Aug 2010
Last night, Monty Don became the latest celebrity to get the Who Do You Think You Are? treatment.
Monty Don (copyright jo-h)
The episode focused on two branches of his family tree, his maternal Hodge and paternal Keiller lines.
One of the ancestors focused on was Monty’s great-grandmother, Charlotte Augusta Hodge. The programme revealed that Charlotte was one of nine children born to the Reverend Charles Hodge and his wife, Ann. Charlotte was left behind in England when her parents and four of her elder brothers emigrated to New Zealand in the 1850s.
While taking a look at the large Hodge family in the all-new fully searchable birth records this morning, findmypast.co.uk has discovered that there was actually a tenth child – Charlotte’s twin. The image below shows the record of Charlotte Augusta Hodge’s birth in East Retford, Nottinghamshire in the July / August / September quarter of 1846. Nine lines below Charlotte is an entry for a Harriet Vere Hodge, born in the same district.
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The death index for the same quarter of 1846 reveals that Charlotte’s twin died soon after her birth. Reverend Charles and Ann Hodge’s youngest child was born four years after this tragedy and was also named Harriet, presumably in memory of the child they had lost.
Click to enlarge
This fresh information may help Monty understand why his great-great-grandmother, Ann Hodge initially emigrated to New Zealand without her husband and family in 1850. It was speculated last night that this showed a wish to escape from her husband. However, we feel that Ann’s emotional state following the loss of one child and the recent birth of another must have played some considerable part in her actions.
Please do let us know what you thought of last night’s episode and what you think Ann’s motivations may have been for leaving her family in 1850.
I agree that Ann Hodge may well have been suffering from post natal depression and likely that she had never recovered from the loss of Charlotte’s twin.
I find it hard to understand how she could leave her 11 month baby behind but post natal depression often leaves a mother feeling inadequate and underserving of their baby and she may have felt that the baby deserved a better carer than herself.
I think that Ann was escaping the anguish of possibly marital life with a demanding husband (she had a very large family). The fact that she left at such short notice suggests either a snap decision (emotional) or secretive departure to prevent her husband finding out.
I think charles would have left later with the older sons to do his duty by his wife and possibly because his parish was dwindling in nos.
He mentions that Ann had headaches but then she actually lived until the age of 87. I suspect the headaches were a way of keeping charles at bay. I wonder whether she remarried. I wonder whether she ever came to terms with leaving her children behind?
I found on another website that she died at the home of her son Henry Kirke Hodge, in New Zealand. I think Monty Don could do another program on the NZ connections!!
I believe there was another child Edward Hodge birth registered East Retford Sep 1848 and death the same quarter. I suspect she was running away from her husband as she didn’t want to have any more children.
“The Rev. Charles Vere Hodge, reputedly a hen-pecked and
downtrodden clergyman, was one who, unlike many, did not fear
death and lead many in prayer as the worst befell them ”
Found in a report on the wreck of The Royal Charter http://www.library.kiama.nsw.gov.au . Perhaps I got it all wrong assuming his wife wanted to escape him maybe he was glad to send her on a mission to New Zealand!
Has anyone discovered the parentage of Rev. Charles Hodge, born in Somerset, and the names of his siblings? Was he the brother of Henry Vere Hodge, born 1804 in Chard, Somerset? Does anyone know how the name Vere came into the family?
Charles Hodge was the 4th son of John Davey Hodge and Mary Vere. John died in infancy, George died aged 15. I am descended from Henry Vere Hodge. John Davey Hodge died in 1808 when Henry was 4 and Charles was 3. Their mother had already passed away in 1805 so the children were orphans.
Brian, here’s a bit - have not looked up more yet!
Bury and Norwich Post of 8 November 1859
“As some very inaccurate particulars have been published of the melancholy fate of the Rev. Charles Hodge, who was a passenger from New Zealand by the Royal Charter, we publish the following authentic particulars gleaned from a local correspondent:- The rev. gentleman was appointed to the vicarage of Clareborough (sic) in 1844, and shortly afterwards, his wife, from some unsettled disposition, proposed to visit some distant relation in New Zealand. Notwithstanding all the remonstrances of her husband, she proceeded to the antipodes without a guide, protector, or friend. After remaining some years there, she returned to this country, and again took up her residence with her husband and children, of whom she was the mother of ten - seven sons and three daughters. She, however, could not rest long in this country, and ultimately persuaded her husband and part of her family to accompany her to New Zealand. For this purpose the rev. gentleman applied to and obtained leave of absence from the Bishop of his diocese for two years, but, at the expiration of that period, not returning, a monition was issued for his immediate return to his cure. It was in obedience to this mandate that the rev. gentleman was returning in the Royal Charter when he met his melancholy fate. Mr Hodge left behind him in New Zealand his wife and three sons. Three sons and one daughter are at present in England, the others having died in infancy.
Mr Hodge’s only brother, the Rev. Henry Vere Hodge, M. A., perpetual curate of Middleton, near Tamworth, is at present engaged in the melancholy duty of watching the shore in the immediate vicinity of the wreck, seeking to recognise the person of the deceased.”
