Hodgetts History

Tracing the history of the Hodgetts family.

The First Handsworth Hodgettses

John & Agnes (1385-~1450)

John Hodgetts of Handsworth who was born in 1385. As multiple records connect him to the Harpurs and Darlaston, he was almost certainly the son of John Hodgetts of Darlaston (who was referred to as John Hodgetts senior in 1412). John and his wife Agnes accumulated over 200 acres of land beginning with a grant of 100 acres from the estate of Hugh Taylor (possibly Agnes’ father).

John Hodgetts, Chaplain

There was also a chaplain named John Hodgetts. Chaplains were privately employed, and this John probably worked for the Guild of St John the Baptist singing masses for the souls of the dead. In 1429 he was beaten and robbed at Barre, just across the river from Handsworth. The following year he sold some Rushall land to John Harpur who was now an MP and steward to the Earl of Stafford. The Rushall land suggests he may have been the son of William Hodgetts of Rushall. Alternatively, it’s possible he and John Hodgetts of Handsworth were the same man. While the Pope forbade priests from marrying, it wasn’t uncommon for them to do so. If John the chaplain married Agnes, he would simply have paid a fine.

William & his son John

William Hodgetts was the son of John and Agnes and their heir. He had a brother, Richard, who was apprenticed to a Coventry draper in 1419.
William’s son John lived during the War of the Roses. While there is no record of his involvement, it would have been impossible for him to stay out of the fighting. Local loyalties were Lancastrian so he may have fought on the losing side at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 after which Henry Tudor claimed the throne.

Thomas (d1537) and his son John

Thomas was the son of John above. He and his wife Joan obtained yet more land and lived during the turbulent reign of Henry VIII. National events were felt locally when Thomas Cromwell (the king’s right-hand man) visited Handsworth to sell off the possessions of the local priory. This presaged the dissolution of the monasteries which was well underway when Thomas died in 1537 leaving his only son, John, as his heir.

Having broken with Rome, Henry VIII feared an invasion and held a military muster in 1539 to assess the strength of the force he could raise. This muster shows 15 Hodgetts men of military age in the region, mostly at Sedgley. John Hodgetts of Handsworth was a bowman with his own helmet and armour. The others were billmen or bowmen.

In a land dispute a decade later, John quoted a 1440 land purchase by his great-great-grandparents (John and Agnes) and supplied his pedigree back to them.

Family reconstruction shows John had five sons. Most remained in Handsworth. We descend from his son, Thomas, who moved away.

Next: Thomas Hodgetts of Ridgacre

References