John Hodgkiss

John Hodgkiss (ca.1820 – 23 June 1897) was a politician in the early days of the Colony of South Australia Hodgkiss was born in Tenbury, then in Shropshire, and served an apprenticeship as a draper in Worcester.

He emigrated to South Australia in 1849 and with John Farmer (died 7 October 1888) opened a drapery "Farmer & Hodgkiss" in Hindley Street (then the premier shopping strip in Adelaide) in what was previously J. S. Crabb's grocery opposite the "Royal Admiral" hotel.

[1] Farmer returned to England in 1857 after their shop was destroyed by fire,[2] and Hodgkiss, then sole owner, moved his business (as Hodgkiss & Co.) to 26 and 28 Rundle Street, where it remained until sold to James Marshall & Co. in 1879.

(There are contemporary parallels with fellow-parliamentarian William Parkin) He was elected to the Legislative Council in 1866 and served until 1872.

[3] He died at his home, "Lawn House", Brighton on 23 June 1897.