Descendants of the
William HODGE Family
Notes
2. Henry HODGE Scrapbook
Child of William HODGE and ?
Henry HODGE b: 1834/35 - d: 14.8.1903 aged 69 years
The First Marriage
m: ? - 1st marriage Jane Wallace
Henry HODGE m: 27.4.1861 - 2st marriage Elizabeth Woolridge (nee Heard)
Henry HODGE was born 1834/35 at either Milton Abbot or Lifton, district Tavistock,
Devonshire.
Census records vary. His father was William, mother unknown.
It is safe to assume that William was a farm labourer,
His death certificate in 1903 gives his age as 71 years.
It is presumed Henry (like his father William) began working
life on the land.
He had no schooling, as noted on various certificates. Henry
HODGE married Jane Wallace, date unknown, and their 1st child, Amelia, was born 17 January
1853 at Lifton Downs, Devon.
Sometime after Amelia's birth Henry took his young family to
Alternun and it was there a son, Samuel, was born in early 1855. Daughter Mary was born
also at Alternun about 1859.
By 1860 the family was living at Upton, Linkenhorne.
From these fact we can see despite his country heritage,
Henry left the land and turned to mining in Cornwall.
A farm hand in the mid 19th century had to work long hours
for very little money, so like many others at that time Henry went to the Cornish mines,
which were at the peak of production.
1860 Typhoid
Although Cornwall didn't suffer as much as the rest of the
country, plague's of cholera and typhoid took their toll. In the mid 1800's the demand for
labourers was greatly increased and small cottages and single rooms became greatly
overcrowded through lack of accommodation, with the natural consequence of fever being
increased.
Both Jane HODGE and John WOOLRIDGE caught typhoid - and both
died. Jane's death certificate dated 14th February 1860 - cause of death: typhoid and
pneumonia.
Henry too contracted typhoid and was hospitalised, where
according to family history, he developed a raging thirst and when no one bought him a
drink, he managed to get out of bed and over to a jug of water. He drank copiously,
returned to bed and slept for hours. That sleep marked the turning point and he
subsequently made a full recovery.
1861 Henry HODGE marries Elizabeth (nee HEARD) WOOLRIDGE
After the death of her husband, Elizabeth cared for the three
HODGE children, and it isn't hard to picture the situation. On one hand Henry, now a
widower with three small children, needing care while he worked, and on the other hand,
Elizabeth a young widow with a baby. They indeed needed the support of each other.
They married on 27 April 1861 in the Registers Office in
Liskeard.
Their eldest child Richard Henry HODGE was born 2 December
1862 at Tokenbury. Subsequent children were born at Tokenbury and Middlehill, Pensilva.
Several of the children died in infancy.
The average life span of a miner was 47 years, if he managed
to survive the many accidents underground, and when he came to the surface he ended his
days in an overcrowded cottage, spitting black dust and existing on a diet of potatoes and
barley corn.
Henry contracted the so called 'miner lung' and when his
daughter Alice was christened in 1877, his occupation was listed as invalid.
The bubble had burst and with his health ruined, Henry, with
his growing family faced a bleak future, although by this time Mary, Amelia and Anna along
with Richard, Kate and John were working - if indeed there was work to be found.
1871 Census:
Parish S.IVE; District 6; Schedule 013
Position Marital
Name in Family Status Age
HODGE, HENRY Head M 37
HODGE, ELIZ Wife M 32
HODGE, SAMUEL Son U 16
HODGE, MARY Daughter - 11
HODGE, RICHD H Son - 8
HODGE, KATIE Daughter - 7
HODGE, JOHN Son - 4
HODGE, WM Son - 2
HODGE, HENRY Son - 9MO
More info on above names:
Approximate
Birth
HODGE, HENRY MINE LAB 1834 MILTON ABBOTT, Devonshire
HODGE, ELIZ - 1839 LAWHITTON, Cornwall
HODGE, SAMUEL MINER 1855 LEWANNICK, Cornwall
HODGE, MARY - 1860 LINKINHORNE, Cornwall
HODGE, RICHD H - 1863 S.IVE, Cornwall
HODGE, KATIE - 1864 S.IVE, Cornwall
HODGE, JOHN - 1867 S.IVE, Cornwall
HODGE, WM - 1869 S.IVE, Cornwall
HODGE, HENRY - 1871 S.IVE, Cornwall
Elizabeth Ann HEARD
Elizabeth WOOLRIDGE nee Heard 1839 - ? 2nd wife of Henry
HODGE
Elizabeth WOOLRIDGE nee Heard b: 28.2.1839 m: 27 April 1861 age 22 years d: 11.10.1920
Elizabeth WOOLRIDGE nee HEARD? was born at Lawhitton in the district of Launceston,
Cornwall, on the 28th February 1839 to parents Jacob & Elizabeth HEARD nee NORTHCOTT.
Her fathers employment was indoctrinated on the birth
certificate as husbandman. This family too had no scholastic rating. Little is understood
of her early life other than she had 7 brothers fatality wounded at the Battle of
Balaclava in the Crimean War 1854/1856.
Elizabeth married John Woolridge, presumably in 1858 and
there was one daughter of the marriage - Anna Jane, though her Birth Certificate has her
as Hannah Jane born 13 January 1859, at Luccombe, Lawhitton.
Also noted is Fathers name cited as John Woolridge. John was
also unschooled.
After Anna's birth this family also relocated to Upton.
And so Henry HODGE and Elizabeth WOOLRIDGE nee HEARD became
neighbours & friends, and it was also early in 1860 that the plague struck.
1860 Typhoid
Although Cornwall didn't suffer as much as the rest of the
country, plague's of cholera and typhoid took their toll.
