elizabeth hodges
Elizabeth was born on 28 May 1798 in Eynsford, Kent; she was the youngest daughter of Edward Hodges and Ann Rhodes. She married Peter Mallandain at St George in Hannover Square on 17 June 1821.
edward hodges + ann rhodes
Edward was born in Eynsford, Kent about 1758 and married Ann on 22 August 1779 in Willmington, Kent.
They had six children:
>> James, baptised 17 October 1779
>> Joseph, baptised 13 May 1793
>> Hannah, baptised on 26 June 1795
>> Elizabeth, baptised on 28 May 1797
>> Edward, baptised on 27 August 1799
>> Ebenezer, baptised on 4 May 1803
The Hodges were non-conformists which was a term used to describe protestants in England who did not conform or follow the rites and ceremonies of the established Church of England outlined in the Book of Common Prayer. Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, and later Methodists, Quakers and Unitarians were all considered to be non-conformists.
Edward Hodges was instrumental in establishing the first baptist church in Eynsford which grew out of the Particular Baptist Church of Jesus Christ founded in Wilmington in 1775. The first meeting of the Eynesford baptists was held in the Hodges family cottage in 1792 and attracted 6 or 7 members. However, there was oppostion to the group and Edward’s landlord threatened to cancel the leave on his cottage unless the preaching there stopped. The group was able to move to another house and later, a stable in Priory Lane was converted to a modest chapel and opened on 2 July 1799. Their numbers gradually increased and a purpose built meeting house was opened in 1806. This continued in use until it became unsound and was replaced by the present building in 1906.
Little else is known of Edward and Ann or how long they remained in Kent but at some point, three of their children — Hannah, Elizabeth and Ebenezer — left Eynsford and settled in London. Ebenezer married Hannah Beard at St George in the East on 16 August 1824 and their first child, Edwin, was born in St Pancras two years later. They went on to have nine more children and in 1841, the family was living on Grove Street in Marylebone where Ebenezer was employed as a Licensed Victualler. He died in 1850 and Hannah carried on working as a victualler to support her six children remaining at home.
Hannah Hodges married Benjamin Hastie at St Luke Old Street on 29 September 1828. Benjamin was born in Scotland in 1786 but worked as a baker in St Pancras. In 1841, they were living at Calthorpe Place in St Pancras along with their four children and one female servant. Hannah died in the parish of St Luke in 1854.