Peyton Randolph Hodge

Alcander “Uncle Can” Hodge, the first child, was born November 28, 1824 on his father’s farm near Salem, Livingston County, Kentucky. He lived for a number of years with his younger brother Singleton at Marion where he owned and operated Hodge General Merchandise. The store was situated at Main and Belleville where the present day convenient store of Five Star is now located. He lost his business after the Civil War and moved back to Salem where he worked for his youngest brother Henry on the family farm. By 1880 he was back in the merchandise/grocery business and was living with his widowed sister Mariah Weller at Salem. He was listed in the 1900 census at Salem and gave his occupation as a farm laborer having been unemployed for nine months. He died unmarried and childless at Salem on September 27, 1907.

Adalia Hodge, the second child, was born April 2, 1827 near Salem, Livingston County. Adalia died September 23, 1845 unmarried and childless.

Carroll Hodge, the third child, was born November 21, 1827 near Salem, Livingston County, Kentucky. His first marriage was to Drucinda Cook on October 30, 1851 at Salem. Drucinda was the daughter of Elbert Cook and his wife Malinda Smith. Carroll and Drucinda had only child during their marriage, Eddie May, who married Robert Edwin Bigham. She and Robert would eventually move to Stratmore, California. After Drucinda’s death in 1855 Carroll married his distance cousin Nannie Summers. Nannie was the daughter of Joseph Summers and Evalina Haynes. He and Nannie had nine children: Evalina May who married the Rev. Eli Eaton, Sarah who married William Millikan, Mildred “Millie” who married John Price, Adalia died an infant, Nellie who married first Edward Smith then Liner Doom, Joseph Summers who married first Nora Wright and then Brida Smith, Peyton Randolph who married Alice Boswell, David Watts who married Callie Brasher and the youngest child Alcander Allie that died an infant. After Nannie’s death in 1900 at Pinckneyville, Carroll moved to Little Rock, Arkansas and lived with his son Peyton where he eventually died in 1907.

Martha Edna Hodge, the fourth child, was born January 19, 1830 on her father’s farm near Salem, Livingston County, Kentucky. She married Richard Gibson Stewart on September 25, 1845 in Crittenden County. Richard was the son of Milton Stewart and his wife Narcissa Miles. Martha and Richard would have six before his death in 1862. Their children are as follows: Mattie E. died young and said to be buried with her father in Mississippi, Richard Milton died young and buried at the old Marion Cemetery, Mary Catherine married Dr. Thomas Cossitt, Peyton Hodge married Callie Agent, William Henry born 1853 and no further record, Sally Kit married Richard Dorr, Narcissa Belle married a Cooper, and finally Bettie Mariah married Robert “Kit” Shepherd. She never remarried and lived for a number of years at Marion before moving with her daughter Sallie to Canyon, Randall County, Texas around 1897. She eventually moved back to Crittenden County and died on January 8, 1919 from pnemonia at the home of her son-in-law Kit Shepherd in Tolu. Her body was bought to Marion and buried at Mapleview Cemetery.

Mariah, the fifth child, was born February 29, 1832 near Salem, Livingston County, Kentucky. She married James Webb Weller on February 22, 1849 at Salem. They moved to Princeton, Caldwell County, Kentucky soon after the birth of their first child where he was employed as a deputy court clerk. During their marriage they had two daughters: Mary Campbell who married her cousin Collin McKenzie Hodge and Sarah Peyton “Sallie” who married Henry Dycus. Her husband James died before 1860 and she returned to Salem and lived with her father and mother until their deaths. She never remarried and lived with brother Alcander for several years before moving in with her daughter Sallie and her husband Henry Dycus at Iuka. She died at their home on October 23, 1911 and was buried at the Mt. Carmel Cemetery near Iuka.

Singleton Sinclair “Sink” Hodge, the sixth child, was born June 22, 1834 near Salem, Livingston County, Kentucky. He attended the common schools and the academy at Salem. In 1851 he moved to Marion and was appointed deputy circuit clerk. In 1856 he was elected Circuit Court Clerk for Crittenden County and served in that position for six years. He married Kitty Dancy Coleman on March 24, 1857. Kitty was born February 3, 1840 in what is now present day Crittenden County. She was the daughter of Henry Richard Dancy Coleman and Narcissa Miles. Singleton was admitted to the Bar in August 1862 and served one term as Crittenden County Attorney from 1866 to 1870. He operated a tavern from his home from 1861 to at least 1866. He and Kitty moved to Princeton in 1893 where he continued to practice law. He a lawyer for over forty years and a member of the Masonic Fraternity for sixty-four years. He died in Princeton on June 26, 1921 and was buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Singleton Sinclair had one child, Emma N. (1869-1946), born out of wedlock with his relationship with Fredonia “Donie” Threlkeld (1845-1914). Donie was a free-mulatto[1] and daughter to “Aunt” Matilda[2] Threldkeld (1799-1886). At the time of Emma’s birth Singleton was county attorney for Crittenden. His relationship with Donie no doubt ended his political career in Crittenden County for he did not seek re-election and returned to his private practice.

