John Hodges of Brook Street

Lacovia estate in St Elizabeth was shown as the property of John Hodges Esq. 1755-1757, and in the possession of Mrs Sarah Hodges in 1791.

1. Barnard Andrew Woodstock and John Hodges was listed in the Jamaican Quit Rent books for 1754 as the owner of 7676 acres of land in St Elizabeth. John Hodges was listed in the Jamaican Quit Rent books for 1754 as the owner of 175 acres of land in St Elizabeth. Hodges and Woodstock were listed in the Jamaican Quit Rent books for 1754 as the owners of 280 acres of land in St Elizabeth.

2. The will of John Hodges of [Brook Street] St George's parish Middlesex proved 19/08/1768 shows him to have been the John Hodges owning Lacovia. In the [apparently slightly internally inconsistent] original will made in 1756 he left all his property to his wife Sarah, the daughter of Sir Richard Fowler, with discretion to her to provide for their children; if Sarah died, then their son Thomas was to be executor and guardian when of age; but if Sarah survived Thomas she was to have all the estate subject to payments of £200 p.a. to their daughter, also called Sarah, out of his Jamaica estates. In a codicil of 1768 he left all his purchases of lands and persons made by his attorney in Jamaica to his wife but provided that if his wife gave up the purchases of the works on Lacovia to their son Thomas then Thomas should pay his [Thomas'] mother £1000 on year after his [the testator's] death. He gave 10 guineas for a ring to Lord Cadogan and 5 guineas each to his nephews Thomas and Capt. John Hodges, 'I done much for them.'

1. John Hodges had inherited Lacovia under the will of his cousin Joseph Andries Hodges, proved at London in 1733, PROB 11/661; 'A List of landholders in the Island of Jamaica together with the number of acres each person possessed taken from the quit rent books in the year 1754', TNA CO 142/31 transcribed at http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Samples2/1754lead.htm.

2. PROB 11/941/350.