The Grayson Prong The Grayson prong of the problem looks like this. There are a group of Hodges is Grayson who appear to be related. Here is the personal property tax record: 1818: Grayson County, Moses Hodges [3] (Moses first appearance in Grayson; not recorded in Giles County) 1819: (not recorded in Grayson County) 1819: Grayson County, Moses Hodge [3] 1820: Grayson County, Moses Hodge [3](not recorded in Giles) 1821: not recorded in Giles or Grayson* 1822: Giles County: Moses Hodge 1823: Giles County, Moses Hodge 1824: Giles County, Moses Hodge 1825: Giles County, Moses Hodge [enumerated in March.] 1825: Grayson County, Mofes Hodge [enumerated February 14.] 1826: Giles County: Moses Hodge 1827: (not recorded in Giles or Grayson): Giles County: Henry Hodgefs 1828: (not recorded in Grayson; Giles list illegible) 1829: Giles County, Moses Hodges 1830: William Hodge, Abel Hodge 1831: William Hodges, Major Hodge, Matthew Hodge 1832: William Hodge 1833: William Hodge, James Hodge 1834: William Hodge, James Hodge, Matthew Hodge 1835: Matthew Hodge, William Hodges 1836: William Hodges 1837: Matthew Hodge 1838: William Hodge 1839: William Hodge, Major Hodge 1840: Major Hodge Matthew Hodge born 1800 per Census (Grayson County 1850 and 1860). Married Martha (Patsy) Perry 1836. Grayson County General Index to Marriages (Ref. 1 Marriage Register 28). When Major Hodge married Elizabeth Sexton in Surry Co., N.C. in 1829, Matthew was the surety. Here are a group of Hodge marriage from Alderman, Grayson/Carroll Marriages: Rev. William Carrico married Rom Dixon and Rachel Hodgens, Sept.21, 1820. Rev. William Carrico married William Sexton and Betsy Hoge Nov. 11, 1824. Matthew Hodge and Charity Pope, dau. Moses, Nov. 28, 1826, John Sexton, surety. William Hodge and Elizabeth McKnight 1828. William Sexton m. Preseller Hodge Mar. 21, 1829. Rev. William Carrico married Marthew Hooge & Patsey Pary, Nov.18, 1836. Thomas Barrett m. Polly Hodge, Joshua Hanks, Jr. surety (bond, no return), Sept. 14, 1839. Here is Matthew's family from the 1850 and 1860 Censuses of Grayson Co. John Hodge b. North Carolina ca. 1835. m. Mary ____, before 1858. Celia Jane Hodge b. ca. 1837-1838. Susan Hodge b. ca. 1839-1840. Matilda E. Hodge b. ca. 1842. Sarah (Sally) Hodge b. ca. 1843-1844. Thomas Hodge b. ca. 1847. Fielden C. Hodge b. ca. 1830 (20 in 1850 Census) William Hodges William Hodges married Elizabeth McKnight 1828. Grayson County General Index to Marriages (Ref. 1 Marriage Register 46). Major Hodge b. ca. 1808. Wife Elizabeth b. ca. 1807. Major Hodges m. (1st) Elizabeth Sexton, June 12, 1829, Surry County. Marriage Records of Surry County, North Carolina 46. m. (2nd) E.J. Jackson (age 26), Carroll Co., Va., Feb. 11, 1869. d. William Hodge b. ca. 1830. (supposed child) b. ca. 1832. (supposed child) b. ca. 1834. 1840 Census, Grayson Co., Western Dist., p. 326 m30-40 m10-15 m5-10 m<5 f30-40 f<5 Next to Wilson Freeman I don't find Major in the 1850 census. 1860 Census, Grayson Co., Va. Major Hodge wm52 laborer b. N.C. Elizabeth wf53 Mary Hodge wf24 Haywood Hodge wm21 Deanna Hodge wf18 Jane Hodge wf16 Sarah Hodge wf13 1870 Census, Rich Valley, Smyth Co., Va. Major Hodges wm61 farmer b. N.C. Elizabeth wf25 keeping house [cannot read] wf11 at home George wm8 at home William wm5 at home In 1880, Major is in the Census twice. One is Major A. Hodge in the 1880 Census of Alleghany County, NC, age 75 (b. 1805 Va., parents b.Va.) in the household of William Hodge. The other is in the 1880 Census of Elk Creek, Grayson Co., Va. listed as a widower, age 70 (b. 1810 Va. birthplaces of parents not listed) and uncle of William Freeman. