John Leslie Hotson 1897-1992
Cori
2002, I can supply some of his biographical information. He was born
on August 16, 1897, in Delhi, Ontario, Canada. Parents were John
Hastie Hotson and Rosalie Swayze. They were both born in, and married
in, Ontario. I've no idea of the date and place of marriage, which I
would love to learn.
The family was well-traveled, with one son born in Canada, one in New
York, one in Florida, and a daughter in Austria. They were almost all
quite long-lived and well-educated. At least one brother was a Ph.D.
I believe John Hastie was well over 90 and John Leslie was 95 at
death. I don't know the exact date and place of Dr. Hotson's death
but it may appear in the obituary cited. Does anyone know if that is
available online, or must one subscribe to the New York Times to
access it?
John Leslie Hotson was married to Mary May Peabody in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, on Christmas Day 1919. She died on November 5, 1993,
in Northford, Connecticut. Her obituary might tell something if
anyone wants to look it up. Somewhere in some book appears a very
vivid description of them, but unfortunately all I know for sure is
the book was an autobiography published (I would guess) 1949-1959 by a
lady minister from the eastern United States who knew them. They
lived in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Virginia, and Maine, so she could
have been from any of those places, most likely Maine. No children,
but they seem to have gotten along with neighbor kids. The book
describes Dr. Hotson playing guitar for sing-alongs, and the kids
acting out the words to "A Mighty Fortress is Our God," complete with
especially effective creeping demons. Ring bells with anyone?
The family never were Catholic. John Hastie Hotson was either born
into, or converted to, the New Church of the New Jerusalem
(Swedenborgian--a Christian denomination which is neither Catholic nor
Protestant.) His wife was likely affiliated with it for some time,
but then renounced it and joined an even fringier (is that a word?)
religion which didn't believe in sin. This led to a divorce, but by
that time the children were grown or at least well-steeped in the New
Church. Perhaps, belonging to an unorthodox religion himself, Dr.
Hotson could identify with Catholics, or was at least friends with
some?
During the Second World War, the Hotsons lived in the Washington, D.
C., area, where Dr. Hotson was employed as a codebreaker for the
government. I don't know if any information on his work in that time
and place would be available through the Freedom of Information act?
At some point following the war they moved to Sorrento, located on a
remote island in Maine. Although this lady minister (who perhaps
brought out the best in others) remembered him as good with kids, a
niece remembered him as shy to the point of antisocial. He could be a
bit sarcastic ("Oh, that's right, put the salad on the table while the
hot dishes get cold") and strict (it was impolite to audibly laugh at
a funny passage in a book unless you read it aloud to everybody) and
seemed to completely rely on being around his wife. He would sort of
wilt whenever she left, resisting attempts to draw him out, and revive
when she reappeared. Once when she had to be gone for awhile, she
gave him a lecture on where the store was, how to obtain food, and so
on. On returning, she was disgusted to find he had allowed himself to
nearly starve because he just couldn't face buying groceries alone!
In his later years I believe he gave up writing and liked to read
Sherlock Holmes stories.
Unfortunately I can't share every detail, but if there is anything
else you would like to know I will try to learn it. Of course, we'd
be interested in obtaining books and information by and about Dr.
Hotson. Any researchers out there have ideas regarding this? Thanks
for your interest.
Cori
Cori
> I believe John Hastie was well over 90 and John Leslie was 95 at death.
John Hastie Hotson, John Leslie Hotson's father, died in June 1968 at
the age of 96, making him the longest-lived member of that family.
> He could be a bit sarcastic ("Oh, that's right, put the salad on the table while the hot dishes get cold")
Sorry, confusing him with another relative there
and strict (it was impolite to audibly laugh at a funny passage in a
book unless you read it aloud to everybody)
Okay, that was him.
>and seemed to completely rely on being around his wife. He would
sort of
> wilt whenever she left, resisting attempts to draw him out, and revive
> when she reappeared. Once when she had to be gone for awhile, she
> gave him a lecture on where the store was, how to obtain food, and so
> on. On returning, she was disgusted to find he had allowed himself to
> nearly starve because he just couldn't face buying groceries alone!
He was trying to live off of tomatoes out of their garden. Not much
nutritional value there. His wife was quite annoyed and determined
she couldn't leave him alone.
