James Hodgkinson

1807 - 1880

James was born on 27th March 1807 in Flagg, the son of William and Hannah, and baptised on 26th April in Chelmorton ⁽¹⁾. His father had at least 2 children from a previous marriage, but James was the first son born to Hannah & him. His younger brother Matthew was born in about 1812 ⁽²⁾, then his sister Hannah in about 1819 ⁽³⁾, and finally youngest sister Elizabeth followed six years after that ⁽⁴⁾.

James is believed to have had an illegitimate son Matthew in about 1831, although the identity of the mother is not known ⁽⁵⁾. Matthew presumably lived with his mother as a child, as at the time of the 1841 census he wasn't with his father, who appeared to lodging in the home of John and Elizabeth Mitchell ⁽⁶⁾.

James married a widow called Ann Needham, also from Flagg, in 1847 ⁽⁷⁾, and with her took on three step-children Mary Ann, Charles and Martha ⁽⁸⁾. James and Ann had their first child Moses in 1848 ⁽⁹⁾, followed by another son James in 1850 ⁽¹⁰⁾. Sometime in the 1840s James's first son Matthew had come to live with him (presumably on the death of his mother), and James's mother had similarly moved in with him, presumably after the death of James's father, and so by the census of 1851, James was living with his wife, his mother, his illegitimate son, his three step-children, and his two younger sons. He was said to be a farmer of 103 acres at the time ⁽⁸⁾.

His youngest son Arthur was born in 1854 ⁽¹¹⁾. His eldest step daughter, Mary Ann, got married in 1859 ⁽¹²⁾, and her husband Henry Prime moved in with them ⁽¹⁵⁾. They had a son in 1860 ⁽¹⁴⁾, and were still living with James and Ann at the time of the 1861 census ⁽¹⁵⁾.

All of James's children and step children moved out over the next few years, except for his son Moses ⁽¹⁷⁾. Moses married in 1867 ⁽¹⁶⁾, and his wife Mary moved in ⁽¹⁷⁾. James's wife Ann died in March 1869 ⁽¹⁸⁾. From this point onwards the household steadily became more Moses's (even though James was still shown as the head in the 1871 census ⁽¹⁷⁾). James would witness the birth of Moses's first 5 children before he died of dropsy on 21st August 1880 ⁽²⁰⁾. He had made his will the previous year leaving the farm to son Moses, some other land to son James, an annuity to son Arthur, and a one off payment to son Matthew ⁽²¹⁾ (although it seems likely that he had already given part of the farm to Matthew around the time that Moses got married ⁽⁵⁾).

• Matthew has his own page.
• Moses was born in Flagg in 1848. He married Mary Prime in 1867, and they had 8 children - Charles, Arthur, Esther Ann, Henry, Mary Jane, Edith, Moses and Anne Martha. Initially after marriage Moses and Mary lived in Flagg, but sometime around the late 1880s they moved to Hassop, where Moses continued farming but also took up preaching. However this appears to have been a short lived career, as by the mid 1890s he had moved to Derby, where he was a butcher. Nothing is known of him after 1901.
• James was born in Flagg in 1850. In 1875 he married Martha Ann Needham in Bakewell, and they set up home in Blackley in Lancashire, where they had (at least) six children - Wilfred, Herbert, Harold, James, George and Martha. They were still living there in 1901, after which nothing more is known.
• Arthur was born in Flagg in 1854. As a teenager he moved to Buxton where he was an apprentice saddler, but that didn't last and by the time he was in his mid twenties he had followed hi brother James to Blackley in Lancashire, where became a grocer. Nothing is known of him after 1881.

1. Baptism entry in Parish register of St John the Baptist's, Chelmorton reads:
   [1807, Ap] 26 Bapt^d James, Son of W^m Hodgkinson, farmer, Flagg & Hannah his Wife, born March 27^th 1807
2. Baptism entry in Chelmorton Parish Register reads:
   

   When baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parent's Christian Name	Parent's Surname	Abode	Quality, Trade or Profession
   June 6th [1819] born Sep 12th 1812	Matthew Son of	William & Hannah	Hodgkinson	Flagg	Farmer

3. Baptism entry in Chelmorton Parish Register reads:
   

   When baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parent's Christian Name	Parent's Surname	Abode	Quality, Trade or Profession
   June 6th [1819] born June 29th1814	Hannah Daughter of	William & Hannah	Hodgkinson	Flagg	Farmer

4. Baptism entry in Chelmorton Parish Register reads:
   

   When baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parent's Christian Name	Parent's Surname	Abode	Quality, Trade or Profession
   June 12th [1825]	Elizabeth Dr of	William Hannah	Hodgkinson	Flagg	Labr

