Born in Dublin, Ireland in 1828, he went to Toronto, Province of Canada in 1848. He studied at the University of Toronto and was called to the bar in 1858. In the same year, he married Maria, the daughter of John Scoble. He was named Queen's Counsel in 1873. In 1878, he took part in the discussions with the federal government which established the northern and western boundaries of the province of Ontario. In the same year, he resigned his seat in the Ontario legislature to run, unsuccessfully, in the federal riding of West Toronto. He contributed to the Upper Canada Law Journal and also published a number of works on the subject of law.
His brother, John George Hodgins served as deputy minister in the Ontario Ministry of Education.
