Biographies

 

 

WILLIAM HODGE
(Contributed by Marty Hodge)
 

     William Hodges was born circa 1776 in the Fishing Creek area of Edgecombe County, North Carolina, the third child of Henry “Harry” Hodges and Catherine Bryant. His father had educated him well as many old documents have his signature on them. William traveled with his brothers Robert and Thomas to the Kentucky Frontier in 1797 and lay claim to land along the Claylick Creek in Christian County in what is now present day Livingston and Crittenden Counties. One William Hodges is listed in the “Early Kentucky Landholders 1787-1811” (Grants South of the Green River, Book. 1; pg. 12, dated 26 May 1797). These grants were reserved for Virginia RW soldiers until 1797, when they were opened up to anyone possessed of family and over 21 years old. Since William didn’t possess a family until 1803 we can only assume that the William mentioned in the early land grants was the Rev. William Hodge who settled in the Bowling Green area of Western Kentucky. In early records he is listed as William Hodges. The “s” in Hodges was later dropped after the family settled in Kentucky. Other Edgecombe County Hodges did the same when they moved to South Carolina in the late 1700’s.

 

    William is listed in the 1800 Livingston County, Kentucky Tax List with only one horse and living with or next to his brother Robert along the Claylick Creek.  In the summer of 1801 William returns to Scotland Neck, Halifax County while his elder brother Robert remained in Kentucky. It is most likely that he returned to North Carolina to find a wife and with the intentions of leading to rest the family to their new home along the Claylick. In about 1803 William marries Nancy Josephine Dancy, daughter of the late Edgecombe County planter Archibald Dancy and his wife Hannah Sessums. Archibald’s will (dated September 24, 1798 and probated November 1800 Edgecombe County Court) left all property to his wife for support of their minor children. Those named were Rebecca, Nancy, Elizabeth, Sarah and Samuel.

 

    In 1804 his wife Nancy gave birth to their first child Mary while living in Edgecombe County. In February 1806 they sell 1/5 interest in the land inherited from Nancy’s father (February 1806, Edgecombe County, North Carolina Deed Book 11, page 547). Finally in July 1806, William returns to Livingston County and in that month sells a five-year-old slave girl named Penny to Benjamin Coffield for four hundred and fifty dollars. This money was most likely used to buy the land along Clay Creek.

 

    On 19 March 1812, William along with his brother Thomas and nineteen other prominent citizens served on the Livingston County Grand Jury that indicted Lilburne and Isham Lewis for the murder of a slave named George. Lilburne and Isham were the nephews of President Thomas Jefferson and cousins to Captain Merewether Lewis of the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition. The trial date was set for June term and bail was set at $1000.00. Lilburne Lewis committed suicide before the case came to trial and Isham Lewis fled the state after being indicted as an accessory to the suicide of his brother Lilburne.

 

    On February 20, 1813 he and John E. Coleman are listed as bondman in the marriage of Martin Duncan and Minty Dillard and on February 4, 1814 he was listed as a buyer in the sale of the estate property of Robert Coffield (dec’d). These are the last known records showing him as a resident of Livingston County until 1819. In Livingston County Deed Book C; page 151; dated 25 Apr. 1816; William is listed as William Hodges of Stewart County, Tennessee. In this land transaction his sells Thomas Terry Sr. 250 arpnis (arpent[1]) of land in the District of New Madrid[2] for $200. The following year he sells to his brother Robert 130 acres on Claylick Creek (we will later see this land reverted back to his wife Nancy) and collects $39 from the estate of Benjamin Coffield for the care of his widow Sarah. [Liv. Co. Ct. Order Bk. F; 20 Oct. 1817].

 

    While living in Stewart County two of their children were born. They finally move back to Livingston County in 1819 and William is listed in the tax list with 3 slaves, 2 horses and 245 acres on Claylick Creek. In the 1820 Livington County census and the final census he would be enumerated in, William is listed as doing business in “Commerce”. From the records uncovered he did do a lot of traveling, but what goods or services he was providing has yet to be ascertained.

 

    William gave his first daughter permission to marry on September 18, 1824, “This lines is to testify that I am willing for Mr. Jonah Hibbs and my daughter Mary to marry it is there wish to do so.” signed William Hodge. This would be the first and last time he would give any of his daughter’s consent to marry. The next daughter to marry would not be until 1831 and permission then was given by his wife Nancy.

 

    In their roughly 24 years of marriage, Nancy and William would have nine children. They are as followings in birth order: Mary Dancy “Polly”, Elizabeth W. “Betsy”, Margaret Belle “Peggy”, Rebecca “Beckie”, John Augustus, William Carroll, Cassandra Susan “Susie”,   Jourdena “Jurdenia” and   Asel Bronson “Asa”. All the children would live past childhood and later marry.

 

    Shortly after William’s death, his brother Thomas Hodge wrote a letter (dated 20 March 1828) to the Livingston Court, witnessed by Presley Gray, requesting that John Berry and Nancy Hodge be named Administrators to William’s Estate at the April 1828 Term of the Livingston County Court. This letter was executed by Presley Gray and recorded on 22 March 1828 by the Livingston County Clerk. On 7 April 1828, Nancy Hodge and John Berry were named Administrators and Thomas Hodge referring security with Josiah B. Hodge giving counter security (Livingston County Order Book G, Page 372). Josiah was very instrumental in helping Nancy settle the estate of William as shown by early court records. Later descendants of this family intermarry in Texas.

 

    In February 1830 Josiah B. Hodge was released by the court as security for Nancy and Robert White, now the second husband of their daughter Mary, is appointed her new security. On the following month Robert White and his wife Polly (Mary Dancy Hodge), bought a lawsuit against Nancy and William’s estate. Robert and Polly were rewarded a distributive share of the estate by the court and the lands were equally divided amongst all the heirs. James Rutter was appointed as the commissioner to carry this order into effect. The court ordered that Nancy be allowed in lieu of her dower’s right, only the portion of an heir. The court then ordered that the land be sold on a credit of 12 months at the courthouse door. Henry R.D. Coleman was appointed to carry this part of this decree into effect. [Circuit Court Order Book G.; pg. 222].

 

    On June 19, 1832 William Thompson sold Nancy Hodge 130 acres of land along Claylick Creek for one dollar. This was the land she was living on at the time of the transaction and was the same land sold to his brother Robert in 1817. Another tract, which was 70 acres, was part of the Henry Banks Military Grant on Claylick Creek. This tract had originally been sold to William by his brother-in-law John Berry. From looking at this transactions and the suitsuit bought against Nancy and William’s estate, it appears that Robert and Polly were a little money hungry. What ever the case maybe, Mr. Thompson bought the estate and then, and more or less, gave it back to Nancy. I suspect that Robert Hodge Senior had a lot to do with the return of William’s estate to Nancy.

 

    Nancy was enumerated as head of the household in both the 1830 and 1840 Livingston County Census. In what records that have been uncovered, she never did remarry. On June 11, 1849 she died at home overlooking the Claylick Creek in Crittenden County. It can only be assumed that William and Nancy were buried at the Hodge Family Cemetery near Robert’s home as numerous unmarked headstones covered the old cemetery prior to it being bulldozed over by the present owner.