Edwin Hodder

Born in Staines, Middlesex, on December 13, 1837, he spent part of his youth in New Zealand before returning to England. After coming back, he entered the Civil Service and remained there for many years, retiring in 1897.

Alongside his day job, he built a varied literary career. He wrote travel-based and historical works, books for younger readers, and biographies, and he also became known as a hymn writer and editor. Some sources note that he used the pseudonym "Old Merry" in work connected with children's publishing.

He died on March 1, 1904, after later living in Sussex. Today he is remembered as a versatile Victorian author whose writing linked religious themes, popular history, and the wider English-speaking world, including New Zealand and South Australia.