In the mid 1800's the demand for labourers was immensely
increased and small cottages and single rooms became greatly overcrowded through scarcity
of accommodation, with the natural consequence of fever being increased.
Both Jane HODGE and John WOOLRIDGE caught typhoid - and both died. Jane's death
certificate dated 14th February 1860 - cause of death: typhoid and pneumonia.
Henry too contracted typhoid and was hospitalised, where
according to family history, he developed a furious thirst and when no one procured him a
drink, he managed to get out of bed and over to a jug of water. He drank copiously,
returned to bed and slept for hours. That sleep marked the turning point and he
subsequently mad a full recovery.
1861 Henry marries Elizabeth (nee HEARD) HODGE
After the death of her husband, Elizabeth cared for the three
HODGE children, and it isn't hard to picture the situation.
On one hand Henry, now a widower with three small children,
requiring care while he worked, and on the other hand, Elizabeth a young widow with a
baby. They indeed needed the assistance of each other.
They married on 27 April 1861 in the Registers Office in Liskeard.
Their eldest child Richard Henry HODGE was born 2 December
1862 at Tokenbury. Subsequent children were born at Tokenbury and Middlehill, Pensilva.
Several of the children died in infancy.
The average life span of a miner was 47 years, if he managed
to survive the many accidents underground, and when he came to the surface he ended his
days in an overcrowded cottage, spitting black dust and existing on a diet of potatoes and
barley corn
.
Henry contracted the so called 'miner lung', and when his daughter Alice was christened in
1877, his occupation was listed as invalid.
The bubble had burst and with his health ruined, Henry, with his growing family faced a
bleak future, although by this time Mary, Amelia and Anna along with Richard, Kate and
John were working - if indeed there was work to be found.
10. Charles HODGE
(Scrapbook)
Child of Henry HODGE and Elizabeth Ann HEARD:
Charles HODGE b: ?. 3.1880 m: ? d: 1948
Charlie was the eight surviving child of Henry &
Elizabeth and was born two months after the families arrival in New Zealand.
A Mrs. Dempster attended his birth and he was another of the
Hodge children to be educated at Alton School.
He worked on the Hurleyville farm until he drew a ballot of land at Kohuaratahi at the
same time as his brothers Will (William Thomas) and Jim (James Ephraim), and they went in
together to farm this acreage.
Charles farm was even further back than the other's and he
initially lived in a tent until the bush was cleared enough to construct a residence.
When his father Henry died in 1903, it appears that Charlie came back to manage the home
property.
It has been voiced within the family, that Charles promised
his father he would look after his mother .
Whether this tale is true or not, that is exactly what
happened.
At this time he was an extremely well dressed gentleman, a
popular figure with the ladies and it was said he was a impressive dancer.
In 1917 Charles was called up for Army service, and he joined the NZ Mounted Rifles,
receiving his military training at Featherson camp, then sailing for Egypt on the SS
TOFUA.
In January he was posted to the Imperial Camel Corps until
September when he was hospitalised as being unwell. Discharged from hospital in October he
was then posted to 2nd NZ Light Machine Gun Squadron, attached to the 5th Australian Light
Horse Brigade. Charles returned to New Zealand on Troopship ELLENGA and was honourably
discharged in October 1919.
He continued to farm at Hurleyville, and when his mother Elizabeth deceased in 1920
Charlie was left a life interest in that property
.
In his subsequent years Charlie's house was a favourite rendezvous place on a Sunday
afternoon for the young ones of the district.
Many can still remember him lying on his bedstead, with his
dog close by and he would have a candlestick with a lighted candle resting on his chest,
so as to light his pipe and the very sorry sight of his jersey covered with candle
grease.... Nothing to be seen of the dashing young lady killer of his earlier days
.
Charlie never married and he died at Patea in 1948. he is buried in the Returned Service
Men's section at the Patea cemetery.
No issue.
Last updated: April 01, 2000.
13. Samuel HODGE
Samuel 1855 - ? Parents: Henry HODGE b: 1834/35
& Jane WALLACE
Samuel b: early 1855 d: unknown maybe America.
Samuel only son of Henry & Jane, was born 1855 in
Altarnun, Cornwall, U.K.
Samuel emigrated to America, seemingly before the rest of the family left for New Zealand
in 1879.
Nothing today is known about him - whether he married and
where.
By 1879 he would have been in his mid 20's, and could well
have had the beginnings of a family. We will presumably never know.
The personal papers of Elizabeth HODGE (his step-mother)
which were kept at the Alton, NZ home of Samuel Ernest (Sam) Hodge, did have among them a
memorial notice recording the death of Samuel, sent from America.
Samuel Ernest (Sam) daughters were forbidden to touch these
papers, but once, with children's curiosity, they did manager a quick peep.
They did recollect seeing this notice, but anxiety of being
discovered allowed them no more than one look.
They remember seeing nothing more than the name. Presumably
there exists in America a whole chapter of Hodge's, totally unknown to us.
I wonder if he went to Colorado?
The name Altarnun means Altar [church altar] of St Nonna.
The village is to the East of Bodmin Moor situated on a
tributary of the River Inney.
It is not mentioned in the Doomsday Book.
Altarnun Parish is in the North Cornwall district and part of
it lies within Bodmin Moor.
Part of the new parish of Bolventor is in the South West of
the older Altarnun parish. The area is mainly moorland but there are areas of farmland to
the East and animals graze the moorland areas.
Population of Altarnun: 1851 - 1382, 1931 - 694 and 1991 - 852
FOUND:
http://www.dos.state.fl.us/dlis/barm/Florida_CSA_Pension_Files.htm
A01469, HODGE, Samuel S., Home Guard, Martha (Turner),
Wakulla Co, 1903, 10 pgs
A06224, HODGES, Samuel W., Georgia, Colombia Co, 1902, 09 pgs
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