Matilda was the mulatto slave and daughter of Charles Lewis who died circa 1806 in Albermarle County, Virginia and his female slave Sarah. When Matilda was six years old she was then owned by Charles’ brother Randolph and referred to in early records as “yellow” Matilda. The Lewis family moved to Livingston County, Kentucky in the early settlement and owned a plantation just east of Smithland along the Ohio River. Charles Lewis’ mother, Lucy Lewis (nee Jefferson), was the sister of President Thomas Jefferson. On February 28, 1811 Matilda and her mother Sarah were listed as part of the good and Chattels of the Estate of Randolph Lewis who was then deceased. In January 1815 Matilda and her mother Sarah were sold to Aaron Threlkeld for $431.56 ¼.

Anderson Hodge, the seventh child, was born July 14, 1836 near Salem, Livingston County, Kentucky and died June 29, 1839.

Peyton Randolph Hodge Jr., the eighth child, was born August 10, 1838 Salem, Livingston County, Kentucky and died young.

Elizabeth “Bettie” Hodge, the ninth child, was born June 18, 1840 in Livingston County. She married Robert S. Easley on January 10, 1865 in Livingston County. Robert was born circa 1834 in Virginia and was the son of William Easley and his wife Tabitha Stone. They lived for a short period in Marion and Princeton before moving to Pueblo County, Colorado around 1869. After Robert’s death in 1874 Bettie moved back to Kentucky with her children. She died in Crittenden County in July of 1879 leaving the children to be raised by family members. Bettie and Robert had the following known children: Mary who died an infant, Alma who married James Monroe Clement, William Peyton raise by his Uncle Octavius Hodge and married Leona Allen and Mattie Maude raised by her sister Alma and married William S. Gray.

James Joel Hodge, the tenth child, was born October 29, 1842 near Salem, Livingston County, Kentucky and died July 5, 1844.

Octavius Howard Hodge, the eleventh child, was born July 29, 1845 near Salem, Livingston County. He married Ella Emily Shelby on December 16, 1869 in Livingston County. Ella was the born April 1849 to James Shelby and Julia Doyal. Octavius and Ella would have nine children: Clarence who married Irene Broad, Elizabeth E. “Bettie” who died young and buried near her grandfather Peyton, Isaac Shelby who married Josie Walker, Ruby who married I.O. Ford, Florence Cowper who married Putt Arnold, Herbert who married Della Decker, Harry Wildwood who married Nettie Jameson, Beulah who married James Dunn, Will Gainer and finially George Rasmussen, and the youngest child Eugene who married Lillian Dillard. They raised their children on the family farm between Salem and Pinckneyville. His wife Ella died on August 5, 1906 at Hopkinsville and he died at Lea, Tatum County, New Mexico on May 24, 1926.

His eldest son, the Rev. Clarence Hodge, is mistakenly identified as the Rev. Collin Hodge in Matthew Patton’s website www.dycusburg.com (C. Hodge - The Crittenden Press; Illustrated Edition; Part Third, 9 August 1894. Dycusburg: A Glance at Her History and the People who built the Town.) It is an honest and reasonable mistake as the Rev. Collin Hodge was undoubtedly one of the most well known Baptist Preachers in Western Kentucky and Southern Illinois.

Henry Hodge, the twelved and youngest child, was born October 18, 1847 near Salem, Livingston County, Kentucky. He married on Christmas Day 1873 in Crittenden County to Patience Hill. Patience was born on June 22, 1849 and was the daughter of William Hill and Mary Bennett. They moved to Lindsey, California where he died on May 8, 1916. Henry and Patience would have the following children: Lena Woods who married Hugh Martin, William Peyton who would marry Nona Wolfe, Malcolm who died an infant, unnamed child that died in 1880, Harold Octavus, Sally Anna who married Clyde Wolfe and Ollie Abe who married Rhoda Benson.

[1] 1850 Crittenden County, Kentucky Federal Census, 1852 Crittenden County, Kentucky Tax List.

[2] Jefferson’s Nephews A Frontier Tragedy. Interview with Matida Threlkeld The Crittenden Press December 22, 1880.

[1] After Milton’s death she married Henry Richard Dancy Coleman.

[2] In 1850 James was a deputy county clerk in Caldwell Co., Ky

[3] Kentucky Death Records give year of death 1937. Livingston Co., Cemetery Book gives 1932.

[4] Livingston Co., Cemetery Book incorrectly gives year of birth as 1869.

[5] She was born in what is now present day Crittenden County. Crittenden County was formed out of Livingston County in 1842

[6] Henry Richard Dancy Coleman (1800-1867) was the son of Richard E. Coleman and Rebeccah Dancy of Edgecombe County, North Carolina. Henry was one of the first justice of the peace for Crittenden County. He would later serve as a State Representative for Crittenden County.