> In his later years I believe he gave up writing and liked to read Sherlock Holmes stories.
Quite sure I heard about a phone conversation with his wife to that
effect.
> Cori
John W. Kennedy
> At some point following the war they moved to Sorrento, located on a
> remote island in Maine.
Sorrento has the look of an island, but my current atlas shows it
connected to the mainland by an isthmus nearly a mile broad. In any
case, nothing can really be described as "remote" that is located in
Frenchman Bay.
--
John W. Kennedy
"But now is a new thing which is very old--
that the rich make themselves richer and not poorer,
which is the true Gospel, for the poor's sake."
-- Charles Williams. "Judgement at Chelmsford"
Cori
> Cori wrote:
> > At some point following the war they moved to Sorrento, located on a
> > remote island in Maine.
>
> Sorrento has the look of an island, but my current atlas shows it
> connected to the mainland by an isthmus nearly a mile broad. In any
> case, nothing can really be described as "remote" that is located in
> Frenchman Bay.
Seriously? I wonder if there's a road there or if the apparent
connection is just all rocks, and if the connecting land may be a
manmade road. As I say, don't know when they moved there, so it may
have been or at least seemed remote then.
Cori
John W. Kennedy
There is a road, ME-185.
Based on the look of it, it would not surprise me to learn that it was
an island in historic times, but it is not an island now.
And, as I say, nothing that close to Bar Harbor can reasonably be called
"remote". (I lived in Maine at the time.)
(Of course, from the viewpoint of Washington DC, I suppose _anywhere_ in
Maine but Augusta is "remote".)
Cori
> There is a road, ME-185.
Well, then, I wonder when it was built.
> Based on the look of it, it would not surprise me to learn that it was
> an island in historic times, but it is not an island now.
>
> And, as I say, nothing that close to Bar Harbor can reasonably be called
> "remote". (I lived in Maine at the time.)
Neat, I bet it was real pretty.
> (Of course, from the viewpoint of Washington DC, I suppose _anywhere_ in
> Maine but Augusta is "remote".)
I can only claim to have visited, not really lived in either, but I
will take your word for it.
Cori
jkbr...@gmail.com
jkbr...@gmail.com
marco
Forth more islands. The Tempest: II, i
When fame shall in our islands sound her trump, Toilus and Cressida: III, iii
Some to discover islands far away; The Two Gentlemen of Verona: I, iii
Walk'd crowns and crownets; realms and islands were Antony and Cleopatra: V, ii
Have I not heard these islanders shout out King John: V, ii
Your dinner, and the generous islanders Othello: III, iii
Stabb'd julius caesar; savage islanders King Henry VI, part II: IV, i
If I should say, I saw such islanders-- The Tempest: III, iii
And coops from other lands her islanders, King John: II, i
William Shakespeare, gentleman
ArtNea...@germanymail.com
marco
The very soul, and sweet religion makes Hamlet: III, iv
religion to the gods, peace, justice, truth, Timon of Athens: IV, i
It is religion that doth make vows kept; King John: III, i
But thou hast sworn against religion, King John: III, i
Which my love makes religion to obey, Antony and Cleopatra: V, ii
When the devout religion of mine eye Romeo and Juliet: I, ii
That seeks to overthrow religion, King Henry VI, part I: I, iii
religion, their heads are both one; they may jowl All's Well that Ends Well: I, iii
religion in you, that you fear. Cymbeline: I, iv
religion groans at it. Timon of Athens: III, ii
Name not religion, for thou lovest the flesh, King Henry VI, part I: I, i
I think, or in any religion. Measure for Measure: I, ii
With no less religion than if thou wert indeed my As You Like It: IV, i
Will knit and break religions, bless the accursed, Timon of Athens: IV, iii
Turns insurrection to religion: King Henry IV, part II: I, i
It is religion to be thus forsworn, Love's Labour's Lost: IV, iii
Obscures the show of evil? in religion, Merchant of Venice: III, ii
William Shakespeare, gentleman
ArtNea...@germanymail.com
marco
O heavy lightness! serious vanity! Romeo and Juliet: I, i
Make trivial price of serious things we have, All's Well that Ends Well: V, iii
Of my power, and so stand aloof for more serious Pericles, Prince of Tyre: IV, vi
He did it with a serious mind; a heed King Henry VIII: III, ii
A very serious business calls on him. All's Well that Ends Well: II, iv
