The Hodges are numerous in the BVI too. One of our longest serving legislators bears that name. Bezaliel Hodge was the largest landowner in the (British) Virgin Islands in the late 1700s and one of the richest men in the Caribbean. The 1798 Tortola Plantation Map shows that he left to his "Heirs" about 20 estates scattered around the island and that William Ronan Hodge and Arthur Hodge also owned some. Arthur Hodge is notorious as the only slave owner in the British West Indies to be have been executed for murdering one of his slaves. The wide publicity given his appalling cruelty revitalised the British anti-slavery movement, which had paused for breath after the abolition of the slave trade. John Andrew's /The Hanging of Arthur Hodge - A Caribbean Anti-Slavery Milestone/ (2000) is partly based on a contemporary report of the case, which is downloadable from Google Books. Peter Moll Tortola BVI vettie finch wrote: > Hello gary hodge, > > I'm relatively new to searching myself. I am from St. Thomas, now the U.S. > Virgin Islands, which is comprised of a chain of islands called St. John, > St. Croix and St. Thomas We are located in the southern Caribbean. Your > family name (Hodge) is a very prominent name here. Prior to becoming a > territory of the United States in 1917, these islands Virgin Islands, were > owned by the Denmark and was called the Danish West Indies. According to > census records, your family migrated here in the early 1800's. Today, they > are among our judges, doctors, lawyers, and well to put it simply, > successful business men/women in our community. The Hodge's are also from a > small island called Anguilla, even more prominent that those in St. Thomas. > You can go to ancestors.com and look up the census for the early 1900's and > see where it leads. The history of our ancestors is amazing and even though > you might get frustrated with the search, don't give up. I've been able to > trace my ancestors back to 1772. I'm hoping to go back even further - to > Ghana, where I believe I'll find what tribe my ancestors were from. Keep > the faith. > > Vettie from St. Thomas > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > On Behalf Of J hodge > Sent: Monday, October 01, 2007 9:39 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Spam:*****, matthew hatchett > > Hi List > > I am a newcomer to this list , I have an ancestor by the name of Matthew > sidesman HATCHETT ,born according to census as West Indies, I have > located another researcher of same name looking for same in west indies, > but cannot contact him, from what information he gives he states Matthew > was born in St Thomas. > > Can anyone help me with this place and whereabouts it is , and or if any > other listers are researching the same surname ,can you please get in > touch with me. > > I live in england. > > Gary Hodge