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/genealogyinforesearchcenter/message/1889 Carroll Co., Va. death record for Fiannia Alley Jul. 4, 1888 age 37 parents Major & not known Hodge. Husband Granville H. Alley. Carroll Co., Va. death record for Pollie Hendrick Jul. 8, 1874 age 40 parents Major A. & Elizabeth Hodge. Place of birth: Grayson Co. Husband Benjamin E. Hendricks. When Major Hodge married E.J. Jackson in Carroll Co., Va. in 1868, he stated that his parents were Reuben and Polly Hodge, and that he was born in Guilford Co., N.C. http://www.geocities.com/raysroots/Marriage_Record_Major_Hodge_Elizabeth_Jan e_Jackson.JPG The death certificate of his son William states that William was born June 12, 1830 in Wythe County, Va. and that his mother's maiden name was Betsey Masey. http://www.geocities.com/raysroots/Death_Record_William_Hodge.jpg A few more Grayson Hodges: Majorand William Hodges are heads of household in the Grayson census of 1830. I don't have the details. In the 1840 Census, there is a James Hodge age 50-60. He continues to appear in the Census in Carroll Co., Va. He is a single man and I assume he does not have any descendants. Here is another: 1860 Census, Grayson Co., Va. William Hodge wm35 laborer b. Va. (b. ca. 1825). Mary wf35 Sarah wf10 Wm. wm8 Percilla wf6 Jane wf4 David wm2 Mary wf 9/12 Now, other than the fact of Moses apparently coming to Grayson with his family 1818-1820 and 1825, and the spate of Hodge marriage shortly thereafter, I would be inclined to conclude that this family is entirely a Surry Co., N.C., family. There is obviously a strong link between the Hodges and the Sextons, though, and my little bit of research into the Sextons seems to indicate that they located primarily in Grayson and Wythe Cos., Va. One though is that the Reuben of Reuben and Polly mentioned by Major in 1868 might be Reuben, son of William Hodges of Franklin County, and probably Moses Hodges' nephew. I checked the North Carolina Census of 1810 and did not find a Reuben. Reuben Hodges is listed in the personal property tax lists for Franklin Co., Va. in 1803 and 1804, 1809-16 (there are no lists for 1808), 1820, 1824, 1827-32, 1847 and 1848. Here is my summary on Reuben: Reuben Hodges b. ca. 1770 (50-60 in 1830 Census; 80 in 1850 Census 1468/1462) or 1784 (1820 and 1830 Census). m. Susan Hall (b. ca. 1780, d. Mar. 10, 1870, age 90), d. of Lance & Roda Hall. Franklin Co. Death Register. d. prob. after 1860 and before 1870. [This chart will get deforamtted; the key is he is not in the 1840 Census.] 1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 M 1784-1794 M 1775-1784 M1770-1780 Reubin 80 Reuben 80 M 1800-1810 M 1810-1820 M 1810-1820 M1815-1820 Heston 25 F 1784-1794 F1775-1794 F1790-1800 Susan 70 Susan 75 F 1810-1820 F1810-1815 F 1810-1820 F1815-1820 F1815-1820 So he does have a son born during the time Major was born, but we have no evidence he ever lived in Guilford County, and these records suggest his wife was named Susan. Reuben's know children in Franklin Co. were Rowland, b. ca. 1813, Judy, who married John Campbell in 1843, and probably Jane, who married Jesse Nicholas in 1843. There is much about this family that is still veiled in mystery, but if anyone has any insights on how they connect to any of our Hodge/Hodges families, I would appreciate their sharing them.