Which is so serious. let us bury him, Cymbeline: IV, ii
There 's nothing serious in mortality: Macbeth: II, iii
Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing Hamlet: I, v
Our scene is alter'd from a serious thing, King Richard II: V, iii
On serious business, craving quick dispatch, Love's Labour's Lost: II, i
If thou beest capable of things serious, thou must The Winter's Tale: IV, iv
I will your serious and great business scant Othello: I, iii
I am more serious than my custom: you The Tempest: II, i
I'll hence to london on a serious matter: King Henry VI, part III: V, v
How now, brother edmund! what serious King Lear: I, ii
His serious considering. King Henry VIII: III, ii
Her length of sickness, with what else more serious Antony and Cleopatra: I, ii
Head: and among other important and most serious Love's Labour's Lost: V, i
Cause to use thee with a serious industry, that is, Cymbeline: III, v
And so, intending other serious matters, Timon of Athens: II, ii
And make a common of my serious hours. The Comedy of Errors: II, ii
A servant grafted in my serious trust The Winter's Tale: I, ii
'faith, he is posted hence on serious matter. King Lear: IV, v
William Shakepseare, gentleman
ArtNea...@germanymail.com
marco
Forth more islands. The Tempest: II, i
When fame shall in our islands sound her trump, Toilus and Cressida: III, iii
Some to discover islands far away; The Two Gentlemen of Verona: I, iii
William Shakespeare, gentleman
ArtNea...@germanymail.com
cmashiel...@hotmail.com
My mother, Grace Hotson Shields, Dr. John Leslie Hotson's niece, says I have the matter of his religion wrong. By the time the United States entered World War I, Leslie had converted to being a Quaker. His wife Mary was also a Quaker. Leslie was a conscientious objector in the war but did drive an ambulance. His brother Clarence, I thought, was rejected for combat duty due to defect(s), but Mom says he was actually chosen for intelligence work due to his great intellect. She tells a story of Clarence becoming very indignant when investigating a thief who gave his occupation as poet! (He was in trouble for pilfering care packages sent to the soldiers.) Their brother Ronald was actually imprisoned for resisting military service and by his own account was treated very badly.
Incidentally, a passage in the book "Seven Steeples," by Margaret Henrichsen, describes Leslie and Mary. "Seven Steeples" is the story of a woman who ministered seven churches on the Maine coast. Widowed in her forties, she became a minister to rural, neglected churches in Maine, eventually presiding at services for seven of them. (Hence, the seven steeples.) The book describes pageants Leslie and Mary put on with the children of whichever church where they knew Reverend Henrichsen, with Leslie accompanying the performances on guitar. Copies of the book are around if people want them. My sisters and I were very startled when we came across the book at Grandma and Grandpa's farm, as Mom had always described Leslie as so pathologically shy he would practically only speak to Mary and nearly starved when she left on a trip once as he could not bring himself to purchase food at the store! Yet he could work himself up to sing in concerts! Strange, huh?
Mom lived with Leslie, Mary, and an English girl in the D. C. area while Leslie worked as a codebreaker during WWII.
Cori
marco
Of whence you are, your name and parentage. Pericles, Prince of Tyre: II, iii
Of whence he is, his name and parentage. Pericles, Prince of Tyre: II, iii
What is your parentage? Twelfth Night: I, v
What countryman? what name? what parentage? Twelfth Night: V, i
That, upon knowledge of my parentage, The Taming of the Shrew: II, i
Report thy parentage. I think thou said'st Pericles, Prince of Tyre: V, i
My fortunes--parentage--good parentage-- Pericles, Prince of Tyre: V, i
I was the next by birth and parentage; King Henry VI, part I: II, v
I said, my lord, if you did know my parentage, Pericles, Prince of Tyre: V, i
Him: he asked me of what parentage I was; I told As You Like It: III, iv
Her parentage; being demanded that, Pericles, Prince of Tyre: V, i
But time hath rooted out my parentage, Pericles, Prince of Tyre: V, i
And, ignorant of his birth and parentage, King Henry VI, part II: IV, ii
A gentleman of noble parentage, Romeo and Juliet: III, v
'what is your parentage?' Twelfth Night: I, v
Graceless! wilt thou deny thy parentage? King Henry VI, part I: V, iv
William Shakespeare, parent