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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Davidxmas on Saturday 17 May 25 13:35 BST (UK)
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Hello everyone! I've reached a brick wall in my studies of the Dodge family of Somerset and Dorset.
I can trace my family firmly back to William Dodge (1764-1845), also known as the Yeoman of Halstock, and it would appear that his parents were Solomon Dodge (1742-1787) and Joan Trask. My problem arises after this.
Records on Ancestry suggest that Solomon's father was Jeremiah Dodge (1713-1788), and that he was married to Hannah Helyar. That would be great if it were the case because the Helyar family is well documented. However, I can find no evidence that Solomon was, indeed, the son of Jeremiah and Hannah. This, despite finding records for five other children of the couple, all in East Coker.
I find the absence of a record for Solomon troubling in the extreme and wonder if there's something I'm missing.
There are numerous records of Dodges who went to America, but this doesn't appear to be the case here as Jeremiah and Hannah had at least five children between 1738 and 1744, all in East Coker. In addition, the supposed birth year of Solomon is 1742, a year when Hannah gave birth to two other children, Rose and Hannah, obviously twins. I would have thought the idea of triplets, at least one of whom survived is unlikely in the extreme!
So, my question is, who was Solomon Dodge? Was he really the son of Jeremiah and Hannah or not?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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I can trace my family firmly back to William Dodge (1764-1845), also known as the Yeoman of Halstock,
I see he was a Farmer in 1841, as he was noted as being a Yeoman was the land that he farmed /owned previously farmed by his family. :-\.
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Do you have these wills, they are available from TNA free of charge if you are registered with the site
Richard Dodge of Halstock, Dorset 1735
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D638002
William Dodge of Halstock 1845
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D87114
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Thanks for the response.
I have the one for William but not that for Richard. I'll give it a look.
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I've now seen the Will of Richard Dodge and note that a William Dodge is mentioned as one of the sons of Andrew Dodge.
I doubt this is my William because I have a probable baptism record which suggests his father was Solomon.
My problem is proving who Solomon's parents were.
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I can trace my family firmly back to William Dodge (1764-1845), also known as the Yeoman of Halstock, and it would appear that his parents were Solomon Dodge (1742-1787) and Joan Trask. My problem arises after this.
Records on Ancestry suggest that Solomon's father was Jeremiah Dodge (1713-1788), and that he was married to Hannah Helyar.
I doubt this is my William because I have a probable baptism record which suggests his father was Solomon.
Lots of things here which don't sound as if you have actual evidence for, and you are right to want to find that evidence. You can't build a tree on 'maybe'.
Do you have anything concrete at all about Solomon? Such as a will?
I think I would go back to the latest actual piece of evidence you have.
You should never take anything seen on the internet, especialy trees on Ancestry, as fact.
You can use them for hints, but if you find they don't add up, as you have done, it usually means they are suspect.
What was his age given as in the 1841 Census?
Have you found his burial and/or his grave? Do they give an age?
All of these may or may not be correct of course.
When did he marry? was it by Banns or licence?
Have you found any age given for him on those documents?
What were the names of his children?
You may be able to get clues from that.
At this time, families often carried on the names of the parents, grandparents etc.
If he classed himself as a yeoman, he may well have rented land from a local landowner.
Very few farmers, including 'yeomen', owned the land they farmed.
Often leases were held for long periods of time over several generations - usually a 'lease for 3 lives', but you could add another person on as the older ones died.
Have you looked for rent rolls for the area?
The National Archives have a Manorial Documents Register.
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/manor-search
I see records for Halstock are at Dorset History Centre
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/N14280078
They are probably not digitised, so it may mean a trip to Dorchester to look at them, or get a researcher to photograph them - or you may be lucky and find a kind Rootschatter who lives nearby and would be willing to visit.
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Have you searched the Dorset Record Office (Dorset History Centre), catalogue for documents that might name them?
If you search for 'Halstock', there are loads of hits.
