Ernest Rust HODSON (1853-1934)

Ernest Rust Hodson (1853-1934) was the husband of Annie de Salis Mourilyan who was the niece of Eugénie Sladden.

Ernest was born on 15th November 1853 at The Chantry, Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, the eighth of ten children of Charles Frederick Hodson, a surgeon, and his wife, Betsey.  He was educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and took up various teaching posts after graduating.

In 1887, Ernest moved to Brussels to take over St Bernard’s School.  He took with him his wife, Margaret Maria Kendall, whom he had married on 21st April 1880 at Holy Trinity, Clapham, and their four children:  Constance Agnes (1881-1963), Basil Ernest (1883-1889), Charles Rosser Kendall (1885-1889), Margaret Doris (1886-1970).  Sadly, both his sons died in 1889.  The following year in Brussels, Lionel Ernest (1890-1964), known as Tommy, was born.  Tragedy struck the family again when Ernest’s wife, Margaret, died, leaving him with three young children.

Five years later, Ernest married again on 26th July 1898.  His bride was Annie de Salis Mourilyan, nearly 17 years his junior, who was the niece of his friend, Fred Mourilyan (Ernest and Fred sang together in the choir of the Church of the Resurrection).

Ernest and Annie had four children:  Charles Thomas (1899-1925), Amy Victoria (1901-1967), Arthur Robert Jarvis (1904-1973) and Henry Clarence (1906-1999).

In about 1904, St Bernard’s School closed.

Amy kept a diary throughout the war and Fred is mentioned on a number of occasions in the book, “Miss Cavell was Shot, The Diaries of Amy Hodson 1914-1920”, edited by Monica Kendall (2015).

Ernest continued to live in Brussels until his death on 26th November 1934.