Leslie Harold Augustus HODGES (1869-1951).  Born 14 Dec 1869, Islington, North London.  Son of Edwin Charles Hodges (1831 - 1925) and Emma Lane (1833 - 1913).

Married Mary Ellen PAGE 26 Sep 1903, St Nicholas Church, Dilham, Norfolk.  Died 13 Dec 1951, 18 Russell Avenue, Spixworth, Norfolk.

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1871 living at 8 Florence St, Islington.  Attended the South Islington Commercial and Mathematical School.

1877 Won school award for good conduct and attendance and ‘general progress’. 

1881 census visiting maternal uncle Thomas Angell Lane in Holbeach, Lincs.  

1883 – 1912 apprenticeship and working for his father EC Hodges.

1891 census living at home at 8 Florence St, Islington. Occupation: ‘Gunmaker’.

1890s pictured (top right pic, sitting 1st left) in the family album enjoying fishing trips off the Norfolk coast with brother Lionel and large group of friends. Also pictured competing in cycle races at Wood Green cycling track, (track active 1895-1910) North London.

1901 census unmarried and living at home, aged 31. Occupation ‘gunmaker’.

Early 1900s pictured on a tandem (top left) with fiance Mary Ellen Page.

1903 married Mary Page.

1905 living at 28 Corsica Street London, N1.

2/2/1906 only child Maxwell John Page Hodges (MJP) born at Corsica St.

May 1908, living at 72 Leslie Road, East Finchley.

1911 census living at 2 Canonbury Rd, Islington occupation 'Sporting gunmaker'.

1913-16 Listed as a gunmaker at 9 Sebbon St, (which backed onto Florence St) in the London trade and phone directories.

1914 Showed an Airedale Terrier at Crufts (Sebbon Princess).

1916-18 Worked on
George Constantinescu's hydraulic interrupter mechanism which allowed First World War fighter pilots to fire their Vickers machine guns between the blades of their planes during flight. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CC_Gear_synchronization

1920s Leslie and his nephew Arthur attempted a partnership but they parted company when Arthur brought rather too much business Leslie’s way. He preferred to work independently of his father and brothers and developed his own clients, such as Boss and various English gentlemen and Indian princes.

1927 - 1937 living and working at 40a, Canonbury Square. Had a brass name plate on one of the columns in front of his house (pictured above). From his business card it appears his trade name was ‘H. A. Hodges’ (perhaps to avoid confusion with his brother Lionel). He is named in this way in a list circa 1914 of outworkers (as a stocker) by Boss & Co. Some of his chequering tools are pictured above.

About 1938 retired to Norfolk, his wife’s county.

Died 1951. Occupation on death certificate 'Sporting gun-maker retired'. 

 
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