Thomas Hodson

Born in 1804, Thomas Hodson was a British Wesleyan missionary who spent many years in India, especially in Bangalore and Gubbi. He was closely involved with the Wesleyan Canarese Mission and is noted for helping run one of the early Wesleyan mission schools in the old Mysore region.

Hodson was also a linguist and writer. He worked in Kannada, and sources describe him as being fluent in Tamil and Bengali as well. Among his books are An Elementary Grammar of the Kannada, or Canarese Language and Old Daniel, a memoir-centered narrative about a convert to Christianity that also offers a picture of village life and missionary work in India.

He died in 1882. Today, his writing remains of interest not only for its religious themes, but also for the glimpses it gives into everyday life, education, and language in 19th-century South India.