George Hogarth

Who was George Hogarth?

George Hogarth eldest son of Robert Hogarth, a farmer, and his wife, Mary Scott, was a Scottish newspaper editor, music critic, and musicologist. He authored several books on opera and Victorian musical life in addition to contributing articles to various publications.

Born in Carfraemill, Scottish Borders, Hogarth studied law and music at the University of Edinburgh and became a violoncellist and a composer, and acted as joint secretary to the Edinburgh Music Festival. He practiced law during the first two decades of the 19th century; counting among his clients Sir Walter Scott. On 30th May, 1814, Hogarth married Georgina Thomson, the daughter of music publisher and editor George Thomson, their marriage producing 14 children. In 1817, Hogarth, his brother-in-law James Ballantyne and Walter Scott bought the Edinburgh Weekly Journal. He first worked as a music critic for The Harmonicon during the 1820s continuing in the early 1830s after moving his family to London. In 1831 Hogarth was editor of a pro-Tory newspaper the Western Luminary, then in 1832 moved to Halifax becoming the first editor of the Halifax Guardian.