If he was a fairly well off farmer, he may have been a churchwarden, or parish overseer, or been on the 'jury' for the local quarter sessions, or manor courts as above.
https://archive-catalogue.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/records/Q/S/J
eg for 1828 https://archive-catalogue.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/records/Q/S/J/5/1828/128
Although only man is named in this one, probably the constable or headborough, there will be quite a lot of other names too for that year.
There are many of these to plough through one for each year.
You'll like this one for 1842 I just picked at random! :)
https://archive-catalogue.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/records/Q/S/J/5/1842/210
Worth checking the others in these listings.
Again, some seem not to give all the names of the jurors, so they would have to be looked at in the Record Office, although it says this on one page:
'Jury lists 1825-1869 have been transcribed by volunteers at DHC and are gradually being added to this catalogue. Lists from 1870 onwards will be added without the names of the jurors. Lists earlier than 1825 are awaiting Conservation treatment prior to listing.'
You might find who the previous generation of the 'Dodge' family was.
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Was his wife Mary Barge?
There are two wills which might be worth looking at for some clues. (Sorry, I don't have a sub to findmypast, so not sure if they are on there).
Mary Dodge of Closworth - less than 2 miles away from Halstock.
https://somerset-cat.swheritage.org.uk/records/DD/ED/1826/75
And Alice Dodge of Closworth
https://somerset-cat.swheritage.org.uk/records/DD/ED/1835/86
Both spinsters.
I have found wills to be one of the best things to look at - especially those of spinsters and bachelors, as they often left things to wider members of the family.
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1841 census records that William Dodge of Liberty Halstock was not born in the county of Dorset. Age was rounded to 80 years. Age at death suggests birth around 1760.
It is also worth bearing in mind that a John Dodge was witness at the Marriage of William to Mary Barge. Is John a brother?
There was an Andrew Dodge burial in Sutton Bingham, Somerset on 25 Jan 1766.
Aso an Andrew Dodge married in 1744 in Caundle Marsh Dorset to Lettice Reed.
Sutton Bingham is just a few miles from Closworth and Halstock
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Many thanks for both these replies. I shall certainly follow up on the suggestions.
My basic problem is that, while I have a probable baptism record for William the Yeoman for 15 Feb 1764 in East Coker (father: Solomon), and I have a marriage record for Solomon to Joan Trask on 12 April 1762 at East Coker, I have no baptism record for Solomon, so can't confirm that his father was, indeed, Jeremiah.
Unfortunately, Solomon died a long time before the 1841 census so I can't confirm whether or not he was born in Somerset or Dorset (or even Wiltshire, all three counties coming together at this point).
In respect of whether William owned his own land or not, I think he didn't as I have a land tax record which shows the owner being the Earl of Ilchester. Despite that, in his will, he leaves land to his sons, so I suspect this might well have been one of those multi-generational rentals mentioned.
As I say, I'll follow up on the suggestions made and see if I can get any further with this. Many thanks again for the responses, and I'd be very grateful for anything else that comes to mind.
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A further comment.
The 1841 Census did, indeed, record that William wasn't born in county (i.e. Dorset), and this is correct. The record I have have is that he was baptised (and presumably born) 3 miles down the road in East Coker, Somerset.
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I've been thinking about this some more and trying to find actual evidence.
The burial of William Dodge 4 Jan 1845 in the Halstock register gives his age as 84. (born 1761)
https://www.opcdorset.org/HalstockFiles/HalstockBurs1813-1912.htm
This fits with his age on the 1841 Census.
The will of William Dodge proved 28 Nov 1845 of Liberty Farm Halstock, (on The National Archives), gives children Simon, William, Joseph, Martha (married), Julia( married), Susan (married), Sarah (married), Anne, John and Elizabeth.
You can see all their baptisms on freereg. mostly baptised at Closworth.
Although not mentioned in his will of 1845, another of William and Mary’s sons was Samuel Tasell Dodge, baptised 4 Jan 1786 at Closworth, (on freereg.org.co).
