Hodge Memoirs by William Brown Ross (1847-1934)
(C. Avis Catalog entry #61)
Note the explanatory comments in brackets - Charles Avis
Hodge Memoirs
Tradition says that the Hodge family was of Welsh origin. The first from whom we trace descent was John Hodge [further research confirms that the chronicler means John's son, William] who with his wife, who was a Mary Eliott, settled in Pennsylvania about the middle of the eighteenth century. Of their antecedents nothing is known, though its is said that the name of the family originally was Hodges. John Hodge's family [here again he should say John's son, William] consisted of six sons, John, Eliott, Alexander, my great-grandfather, William, Robert, and James, and four daughters, Mary who married a Boyd Nancy who married Elijah Alcorn Betsy who married Murdock and Cynthia who married William Barnhill in York District, South Carolina in 1790. Of the relative ages or places of birth of the children nothing is known except that Alexander our great-grandfather was born in Pennsylvania in 1762 and Cynthia who was the youngest of the family was born in Maryland in 1776. If the custom then common was followed of naming the oldest boy for the father and the oldest girl for the mother it is probable that John was the oldest son and Mary the oldest daughter. Of John, William and Robert we know nothing. Of James we have the tradition that he died in childhood. Eliott and his family were massacred by the Indians at Ft. Mims Ala in August 1813. Of the daughters we only know of the Alcorn and Barnhill families.
The original John Hodge [here again he should say John's son, William] seems to have moved with his family from Pennsylvania to Maryland thence to North Carolina and then to York District South Carolina where Cynthia was married.
Whether the original John [here again he should say John's son, William] and Mary Hodge, either of them lived to accompany the family in these movements is unknown, But the children of Alexander Hodge have it from him that in his youth he saw service in South Carolina as a partisan Ranger under either Marion or Sumter. (The name of my brother Francis Marion a great-grandson of Alexander Hodge would indicate that it was Marion). I put this last in on my knowledge of hearing my own mother talk about the family.
About 1788 he Alexander Hodge son of John [William] and Mary Hodge married Ruth a daughter of Archie and Ruth Hodge but no relation. This Archie Hodge was an Englishman born about 1740. Ruth his wife was an orphan of whose age or parentage nothing is known and her life beginning in mystery was destined to a sad ending stricken with paralysis she fell into the fire and was burned to death in the spring of 1798 shortly before the birth of her granddaughter Ruth Hodge Harris who died in Houston Texas 1885 - Mrs. Sydnor's grandmother.
The family of Archie and Ruth Hodge consisted of three sons Archie John and Isaac and of three daughters Ruth and Nellie, twins, and Nancy who married a McCloy and was the ancestors of the McCloys of Richmon Texas). Isaac was drowned in early manhood. Of Archie and Nellie nothing is known. Ruth married Alexander Hodge as stated and her Father after the death of his wife passed the remainder of his days with them and it is believed that he died in Kentucky.
Alexander Hodge moved from SC to Georgia, whether before or after his marriage is not known, settled in Oglethorpe County where all of his, except the youngest, of his children were born, about 1808 he removed from Ga to Christian Co Ken, all of his family accompanying him where remained here for about seven years and where Lucinda, cousin Walter's mother, his youngest child was born, and where Archie his oldest son and Nancy his oldest daughter, were married and two of his grandchildren were born.
In 1815, he removed to Laurence Co Ark now Randolph, passing across the southern part of Ill. The news of the battle of New Orleans was received while crossing the Miss River. He remained in Ark about 10 years,where the rest of his family born in the last century were married. In 1825 he with his entire family including the married sons and daughters moved from Ark to Texas stopping en route however long enough to raise a crop on the Red River. They removed to Brazoria Co. Here he remained until the close of the war of Tex Independence where with most of his family connections, which had by this time become quite numerous settled on his league of land in Ft Bend, Co where he died here in August 1836. His wife Ruth our Great-Grand Mother who was born in 1769 having died about five years previously in 1831.
His family were
Archie born Oglethorpe Co. Ga. 1790
William " " " " 1792
Nancy " " " " 1794
John " " 1796
Ruth " " 26 July 1798
Alexander Eliott " " 3 Mar 1800
Mary " " " 1801
James W. " " " 1803
Cynthia " died in childhood 1805
Lucinda, born in Ky, Nov. 26, 1809.
William Hodge married Maggie Welch. They had two children Mary and Ruth. Second wife was Rachel Marshall. Had one son, William Hodge (Uncle Billy). William Hodge died in December 1826. Mary married Ely F. Ross.
Children were
Catherine Francis, May 1847
Brown etc.
[On the back of the last page, written in a different hand (probably that of Margaret Mooring Rudd):]
Mrs. Sydnor's Grandmother, Ruth Hodge Harris
Mother's Grandfather William Hodge - brother & sister.