Jerry, when you performed much research on this particular family of Hodges, did you find any relationship with the ancestors of the Hodges who live today? Did you come upon Charles Ramsey Hodges who married Sara(h) Drury or John Hodge who married the daughter of Samuel Anderson, Frances Anderson, or other Hodges with names William, John, Samuel, etc? So many of us, especially we elderly who cannot travel very well, are desperately searching for our ancestors records, and appreciate any help you can give us. Best regards, Betty Hodge Green Polombo Home Manuscripts Univ. Archives Guides Books & Print Digital Exhibits Internet Resources Contact Special Collections THE HODGES FAMILY PAPERS BIOGRAPHY The Hodges family arrived in America in the first half of the seventeenth century. Although early records of the family have been lost, it is evident that they settled in the Tidewater region almost from the beginning. The history of the Hodges family and the history of Portsmouth are closely intertwined. The oldest available document is the will of William Hodges, which was written March 19, 1754. The will indicates that William Hodges was a successful planter who owned slaves. His will provides the only valid information on his life. Of his three sons and four daughters, the only one to be mentioned in another family document is Captain John Hodges. He married Lydia Thomas July 4, 2760 and died May 12, 1802. One of his sons, William Hodges, married Sally Deans, and one of their children was John Hodges, the first member of the family of whom any considerable record remains. John Hodges was born December 31, 1786 and died July 31, 1855. During the War of 1812 he rose to the rank of Brigadier General of the 9th Brigade of the Virginia Militia. He served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates in 1826, and was a supervisor in Norfolk County for the election of presidential and vice-presidential electors in 1832. In addition to these activities, he served an undetermined number of years as Postmaster of Portsmouth until his resignation in 1840. General Hodges bought a tract of land on the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River, which he called Wildwood.