Perhaps he had already had his inheritance, or they had fallen out when the will was written.
There is also a will of William Dodge 10 July 1816 of Closworth, Somerset. He has children William, Elizabeth, Alice, Sarah, Samuel and Mary.
He has land at Closworth, and at East Coker (3 miles north of Halstock).
And Closworth Somerset is 2 miles over the border from Halstock Dorset.
His son Samuel was baptised 15 Jun 1778 at Closworth, father William, mother Elizabeth.
William Dodge married Elizabeth Tessell 23 Nov 1759 at Closworth.
So this is the generation before William that died in 1845.
The William that died in 1845 was the son of the William that died in 1816 - so not father Solomon at all.
This document from The National Archives would seem to confirm this, - an exciting find. It would be worth sending for a copy I would think.
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/96abcca6-1dcd-48e0-b070-9b3dac57c048
There are several Dodge families around this part of Dorset/Somerset at this time as you have found.
The William son of Solomon wasn't born until 1764 - a possibility, but the other William, son of William, is a much better fit given the documented ages, even if there wasn't the very strong evidence of the name Tassell continuing through the 2 families, and the document at the National Archives which gives Samuel Tassell Dodge as the grandson of the William of Closworth who died in 1816.
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Thanks for all your hard work!
I'll have to spend some time digesting all this but it does seem possible.
I'll re-post if I find anything to confirm or refute.
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Just to tie up a couple of loose ends.
The will of William Dodge the elder was proved 10 July 1816, but it was written 1st September 1803, and he was buried 10th May 1804 at Closworth.
So written not long before he died.
Sometimes wills were proved years later - it could depend on a number of factors.
There is a burial at Halstock for a Henry Barge Dodge 2nd December 1829. Aged 23. So born about 1806.
This surely must have been another child of William and Mary Barge, although there doesn't seem to be a baptism for him in either Dorset or Somerset.
William and Mary had over a dozen children so it doesn't seem surprising that they missed a christening or two!
Samuel Tassell Dodge was buried 4th October 1847 at Closworth.
The marriage of William Dodge senior and Elizabeth (Betty) Tessell 23 Nov 1759 at Closworth was by licence. It would be worth finding this as it may give more information.
Happy hunting!
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You have been absolutely fantastic!
There were two Williams born in East Coker in the 1760s, one was the one I'd been working from (born in 1764 - Parents Solomon and Joan) and the other the one you mention (born 1760 - Parents William and Elizabeth). It seems that the latter is probably correct - which is a shame because I'll now miss out on a whole load of interesting ancestors amongst the Trasks, Helyars, and Carys. Ho Hum. Such is life.
It still seems strange that there are no baptism records for Solomon Dodge, when his marriage to Joan Trask is clear.
Anyway, it would appear that the father of William Dodge Senior was Richard Dodge (born 1699 at Crewkerne) who married Jane Aston in 1732. His father would then have been Jeremiah Dodge - and once again, there are no records of his baptism.
I'd also noticed Henry Barge Dodge's burial in 1829, and I assume he must have been another child of Yeoman William. Interestingly, William's son (also William, born in 1801) had a son called Henry Barge, who was born in 1839 and died aged 1 yr and 7 months in 1841. Obviously, there was still a desire to keep the Barge name going, though it didn't appear to bring much luck to the holder!
Once again, many thanks for your help.
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Considering the importance of the name “Henry Barge Dodge”, I would look at the possibility of Henry being father to Mary Barge.
Note the burial for Henry Barge in Halstock in 1792.
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Yes, Henry does seem to be up front and foremost. Thanks for commenting on it.
I have Mary's baptism at Compton Dundon, Somerset on 24 Oct 1764. If this is correct, it would make her parents Joseph and Mary, Mary probably being Mary Gooden.
I can't find any baptism records for Mary with Henry as the father, though perhaps it's just missing (like Solomon and Jeremiah).