Hodge Family History Update

Mary’s older brother was named David Milne.

(Leuchars added to rail line in 1853, the year Melville emigrated) 

Emig­rated to Aus­tralia on Joseph Rowan in 1854 via Liv­er­pool, Eng­land
Lost first wife, Janet (nee Crom­bie) on voy­age to Aus­tralia, 7 days out of Liv­er­pool.
Remar­ried to Mary Milne, also a pas­sen­ger on the Joseph Rowan. Mary was 22 years old, and from For­far­shire. Mary was trav­el­ling with her older brother (David), and younger sis­ter (Jane).

John Hodge has no 1851 list­ing. Death inform­a­tion in Scot­land was not sys­tem­at­ic­ally recor­ded until 1855                          

Elspeth was still alive at the 1861 census (along with Mar­garet) at the same address, Shore Bridge

Mar­garet Hodge died in 1896 aged 96 in Saint Andrews of old age, still resid­ing at Shore Bridge. Her grand-nephew Wil­liam Watt repor­ted the death.

Noted that birth notices con­tained a “George Hodge” as a George Hodge lis­ted as wit­ness at bap­tisms of this James’ chil­dren: Andrew 1764 in Crail/Fife and Mary 1766 Kingsbarns/Fife. A James Hodge and George Hodge were chil­dren of a George Hodge; there­fore highly likely James moved from Crail to Kings­barns. At the same time, the fish­ing stock at Crail was fail­ing.    

James Hodge mar­ried Mary Scot in Crail/Fife in Novem­ber 1763. James Hodge is mov­ing north from Crail to Kings­barns in 1766 and finally Brown Hills in 1771. This is a slow move towards St Andrews from Crail; most likely James was a farm labourer or linen weaver as there was no room left in the fam­ily busi­ness of fishing.

As there are other Hodge’s in the Kings­barns par­ish, it is pos­sible that he joined a relative’s business.

Inter­est­ingly, John’s brother and sis­ter returned to Crail in their dotage.

Mary Hodge, the unmar­ried middle child of James Hodge and Mary Scot is found in the 1841 census as liv­ing with the Scotts in Shore­g­ate, Crail.

The sur­name Mon­crief is well known in the Crail area dur­ing this time as Bailiie’s (mayors/judges) [source: scran.ac.uk]

As there are no old par­ish records of births for Crail prior to 1684; it is pos­sible that this is the last recor­ded Hodge I will be able to find. This record, and the Patricks fol­low­ing are 50% sure of being ancest­ors at the time of writing.                    

Due to the intense reli­gious and polit­ical wars in Scot­land from the mid 16th through mid 17th cen­tury, it may never be pos­sible to be cer­tain bey­ond Pat­rik Hodge, the father of George Hodge any cer­tainty bey­ond 1686. Crail/Fife was one of the ini­tial places where John Knox star­ted his Scot­tish Reformation.

There is a Pat­rik Hodge mar­ry­ing a Elspitt Wilsone lis­ted in Crail from 1655. No con­nec­ted birth records for a Patrick in Crail.

There are a “selec­tion” of Pat­rik Hodge’s in Scot­land at this time match­ing a father’s age range. A Pat­rik Hodge and Kath­rin Mon­cre­iff mar­ried in 21st Janu­ary 1686 in Crail/Fife mak­ing Pat­rik 24 years of age. No births of Hodge’s prior to 1685 in Crail/Fife; other two Hodge’s are John Hodge and Thomas Hodge in Crail as fathers.

Wit­ness to bap­tism of George Hodge is a Pat Hodge. I think this is Patrik’s father, wit­ness­ing the bap­tism of his grandson.

This Pat­rik Hodge: Born 2nd March 1662, to a Pat­rik Hodge and Mar­grat Mas­ter­town in Lin­lithgow/East Lothian (I think a wit­ness to this bap­tism is a Thomas Hodge). There are no Pat­rik Hodge’s born in Crail, so we have to search elsewhere.