Samuel Hodges of Egerton, Kent is a much beloved, ancestor of mine. (I will blog about him again going forward). On Jue 19 1776, Samuel had his Will written and it surely reflected a very generous, ‘wealthy’ man! He bequeathed several hundred pounds to each of his children and mentioned that he had, by child, given them significant sums of money in the past.
A sad story emerged from the Will when it came to Samuel’s son ‘Thomas Hodges’. Poor, heartbroken Samuel made a provision for Thomas that his inheritance was to be held by Mr. John Hope, in trust. The term was to extend for as long as 19 years in the hopes that Thomas would resurface to receive his share. So, if nothing else, Samuel lived in hope and optimism that his long-lost son would surface, some day.
