Richard Hodges of North Carolina ( 1692 - 1751 )

Richard Hodges lived in Bertie County, North Carolina and paid quit rent in 1729.  He moved to Beaufort County, North Carolina where he had a land grant in 1741.  He was born in 1692 and died on April 16, 1751 in Beaufort County, NC, leaving his widow, Sarah and four children.  Three of the children were named in the will dated September 3, 1747.
John Robert Hodges was the first child born to Richard and Sarah and was born in 1736.  Other children of Richard and Sarah were William Henry Hodges (m. Lydia), Sarah, and Howell. Richard's son John Robert Hodges married Tabitha Little .

Will of Richard Hodges of Beaufort Co., NC, transcribed by Carl Swain, Genealogist:

In the Name of God Amen the third day of September 1747 I Richard Hodges of Beaufort County and province of NC, Planter,  being in perfect health and of perfect mind and memory.  Thanks be given unto God therefore calling unto mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die, do make and ordain this my last will and Testament that is to say principally & first of all I give and Recomend my Soul into the Hands of God that gave it and my Body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in Decent Christian Burial at the Discretion of my Executors nothing doubting but at the General Ressurection I shall receive the same again by the mighty Power of God to bless me in this life I give demise and Dispose of the same in the following Manner & form.  Imprimis I give and Bequeath to Sarah my dearley beloved wife one negro girl named Saul  Imprimis I Lend to Sarah my dearly beloved wife one negro wench named Jane and her Increase from the date hereof during her life then to be Equally divided to my beloved Daughter  John Henry & Sarah Hodges.  Imprimis I give and bequeath to Sarah my dearly beloved wife her choice of one feather bed & furniture.  Item I give to my beloved son John Hodges one plantation and parcell of land belonging thereunto containing by estimation four hundred acres lying in the fork on Cochavinity Bay & one negro boy named Peter and one negro girl named Grace and ten cows & calves & one feather bed & furniture and one breading mare and one horse & one Gunn & two dishes & one porringer and one tankard and two basons.  Item.  I give to my beloved son Henry Hodges the manner Plantation and one negro boy named Sante and one negro girl Gillo & ten cows and calves and one feather bed and furniture and one Breading mare & one horse and one Gunn and two Dishes and two basons and one porringer.  Item.  I give to my beloved daughter Sarah Hodges one negro girl named Hannah & one negro girl named Florah and ten Cows & calves & feather bed & furniture & two breading mares and two dishes and two basons & one porringer.  Item.  I give & Bequeath to my beloved Son John Hodges & my beloved son Henry Hodges & my Beloved Daughter Sarah Hodges one negro wench named Franch & her Increase to be equally divided when the above said Henry Hodges arrives to the age of twenty one years.  Imprimiss.  I give & Bequeath to Sarah my dearly beloved wife during her life all the rest of my goods & Chattles then at her Decease to be Equally divided to my beloved son John Hodges & my beloved son Henry Hodges & my beloved Daughter Sarah Hodges.  Likewise, I Constitute make & Ordain my well beloved wife Sarah Hodges & my well beloved son John Hodges my Sole Exors of this my Last will & Testament all & singular & I do hereby utterly disallow Revoke & Disannull all and every other formal Testament Wills Legacies and Bequests and Excrs by me in anywise before named willed & Bequeathed Ratifying and Confirming this and no other to be my Last Will and Testament In Wittness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal the day and year first above written.      Richard R. Hodges
James Coupper, James Singleton, Tho. Williams 
(Note: Richard, James Cooper, James Singleton & Tho. Williams all signed with their mark)
At a court held forsaid 16th April 1751 the due Execution of the within will was proved by the oath of James Singleton & Certified.          Antho Hutchinson   Clerk C.     Anson County, North Carolina



Additional Information on the family are these notes from this December 8, 1757 Will of Henry Hodges (brother of John Robert Hodges) executed May 1758 in Craven Co., South Carolina, transcribed by Carl Swain, genealogist. Other documents indicate that when John Robert's brother, Henry, died his son, Richard, who is named in this 1757 will was less than eight years old:
I give unto my beloved Son, Richard Hodges, the plantation I now live upon of Three Hundred Acres of Land,One Negro girl named Gitto and her increase, Fifteen Cows & calves to be delivered unto him when he arrives to the age of Eighteen and to be free himself at the same time and receive all his Legacies and it is my will that my son Richard Hodges should have four Years Schooling to begin upon it at the Age of Eight Years. I give my son Richard a Feather Bed and Furniture, one riding horse of about four years old, a bridle and Saddle and a Breeding Mare and the Long Gun ,two Dishes and two Basons and half a dozen of plates, Five Sow and Piggs.  I give my son Richard Hodges the Great Bible.  The I lend unto my beloved wife Lydia Hodges during her Life a Negro wench named Frank  I lend unto my Beloved wife during her life all my Goods and Chattells and at her decease to be delivered to my Son Richard Hodges  I make John Hodges and William Ibicks my Executors. Wittnessed by William Wise, Walter Folly, William Cherry (by marks).
Henry Hodges (his mark)


References:  The Marlboro Hodges Family by Jessie Lotta Hodges, Unpublished Manuscript by Jessie Lotta Hodges from The South Caroliniana Library, Columbia, SC.  Some Colonial and Revolutionary Families of North Carolina Volume II compiled by Marilu Burch Smallwood of Washington, North Carolina 1969 p. 227.  Lucille Hodges Interview and Papers, Cotton to Kaolin: History of Washington County, GA by Historical Society of Washington County, GA, Edited by Mary Alice Jordan, Bertie County, NC records.