5. See son Matthew's page for details
6. Census of 7th June 1841 reads:
   Place: Flagg
   

   Jno Mitchell	40	Farmer
   Eliz Do	50	.
   Jas Hodgkinson	30	Farmer

7. Parish Register of All Saints, Bakewell includes the entry:
   

   1847 Marriage solemnized at the Parish Church in the Parish of Bakewell in the County of Derby

   When married	Name and Surname	Age	Condition	Rank or Profession	Residence at the time of marriage	Father's name and Surname	Rank or Profession of father
   June 21st	James Hodkinson	of full age	Bachelor	Farmer	Flagg	William Hodkinson	Farmer
   	Ann Needham	of full age	Widow	-	Flagg	William Bagshaw	Farmer

   Married in the Parish Church of Bakewell according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Established Church after banns
   This Marriage was solemnised between us	James Hodkinson his + mark	in the Presence of us	Thomas Flint
   	Ann Needham

8. Census of 30th March 1851 reads:
   Place: Flagg
   

   James Hoskinson	Head	Mar	44	Farmer holding 103 acres land	Derbyshire, Flagg
   Ann do	Wife	.	37	.	Staffordshire, B??????top
   Hannah do	Mother	U	70	.	Cheshire, [Tuamlle?] Green
   Matthew do	son to head	U	20	Farmers son	Derbyshire, Greenside
   Mary Ann Needham	step daughter	.	11	Scholar	Derbyshire, Flagg
   Martha do	do	.	7	do	do do
   Charles do	step son	.	9	do	do do
   Moses Hodkinson	son	.	3	do	do do
   James do	son	.	1	.	do do
   Hannah Mycock	servant	U	16	General Servant	do do

9. Based on his age in later censuses ^(8)(15)(17); an entry in the IGI for his baptism on 4th June 1848 in Chelmorton, and an entry in the index of birth certificates for a Moses Hodgkinson in Q2 1848 in Bakewell registration district.
10. Based on his age in later censuses ^(8)(15); an entry in the IGI for his baptism on 13th March 1850 in Chelmorton, and an entry in the index of birth certificates for a James Hodgkinson in Q1 1850 in Bakewell registration district.
11. Based on his age in later censuses ⁽¹⁵⁾; an entry in the IGI for his baptism on 6th June 1854 in Chelmorton, and an entry in the index of birth certificates for a Arthur Hodgkinson in Q2 1854 in Bakewell registration district.
12. The index of marriage certificates includes entries for Mary Ann Needham and Henry Prime in Q2 1859 in Bakewell registration district.
13. N/A
14. The index of birth certificates includes an entries for Richard Needham Prime in Q2 1860 in Bakewell registration district.
15. Census of 7th April 1861 reads:
    Place: Flagg
    

    James Hodgkinson	Head	Marrd	54	Farmer of 70 Acres	Derby, Flagg
    Ann Hodgkinson	Wife	do	47	Farmer's wife	Stafford, Leek
    Martha Needham	daughtr	Unmd	17	Daughter	Derby, Flagg
    Moses Hodgkinson	Son	.	12	Scholar	do, do
    James Hodgkinson	do	.	11	do	do, do
    Arthur Hodgkinson	do	.	6	do	do, do
    Henry Prime	Son in Law	Marrd	26	Clock & Watchmaker	do, Middleton by Youlgreave
    Mary Ann Prime	daughtr	do	21	Wife of Do	do, Flagg
    Richard Needham Prime	Grandson	.	11m	.	do, do

16. The index of marriage registrations includes entries for Moses Hodgkinson and Mary Prime in Q1 1867 in Bakewell registration district.
17. Census of 2nd April 1871 reads:
    Place: Ubberdale House, Flagg
    

    James Hodgkinson	Head	Widr	64	Farmer of 89 acres	[Derbyshire]; [Flagg]
    Moses Do	Son	Mar	22	Farmer of 89 acres	Do; Do
    Mary Do	Daur in Law	Mar	27	Farmers wife	Do; Middleton
    Arthur Do	Gr Son	.	7 Mo	.	Do; Flagg

18. Chelmorton Parish Register lists the burial of Ann Hodgkinson of Flagg, age 54, on 1st April 1869.
19. N/A
20. Death Certificate from Registration District of Bakewell, states:

    When and where died	Name	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered
    Twenty first August 1880, Flagg	James Hodgkinson	Male	74 years	Farmer	Dropsy, Certified by J L Park MRCS	Moses Hodgkinson, Son, Present at the death, Flagg	Twenty third August 1880

