James Hodsdon 1947 - 2022

James Hodsdon BA PhD FSA

It is with the greatest sadness that we have to announce that James Hodsdon, Chair of the Gloucestershire County History Trust, collapsed and died suddenly and unexpectedly on 20 January 2022.

It would be no exaggeration to say that the progress that the Victoria County History in Gloucestershire has made during the last decade – a red book and a paperback published, and three more red books approaching completion – could not have happened without his drive, enthusiasm and meticulous hard work. In fact it is most unlikely that without him the project would have continued in the county at all. For all of us who worked with him he was our inspiration, and we are reeling from the shock of knowing that he will no longer be there to organise, guide and cajole us with his unique brand of humour, wisdom and sincerity. We have lost a charming, gentlemanly colleague and a dear friend. Beside the leading role he took in the VCH, at national as well as local level, James has served at various times as Chairman of Council of the Bristol & Gloucestershire Archaeological Society, Honorary General Editor of the Gloucestershire Record Series (to which he contributed two volumes himself), Secretary of the Gloucester and District Archaeological Research Group, and Editor of the Cheltenham Local History Society Journal; and he has been involved in some way or other in virtually every field of local history activity in his beloved Cheltenham, where he lived from 1971, and in the county. Our loss, therefore, is shared by many other organisations. It is hard to think of anyone else who has played such an influential part in our local history world as he has, as leader, diplomat, scholar and advocate. We offer our heartfelt and deepest sympathy to Judie and his family.

John Chandler

John Chandler’s commemoration first appeared in the VCH Gloucestershire Newsletter16: January 2022.   

VCH Gloucestershire Newsletter 16