Colonel Robert Hodgson of Bluefields, Nicaragua
Hello, I wonder if anyone can help me?
I live in England but my family come from Jamaica. I have been researching my Hodgson family history for the last five years. I am trying to find the country of origin of my great great great grandfather Edward Hodgson who was born 1809/10. He married in Jamaica 1837. I believe he had a brother named Alexander Hodgson born 1810/11. They would have been either full white or very slightly black(mullato/quadroon/octoroon) I notice that people with these two names also appear as slave descendants to Colonel Robert Hodgson. I have a strong feeling that my Hodgson's of Jamaica may be connected to this family. On the internet there is a photograph of one of the Colonels creole grandsons, General George Hodgson who died in 1927. Quite a few people have remarked how much he resembles our Hodgson stock.
I have been looking into the history of Colonel Robert Hodgson the younger of the Mosquito Shore and am trying to find out about him and his Hodgson slaves and their Hodgson descendants. This is what I know so far about the family and would like to know even more;
His father Robert Hodgson the elder was English. He was in North Carolina for a time before becoming the first Superintendant of the Mosquito Shore in 1749 under the recommendation of Edward Trelawny Governor of Jamaica. He died in 1758 or 1759. His will was proved at the P.C.C in London 1765. In his will he mentions that his "true" friend John Reed/Reid of Jamaica should handle his estate giving it only to who he thinks is the "most deserving". He does not mention a wife or children. Does anyone know what year he was born or where in England he came from. Who was his wife or partner and how many children did he have. Did he have slave children?
His son Robert Hodgson the Younger was born 1725-1730. He married Elizabeth Pitt in London 1766. Does anyone know where? He became superintendant of the Mosquito Shore. He had four legitimate children to this marriage;
Robert Pitt Hodgson
William Pitt Hodgson
Martha Maria Hodgson went to Bristol England aged 3
Female Hodgson died young
Colonel Robert and Elizabeth were pushed out of Bluefields with their two sons. They went to Guatemala. Colonel Robert died in 1791. His widow and two sons went back to Bluefields to claim their fathers land and slaves?. Many of them had the Hodgson surname. It appears that Elizabeth and her two sons then moved to Kingston Jamaica. Did they take any Hodgson slaves with them? I know that Elizabeth died in 1797. William died in 1800 and Robert died in 1808. In the indexes for the church registers of Kingston I found these burials;
Elizabeth Hodgson 1795-1800
William Pitt Hodgson 1800-1804
Robert Pitt Hodgson 1800-1810
I also found these baptisms;
Robert Pitt Hodgson 1801-1810
William Pitt Hodgson 1801-1810
Catherine Mary Hodgson 1801-1810
So it appears one of Elizabeth's sons had children of his own. There were also subsequent children baptised in Kingston 30 years later with the names Robert and William Pitt Hodgson.
In Jamaica on the 3rd April 1818 there was about 30 Hodgson slaves freed by Manumission. Possibly in Kingston. Some of these names were;
Edward
Elizabeth
Mary
Alexander
William
Jane
Maria
Anna
Susanna
Samuel
Bell
Catherine
Charles
I looked for them in the Jamaican Slave registers for 1817,1820,1823,1826, 1829 and 1832. I couldn't find any of them. I think Edward may be my ggg grandfather (born 1809/10) I think these slaves have a connection to the Pitt Hodgson's of Kingston.
Many many years ago in Jamaica my family noticed a newspaper photograph of a Hodgson policeman in Kingston and were so overwhelmed by how much he resembled our family that they tried to contact him. He never responded back.
Sorry for the long message.
Any help would be gratefully appreciated.
Robert Hodgson
West Midlands
England
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