William is listed in the 1800 Livingston County, Kentucky Tax List with only one horse and living with or next to his brother Robert along the Claylick Creek.  In the summer of 1801 William returned to Halifax County while his elder brother Robert remained in Kentucky. It was most likely that he returned to North Carolina to find a wife and with the intentions of leading the rest of the family to their new home along Claylick Creek. In about 1803 William married Nancy Josephine Dancy, daughter of the late Edgecombe County planter Archibald Dancy. It is assumed that the marriage took place in Edgecombe, but no marriage record has yet to be uncovered. Archibald’s will (dated September 24, 1798 and probated in November 1800 at the Edgecombe County Court in Tarboro) left all property to his wife for support of their minor children. Those named were Rebecca, Nancy, Betsey, Salley and Samuel.

In 1804 his wife Nancy gave birth to their first child Mary while living in Edgecombe County. In February 1806 they sold 1/5 interest in the land inherited from Nancy’s father (February 1806, Edgecombe County, North Carolina Deed Book 11, page 547). Finally in July 1806, William returns to Livingston County and in that month sells a five-year-old slave girl named Penny to Benjamin Coffield for four hundred and fifty dollars. This money was most likely used to buy the land along Claylick Creek.

On 19 March 1812, William along with his brother Thomas Hodge, Elisha Reese (foremen), Jacob Houts, John Dunn, Jacob Craft, John Reed, John Harrington, James H. Rice, John Hardin, Moses Hutson, James Trimble, Robert Coffield, Isam Bryant, Abraham Fulkerson, John Pickens, Evan Shelby, John McDaniel, Benjamin Pippin, William Pippin and Henry Ewen served on the Livingston County Grand Jury that indicted Lilburne and Isham Lewis for the murder of a slave named George. Lilburne and Isham were the nephews of President Thomas Jefferson and cousins to Captain Merewether Lewis of the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition. The trial date was set for June term and bail was set at $1000.00. Lilburne Lewis committed suicide before the case came to trial and Isham Lewis fled the state after being indicted as an accessory to the suicide of his brother Lilburne [1].

On February 20, 1813 William and his brother-in-law, John E. Coleman, were listed as bondman in the marriage of Martin Duncan and Minty Dillard and on February 4, 1814 he was listed as a buyer in the sale of the estate property of Robert Coffield (dec’d). On May 13, 1814 he was listed on the petition to the Livingston County Court to have the road between Mr. Gaskings and Mr. Cowsert (Centerville to Salem Road) moved to allow travelers access to water. These are the last known records showing him as a resident of Livingston County until 1819. In Livingston County Deed Book C; page 151; dated 25 Apr. 1816; William is listed as William Hodges of Stewart County, Tennessee. In this land transaction his sells Thomas Terry Sr. 250 arpnis [2] of land in the District of New Madrid [3] for $200. The following year he sold to his brother Robert 130 acres on Claylick Creek (we will later see this land reverted back to his wife Nancy) and collects $39 from the estate of Benjamin Coffield for the care of his widow Sarah. [Liv. Co. Ct. Order Bk. F; 20 Oct. 1817]. Benjamin Coffield married Sarah "Salley" Dancey [sic] in Livingston County on July 10, 1806. As stated in the court record, William Hodge took care of his sister-in-law after the death of her husband Benjamin (also see Archibald Dancy this page).

While living in Stewart County two are their children were born, William Carroll and Cassandra Susan. They finally move back to Livingston County in 1819 and William is listed in the tax list with 3 slaves, 2 horses and 245 acres on Claylick Creek. In the 1820 Livingston County census and the final census he would be enumerated in, William is listed as doing business in “Commerce”. From the records uncovered he did do a lot of traveling, but what goods or services he was providing has yet to be ascertained.

William gave his first daughter permission to marry on September 18, 1824, “This lines is to testify that I am willing for Mr. Jonah Hibbs and my daughter Mary to marry it is there wish to do so.” signed William Hodge. This would be the first and last time he would give any of his daughter’s consent to marry. The next daughter to marry would not be until 1831 and permission then was given by his wife Nancy.

In their roughly 24 years of marriage, Nancy and William would have nine children. They are as followings in birth order: Mary Dancy “Polly”, Elizabeth W. “Betsy”, Margaret Belle “Peggy”, Rebecca “Beckie”, John A., William Carroll, Cassandra Susan “Susie”,   Jourdena “Jurdenia” and   Asel Bronson “Asa”. All the children would live past childhood and later marry.

After William’s death in 1826, his brother Thomas Hodge wrote a letter (dated 20 March 1828) to the Livingston Court, witnessed by Presley Gray, requesting that John Berry and Nancy Hodge be named Administrators to William’s Estate at the April 1828 Term of the Livingston County Court. This letter was executed by Presley Gray and recorded on 22 March 1828 by the Livingston County Clerk. On 7 April 1828, Nancy Hodge and John Berry were named Administrators and Thomas Hodge referring security with Josiah B. Hodge giving counter security (Livingston County Order Book G, Page 372). Josiah was very instrumental in attempting to help Nancy settle the estate of William as shown by early court records. Later descendants of this family intermarry in Texas.

In February 1830 Josiah B. Hodge was released by the court as security for Nancy and Robert White, now the second husband of their daughter Mary, is appointed her new security. On the following month Robert White and his wife Polly (Mary Dancy Hodge), bought a lawsuit against Nancy and William’s estate. Robert and Polly were rewarded a distributive share of the estate by the court and the lands were equally divided amongst all the heirs. James Rutter was appointed as the commissioner to carry this order into effect. The court ordered that Nancy be allowed in lieu of her dower’s right, only the portion of an heir. The court then ordered that the land be sold on a credit of 12 months at the courthouse door. Henry Richard Dancy Coleman (Nancy's nephew) was appointed to carry this part of this decree into effect. [Circuit Court Order Book G.; pg. 222]. This land was purchased by William Thompson.

On June 19, 1832 William Thompson, sold Nancy Hodge 130 acres of land along Claylick Creek for one dollar. This was the land she was living on at the time of the transaction and was the same land sold to William's brother Robert Hodge Sr. in 1817. Another tract, which was 70 acres, was part of the Henry Banks Military Grant on Claylick Creek. This tract had originally been sold to William by his brother-in-law John Berry. From looking at this transactions and the suit bought against Nancy and William’s estate, it appears that Robert and Polly were a little money hungry. Whatever the case may have been, Mr. Thompson bought the estate and then, and more or less, gave it back to Nancy. I suspect that Robert Hodge Senior had a lot to do with the return of William’s estate to Nancy.

Nancy was enumerated as head of the household in both the 1830 and 1840 Livingston County Census. In what records that have been uncovered, she never did remarry. On June 11, 1849 she died at home overlooking the Claylick Creek in Crittenden County. It can only be assumed that William and Nancy were buried somewhere on or near their farm along Claylick Creek.

- Marty K. Hodge

 Foot Notes:

 [1] Merrill, Boynton Jr.. Jefferson's Nephews A Frontier Tragedy. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton Unversity Press, 1976.

 [2] An arpent of land still used in certain French sections of Canada and the U.S., equals to about 0.85 acres.

 [3] The District of New Madrid was organized March, 1805. The Legislature, December 31, 1813, established the County of New Madrid. The vast tract included about one-eight of the present State of Missouri, Source: Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri, 1901, Conrad.