playing-cards, with a duty card and explanatory tract 1828; again with Stopforth, fifty-two astronomy playing-cards, with a duty card and explanatory tract 1828. Also produced conventional playing cards.
Born 11 Nov 1802 and baptised Charles Alexander Crickett (Crickitt) Hodges 26 Apr 1803 at Embleton, Northumberland, the son of the Rev. Henry Hodges (1756-1811), rector, and his wife Sophia Alexandra Crickett (1779-1867), who had married in 1798. He applied to become a cadet in the Bengal Infantry in 1817 and was serving there in 1818. He married Eliza Grace Atkinson (1809-1878) at St. George Hanover Square 4 Jan 1825. He was recorded simply as a gentleman when a son who died in infancy was baptised at Kennington in 1826. He published his own ‘Poetic musings’ in a limited edition in 1829. In 1830, Hodges brought charges against his servant Eliza Stalley, aged seventeen, accusing her of having stolen “21£ in gold and silver monies, jewellery, books, elegantly bound in morocco, many volumes, a valuable flute, and a German mouth-piece, in a case, a quantity of packs of new playing cards, table cloths, sheets, table linen, a set of china, some tea pots, rosewood tea caddy, and kitchen utensils, as much as she could cram into a hackney coach” (Globe, 29 Mar 1830). When it came to trial, the full story emerged: “Charles Alexander Hodges said that he is bookseller, and resides in Portman-street, Portman-square. He took the prisoner into his service in February last, and, about the latter end of March, he was obliged to go from home for some days. On his return he found the prisoner had absconded, and had taken with her the property mentioned … on his cross-examination, the prosecutor said that his first introduction to the prisoner was by having met her in Piccadilly on a Sunday evening, when he prevailed upon her to accompany him to house in Soho-square, where an improper intercourse took place between them. He subsequently took several lodgings for her up to February, when he took her to his own house, in the capacity a servant, finding the expenses of lodging too great. He denied having had any improper intercourse with her in his own house. She is 17 years of age, and he is 27. He did not give her any of the articles or the money found on her, to buy dresses with. The police-officer found the property at her lodgings. The prisoner, in her defence, said that the reason she left the prosecutor was, that he acknowledged to her he was a married man, which made her so unhappy and uneasy that she determined to leave him. The money found on her was her own, being given to her by the prosecutor to buy dresses with” (Globe, 17 Apr 1830). “His lordship then commenced to charge the jury. He observed, that the present case was a most lamentable one: the conduct of the prosecutor was gross and infamous, and, he must say, a more disgraceful exhibition never was made in any court than that made by him, who, though a married man, and in violation of the obligation of that character, goes out on a Sunday evening, when it would be thought he should have other duties to attend to, his only object being to indulge his criminal passions. He meets the prisoner; he prevails on her to make an assignation with him, which she does; and from that period he takes lodgings for her: these he finds expensive, and takes cheaper according as the guilty passion was gratified: and all this he does, forgetful of the duties of a married man. However disgraceful the conduct of the prosecutor, yet they had a public duty to perform, which no compassion or sympathy for the situation of the prisoner could interfere with. His lordship recapitulated the evidence, and concluded by observing, that if the prosecutor had a spark of feeling he would deplore this day; and he trusted that he would live to repent of the violation of the oath he had pledged at the altar, that he would be faithful to his wife and endeavour by his future conduct to atone for the great wrong he had done her. The jury retired and after an absence of upwards of two hours found the prisoner guilty of the minor offence, but earnestly recommended her to mercy, at the same time conveying a censure, not only on the conduct of the prosecutor, but no little doubt as to his credibility (New Times, 17 Apr 1830). Despite the jury’s recommendation, Eliza Stalley was sentenced to seven years’ transportation. The case was very widely reported in the press and having already said in evidence that he was planning to sell up and move abroad, Hodges subsequently went to Germany, there publishing ‘Translated and original poems’ at Coblentz in 1834, further translations and poems at Munich 1835-1836, and a play ‘Inez de Castro’ at Hamburg in 1840. He subsequently lived in Frankfurt and died at Amiens, France, 17 Mar 1848. His will made out in 1844 (PROB 11/2078/458), mentioning various family members including his estranged wife, was proved 27 Jul 1848. The quality and importance of his “very valuable and extensive collection of autograph letters” created something of a stir when auctioned off over four days by ‘Puttick & Simpson’ 18-21 Dec 1848, a sale later followed by the auction of his small and select collection of prints in Feb 1849.
Henry Place, Kennington (home) — 1826-1827
27 Portman Street, Portman Square — 1827-1830
BBTI. BM. BNA. OB.