Person:William Hodges (34)

William Hodges' origin have yet to be established. His first confirmed sighting is on 2nd January 1823, when he married Sarah Forsey at Crewkerne in Somerset. They were both living in Crewkerne at the time of their marriage, but Sarah was from the nearby parish of Winsham, and they moved to Winsham shortly after their marriage. Between 1823 and 1826 they had three sons at Winsham: James, William and John. Some time between 1826 and 1830 they moved about fourteen miles north to Burton Pynsent, a hamlet which at that time straddled the parishes of Curry Rivel and Drayton. They appear to have lived in the Drayton part of Burton Pynsent but used the church at Curry Rivel, which was nearer. They had three more children baptised at Curry Rivel: Charles and Mary on the same day in 1830, and Susannah in 1833. Although Charles and Mary were baptised on the same day they were not twins; it is clear from the censuses that Charles was a couple of years older than Mary. Of the six children's baptisms, the first five describe William as a labourer, but the last baptism is a little more specific, describing William as a shepherd.

William died in 1834. He was buried back at Winsham on 10th September 1834, when he was said to be 34 years old. Sarah outlived him by nearly nineteen years, and appears in both the 1841 and 1851 censuses living at Burton Pynsent with all six of their children.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Burials register, in Church of England. Parish Church of Winsham. Winsham Parish registers, 1559-1944. (Taunton: Somerset Heritage Service).

   BURIALS in the Parish of Winsham in the County of Somerset in the Year 1834
   No.	Name	Abode	When buried	Age	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   308	William Hodge	Curry Rivel	Sep[tembe]r 10th	34 [1799/1800]	Geo[rge] Ware