It has been quite some years since I last visited this forum as Hhodgetts above. Since then a great deal of water has gone under the bridge for me and us all. I have continued my family research though, and this is currently the information I have regarding my 2 x great grandmother Mary Elizabeth Hodgetts nee Parker as discussed above.
On the 1911 census she stated that she had 13 children 6 of which died. I managed to track down all of her 14 children! I think she must have forgotten one of them because 7 died.
She had her first 4 children with husband Thomas James Hodgetts. They were;
1, Florence Elizabeth 1879 - 1936. 2, my 1 x gt grandfather Thomas James 1881 - 1945. 3 Arthur William 1882 - 1890, 4 Harriet Emily 1884 - 1900.
Her husband Thomas James Hodgetts died 27 Jan 1886 age 28. Today we'd call it an 'congenital heart defect'.
Mary Elizabeth's next batch of children were attributed to an Edmund Hodgetts who would have died circa 1895.
I can find no evidence to support his existence! The children attributed to him were;
5 Elizabeth 1887 - 1887. 6 Edith Isabella 1888 - 1963. 7 Maud Mary 1891 - 1981. 8 Arthur Edmund. 9 Ernest 1893 - 1893.
10 Beatrice Hope 1895 - 1944.
Child 5 Elizabeth's birth certificate has no fathers name on it, though the child was later attributed to said Edmund.
Child 6 Edith stated on her marriage cert that her father was Edmund Hodgetts (deceased) Engineer.
Child 7 Maud Mary stated on her marriage cert that her father was Edmund Hodgetts (deceased) Engineer.
Child 10 Beatrice Hope stated on her marriage cert that her father was Edmund Hodgetts (deceased) Engineer.
I can find no evidence of a marriage between Mary Elizabeth nee Parker and an Edmund Hodgetts.
Edmund died 1895.
Mary Elizabeth's next group of children were attributed to Albert Hodgetts.
11 Albert Edmund 1896 - 1963. 12 Ethel 1897 - 1897. 13 Frederick 1898 - 1900. 14 Alfred William 1902 - 1940.
11 Albert Edmund stated on his marriage cert that his father was Albert (deceased) no profession stated.
I can find no evidence to support the existence of the above Albert Hodgetts. He died 1924. I will of course continue looking.
We then arrive at the end of Mary Elizabeth's life. She died 20 Nov 1925 in the Lee Bridge Tavern (built 1919) she collapsed with
a rupture between the lower chambers of heart. Poor love. At least it was quick. She was only 64 years of age.
Interestingly her son, child 11 Albert Edmund, was with his mother when she died, and he registered her death. He stated that his mother was a widow of an Edward Hodgetts! Given her 3rd husband Albert died in 1924, I am not sure she'd have had time to remarry and then be widowed again by the end of her life. Who knows? Again, thus far I have been unable to prove the existence of her 4th husband Edward. I think all three of her subsequent husbands were fictitious to legitimise her children.
An amazing lady. I think she had a hard life. There was no welfare state to help her back then, so after being widowed the first time, I have no idea if she was just lonely or a professional lady of the night / escort or just helping lonely men for a fee. I am not judging her nor casting aspertions. She had her reasons. It was a hard life.
She was buried at Witton Cemetery 25 Nov 1925. I only just found that out in the last few days, so I haven't as yet had chance to go visit her grave.
I'm guessing by now that the original poster Ann Davison is no longer with us. I got no response last time I replied, but I hope other descendants of Mary Elizabeth Hodgetts nee Parker find this information useful. It has taken years to build the timeline for her and unravel all the paperwork and various facts and join the dots. You know how it is. I just wish there was a family member left that remembers her that I could ask about her and learn what kind of a person she was. I cannot image what it must have been like for her losing 7 children.
She is made mention of in a number of family trees online, but of course it is so complicated that none have actually managed to make sense of all the data children and husbands. I do hope others looking for her, find this particular subject thread.
My last task here is to add an image of Mary herself. RIP grandma, you and your children are not forgotten xx
Best wishes
Philip
and like other members we do not mind helping out..however i do think its a good idea of yours to contact your cousin because you never know what she maybe able to tell you
