Hi:

I've traced my family back to a Henry Hodges who was born in Twekesbury around 1800; married a Bridget Davies from Lingen, Herefordshire; ran a carrier business in corn and flour in several communities around the Forest until finally permanently settling in Littledean some time between 1834 and 1839.

Henry and Bridget had some six children at least two of whom survived to maturity (my gg-grandfather William Henry Hodges and his brother Henry Jabez Hodges). There was a sister, Esther Amelia, who was born in 1842 in Littledean and is still alive at the 1851 census but I have no record what happened to her beyond then.

William and Henry married two sisters, Sarah and Jane Drew (their father, Absalom Drew, lived in East Dean -- he and almost all his other children emigrated in the 1870s to Westfield, Massachusetts in America). William and Sarah had several children, five of whom reach maturity. Sarah died in 1882 at the age of 34 and William died three years later. Apparently Henry and Jane weren't doing all that well financially (he's listed as a unemployed mine manager farming 16 acres of land in one census) and Jane must have contacted her siblings and wound up sending the neices and nephews to America aboard a tramp steamer. Henry Jabez and Jane had six children, three boys who survived to maturity: Herbert Murray Hodges, Howard Percy Cameron Hodges and William Bruce Mortimer Hodges. Howard and William never married. Herbert "Bert" Hodges married a Jessie Burt in Singapore (she was the daughter of an overseas English Army officer and Bert travelled the Pacific Rim working for a chemical company). They died without issue, so that branch of the family deadends.

Not sure exactly what I'm looking for -- most of the other posts on this website seem to be census lookups. I guess what I'm hoping to run into is someone who actually lives near the Forest and has an occasion to wander near the church in Littledean -- there's supposedly a family plot that I'd love to get some information from. Also, Henry Hodges' life prior to his marriage to Bridget is a complete mystery -- if he connects up with any other Hodges I would appreciate learning about it.

Many thanks.

--jon

Here is Henry, Bridget and Family on the 1861 census:
HODGES, Henry Head Married M 69 dealer And Grocer b. Gloucestershire
HODGES, Bridget Wife Married F 62 b. Herefordshire
HODGES, William Henry Son Unmarried M 26 Accountant b. Gloucestershire
HODGES, Henry John Son Unmarried M 22 General Carrier b. Little Dean Gloucestershire
HODGES, Esther Amelia Daughter Unmarried F 19 b. Little Dean Gloucestershire

RG number:RG09 Piece:1754 Folio:19 Page:9
Registration District: Westbury-on-severn Sub District:1 Newnham
Enumeration District:2 Ecclesiastical District:
Parish: Little Dean City/Municipal Borough:
Address: Broad Street, Little Dean

Henry and Bridget's Children:
MARY ELIZABETH HODGES c. 07 JUL 1833 Minsterworth, Gloucester, England
WILLIAM HENRY HODGES c. 25 MAY 1834 Minsterworth, Gloucester, England
ALICE HODGES c. 12 APR 1835 Little Dean, Gloucester, England
BRIDGET DAVIS HODGES c. 22 MAY 1836 Little Dean, Gloucester, England
HENRY JABEZ HODGES c. 03 JUN 1838 Little Dean, Gloucester, England

I'll see if I can find anything else for you.

Joanne.

1861 Broad St Littledean
Henry Hodges abt 1802 Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, England Head Littledean Gloucestershire
Bridget Hodges abt 1799 Lingen, Herefordshire, England Wife Littledean Gloucestershire
Esther Amelia Hodges abt 1842 Little Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Littledean Gloucestershire
Henry Jabez Hodges abt 1839 Little Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son Littledean Gloucestershire
William Henry Hodges abt 1835 Minesteworth, Gloucestershire, England Son Littledean Gloucestershire

Name: Hodges, Esther Amelia
Record Type: Marriages
Quarter: June
Year: 1873
District: Westbury on Severn
County: Gloucestershire
Volume: 6a
Page: 522

<using FreeBDM possible spouse John Symes or Boughton, but cannot find them unless they emigrate by 1881; however checking the Prudence Thomas entry turns out she is in Bodmin Cornwall , and it should be Rhoda Thomas of Cinderford>

Hi again

BRIDGET DAVIES c. 09 SEP 1798 Lingen, Hereford, England
Father: PHILIP BRYAN DAVIES
Mother: BRIDGET
Siblings:
ANN DAVIES c. 12 MAY 1793 Ligen, , Hereford, England
ELYZABETH DAVIES c. 13 JAN 1796 Lingen, Hereford, England
PHILIP BRYAN DAVIES c. 12 MAR 1801 Lingen, Hereford, England
PHILIP DAVIES c. 22 JAN 1804 Lingen, Hereford, England
WILLIAM DAVIES c. 22 JAN 1804 Lingen, Hereford, England
ALICE DAVIES c. 21 SEP 1807 Lingen, Hereford, England
JOHN W DAVIES c. 21 MAY 1810 Lingen, Hereford, England

PHILIP BRYAN DAVIES c. 23 JUN 1765 Lngen, , Hereford, England m. About 1787 Lingen, Hereford, England to Bridget b. 1769 Lingen, Hereford, England d. 25 JUL 1810 Lingen, Hereford, England. Philip's parents were William Davies b. abt. 1737 Lingen, Hereford, England and ALICE ELIZ BRIONS BRYAN b. abt. 1740 Lingen, Hereford, England. They m. 06 APR 1761 Lingen, Hereford, England.

Joanne.

Esther got married? Very cool. I wonder what happened to her? I have my g-grandfather's journals and he never mentioned an aunt.

Thanks for the information on the marriage -- that's obviously one record I'll have to try to locate.

--jon

1871 Broad St
Henry Hodges abt 1801 Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, England Head Little Dean Gloucestershire Shop keeper
Bridges Hodges abt 1799 Lingen, Herefordshire, England Wife Little Dean Gloucestershire

1841 Broad St Littledean

HO 107 /364 /14 folio 4

Henry HODGES 35 Carrier
Bridget 35
Mary Eliz 8
W Henry 7
Henry J 3

All declared born in county