He was the only son of Henry Hobhouse (who died 2 April 1792) of Hadspen House, Somerset, barrister, and his wife Sarah, daughter of the Rev.
He rendered valuable service to the Home Secretary, Robert Peel, in the formation of the Record Commission; and he became Commissioner on 10 June 1852.
Between 1830 and 1852 the Commission published State Papers of Henry VIII in eleven quarto volumes: Hobhouse superintended the editing, and took great pains to produce an accurate text.
[1] Hobhouse married Harriett, sixth daughter of John Turton of Sugnall Hall, Staffordshire, on 7 April 1806.
Hadspen House was finally sold by the Hobhouse family in 2014,[3] and is now a working country estate with hotel called The Newt in Somerset.