Was looking forward to finding out about the Don family but no mention, why?
Me too, Val. I was hoping I would learn more of the origins of this unusual name, and whether it is a variant of Donne/Dunn(e) etc.
Colin
I was interested in Don as it was my name previously. I thought that I was going to learn some background. My relative came from Wick but I have traced through several generations to Arbroath where there is a House of Dunn situated. Could be just down to wrong-spelling. I have read that Donne is thought to be either South England or French. I once read a book on Jersey and saw a picture of a man with the name Donne who was a prominent citizen and who incidently looked a lot like my brother. The Gaelic meaning of Don is ‘Little Brown Person’ which I think might have had something to do with the Spanish Armada foundering around our shores. I think that it is time to have a search further back than I have reached to present day as I don’t seem to have had much joy getting information from Monty, although it was really interesting anyway.
The ‘Don family may not have been at all interesting and not really worthy of a TV programme which is why the programme is about those people more interesting. The researchers dont just ‘do’ one line, they would do several to find the ‘richest’ stories. They wouldnt want a family tree full of miners or farmers who stayed in one area and never did anything eventful, nothing happened to them and there were no stories to tell would they?
Could also be that the living Don family did not want their family tree exposing to the general public.
I haven’t found any farmers or miners yet. Most have been Master Mariners or have been employed in jobs working on the coast but I take your point Jan.
I don’t share the surname but my tree if full of miners, agricultural labourers, painters and decoraters and mixed with a few suicides and an old Bailey murder trial is quite interesting….to me. Most of all I did it myself, without the aid of researchers which makes it all the more rewarding. Having said that wouldn’t mind a bit of help with my great grandmother who never married my great grandfather and kept changing her name, guess I will have to become famous first.
How about it Find My Past?
Perhaps you could run a competition for the most interesting family researched by a member and then get together with the TV film makers and make a Who Do You Think You Are programme.
The problem with the series (much as I love it) is that it seems far removed from the research we members of Find my Past are doing on a daily basis.
Cheers, Pam
I was curious about whether Monty Don, if he is a Hodge, is related to the actor Douglas Hodge. If so, they may both want to keep their relationship quiet so as not to borrow fame from each other of course.
For this programme, famous people very kindly lend their histories, so that the problems arising out of the research and documents researched will give leads to other researchers, the rest of us where to look. I have found it fascinating as a genealogist, and it has put me in touch with several relatives, however distant. This research has been the means of keeping my 97 year old aunt alert and interested in life, and photographs have been more interesting. My granny as a mother of young children looked a lot like my niece.
I think that the current interest in genealogical research is our best chance of linking up family histories which may well disappear otherwise.
I was particularly interested in the Keiller side as my great-grandmother, who came from Dundee, worked in the Guernsey factory and while there met and married my great-grandfather in 1859 before they moved to Dundee. They had 10 children, all but one born in Dundee, and one of whom was my grandfather. I have tried previously to find others with the Dundee/Guernsey worker connection via the local FHS (Tay Valley) but no luck so far. This has been a very interesting series over all.
I was particularly interested in the Monty don program when it showed a picture of Charlotte Hodge.I was looking at my dad without all the curls It was a striking resemblance. Different relatives rang me to compare notes.I have tried to link the possibility up and hope to get there. The fact that Charles v Hodge left 3 sons behind when they went to new zealand which I have read gives me some hope that I am not barking up the wrong tree.I went to Moelfre around some of the churches to try and fined a grave but to no avail but been told Charles v Hodge was one of the unidentified victims placed in a grave with no names. wish me look with my journey Peter
My New Year might be better after reading this post!
Reader’s 2011 might be better knowing this!
How do we know that Charles Hodge didn’t travel to NZ with or before his wife? Passengers weren’t always listed if they had a job on the voyage eg Vicar, and Paperspast database has a C Hodge chosing a rural section of 50 acres in Chch in March 1851. Rev Charles Hodge is also listed as one of several tenants or purchasers of land who is required to turn up (in Chch) and pay rent or instalments of purchase price in 1854, 55, 56. Was he absentee - had his wife bought the land in his name?
The programme was disappointing in its coverage of New Zealand. They never said where Ann arrived (but did note ‘Canterbury settlement’, then said they had to live in tents and had a North Island photo with lots of bush which was not Canterbury.
Their eldest daughter, Anne, died in Melbourne of consumption in May 1861 - after her father had drowned in the shipwreck in 1860.
John Ambrose Hodge - sone of Charles and Ann who went to NZ with Charles, married JAne Priscilla Simmons, daughter of Rev.Peter King and Sarah Simmons. The Simmons family emigrated to Australia in 1854 and peter was appointed to the Anglican church in Sale Victoria. Peter died in 1868 and Sarah in 1862. They had 11 children - 3 died in infancy. JAne was the only surviving daughter. She went to NZ inearly 1870s and married John Ambrose Hodge in 1875. She died in child birth in 1876. John returned to England.
Does anyone know ehere Charles Vere did his theological training please. I am trying to see if there is a connection between the 2 familiesbefore the marriage of JAne and John
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