References
William Ralph Hodgins 1812
William Ralph Hodgins lived at Bank House, at the top of Main Street, Cloughjordan. He was the leading agricultural merchant with stores in Cloughjordan, Borrisokane, Parsonstown (Birr), Portumna, Nenagh and Banagher. He opened his first store in Cloughjordan in 1846. William was also a banker, providing credit to farmers, and he introduced the Hodgins Penny as a unit of currency in the 1850s. He was also an extensive farmer leasing several holdings from Lord Dunalley. He emigrated to Australia during the Gold Rush, returning home in 1852.
He was active in local politics and was guardian for the Cloughjordan electoral district for twenty- one years. He was a member of the Cloughjordan Cricket Club. In 1855 he married Georgina Smith and they had ten children. Two years after the death of his wife, in 1875, he emigrated with his family to Kansas in America where he became an extensive farmer. He died suddenly in Kansas in 1880.
| Additional Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 1st Jan 1812 (circa) | |
| Date of Death | 1st Jan 1880 (circa) | |