21. Contemporary probate copy of James Hodgkinson's will (page 1, 2, 3) (amongst post 1858 contemporaory probate record copies @ DRO) reads:
    This is the last Will and Testament of me, James Hodgkinson of Rock Field House, Flagg, in the Parish of Bakewell, in the County of Derby, Farmer. I appoint my son Moses Hodgkinson now residing with me; and my son James Hodgkinson now residing at Blackley in the county of Lancaster, Farmer, to be executors and trustees of my will, and I devise to them and their heirs all real estate to which I shall be entitled at the time of my death, as trustee on mortgage but subject to the equities affecting the same respectively. I bequeath the consumable household stores and provisions of which I shall die possessed together with the rest of the household furniture and effects to my son Moses Hodgkinson. Also I bequeath to my aforesaid son Moses Hodgkinson the house in which I now reside, together with the land adjoining thereto, consisting of three fields, two of which are known and called by the name of Lime Close containing in the whole eleven and a half acres or thereabouts.
    [Added later, squeezed between the lines] and which are bounded on the East side by land of John Hodgkinson, on the West by land of Evans, on the South by [?Flagg M.....ry?] and the third of the aforesaid three fields is known and called by the name of ["Swath Tall?]
    And as to all my live and dead farming stock of which I shall be possessed at my death I bequeath to my aforesaid son Moses Hodgkinson for his own use absolutely. And as to all the rest of the personal estate to which I shall be entitled at my death, I bequeath to my aforesaid son Moses Hodgkinson, upon trust to get in and convert the same into money, and thereout to pay my debts and funeral and testementary expenses, and then to stand possessed of the surplus for his own use absolutely. I devise all the real estate to which I shall be entitled at the time of my death, save and except the aforesaid three fields which I have bequeathed to my son Moses Hodgkinson, in the manner following. Namely, first as to all that piece of old enclosed land, now on heretofor divided into two fields and situation the Township of Flagg, and now on heretofor called the Over Hubberdale Close on Field Head, and containing eight acres and twelve perches or thereabouts, and bounded on the one side in part by land of John Hodgkinson and in part by land of John Newton Braddock and William Bown on two other sides by land of John Hodgkinson and on the remaining side by the lands herinafter described. I devise the same to the use of my son James Hodgkinson and his heirs forever, but nevertheless subject to, and charged with the payment of a legacy of fifty pounds to be paid by my aforesaid son James Hodgkinson to Matthew Hodgkinson formerly residing with me but now living at Hubberdale.
    Secondly as to all those three pieces or parcels of land situate in the said Township of Flagg and now on heretofor called and known by the names of Top Hubberdale and Middle and Nether Hubberdale and containing in the whole together ten acres or thereabouts by the same more or less. I devise the same to the use of my aforesaid Executors, subject to, and charged with an annuity of twelve pounds to be paid yearly to my son Arthur Hodgkinson for his lifetime, and in the event of my said son Arthur Hodgkinson dying and leaving issue then the aforesaid three fields or parcels of land called Top Hubberdale, Middle Hubberdale and Nether Hubberdale shall be divided equally among his children, but if my aforesaid son Arthur Hodgkinson should die having no children then I devise the aforesaid three fields Top Hubberdale, Middle Hubberdale and Nether Hubberdale to the children of my aforesaid sons Moses Hodgkinson and James Hodgkinson or their heirs, share and share alike.
    Lastly I revoke and declare void all former Wills and Codicils by me at any time heretofor made and do declare this to be my last will and testament. In witness whereof I the said James Hodgkinson the testator have to every sheet of this my will contains on seven sheets of paper set my hand this fourteenth day of April in the year of our Lord one thosand eight hundred and seventy nine.
    James Hodgkinson X his mark
    Signed published and declared by the said James Hodgkinson the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us present at the same time, who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses the same Will having been first read over by the undersigned
    James Slack of Alvaston
    Thomas Bunting of Wheal
    Proved at Derby the fourth day of October 1880 by the oaths of Moses Hodgkinson and James Hodgkinson the sons the executors to whom Administration was granted.
    The testator James Hodgkinson was was late of Rock Field House, Flagg, in the parish of Bakewell, the county of
    Derby, Farmer, and died on the twentyfirst day of August 1880 at Rock Field House Flagg aforesaid.
    Personal estate under £500
    Extracted by the executor in person
    
22. White's directory of 1852 lists James amongst the farmers of Flagg.
23. White's directory of 1857 lists James amongst the farmers of Flagg.