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Genealogy Trivia

The average life expectancy in the Roman Empire was 26 years and 6 months. By medieval times in the 9th century it had risen to only 26 years and 7 months! By the end of the 20th century, however, the longest life span was generally 120 years, with the number of persons age 100 or over doubling every ten years. There are many persons alive todaywho honestly believe they will live to see their 200th birthdays!

A William Hodgson lived to the age of 106, born 1745, died at Herningford Terrace, Islington, on 2 March 1851. Tell us of a greater longevity and it will appear here.

Oldest Records? An early form of Hodge may be Hogge, found in the 1208 Fines Court Records of Lincolnshire. If Hogge is a variant, we can add Ricardus Hoge and Ebbota Hoggesse, recorded in the 1379 Poll Tax rolls.

In the 1500-metre freestyle at the 1912 Summer Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden, George Hodgson of Montreal, Canada, set a World record in the semi-final, then bettered it by winning the gold in a time of 22 minutes, a record for 11 years. Four days later he added a gold in the 400-metre freestyle, the first Canadian to win two golds in the same Olympics and, until 1984, the only Canadian to win gold in swimming.

From the Cumberland 1881 census: Frances W. Hodgson, aged 4, occupation "spoilt child".

From the Leeds Intelligencer 15 January 1765: "At the Quarter Sessions held yesterday for this burrough, Mary Hodgson was convicted for feloniously stealing two silver teaspoons from Mr. Gilbertson of Harrogate and order'd to be whipt."

While sailing across the Pacific Ocean going towards Cape Horn in 1976, Claude Hodgson (SHARE member) was approached by a fellow passenger who asked him if his name was Hodgson. "Yes," Claude replied, "Why?" "You look just like my doctor in Vapparaiso, Chile." If anyone is looking for a lost branch of their family, Claude's experience may be a pointer to finding them.

Sydney Hodgson, lawman and martyr, date and place of birth unknown, a convert to the Church, died at Tyburn, 10 Dec 1591. In 1591, while Father Edmund Jennings was saying Mass at the house of Mr. Swithin Wells in London, the pursuivant Topcliffe and his assistants broke into the house just at the moment of consecration. Their entrance into the room was obstructed by male members of the congregation, including Sydney Hodgson, until the conclusion of the Mass; these gentlemen then surrendered themselves. Hodgson and the others were brought to trial on 4 December, the charges--receiving and relieving priests, and of being reconciled to the Church of Rome. Hodgson was offered his life if he would give some sort of a promise of occasional conformity to the Established Church, but as he preferred to die for his religion, he was condemned and executed.

You must be addicted to genealogy if:
--You love to visit old graveyards to find your surname etched on stone.
--You can recite your lineage back a bit but can't remember a nephew's name.
--You have more photographs of dead people than living ones.
--You stay to watch the movie/TV credits to see if any of the names are familiar.
--You faithfully and perhaps fearfully scan the newspaper obituaries.
--You introduce your grandchildren as your descendants.

A tritavus is a great grandfather's great grandfather, or one's grandfather's grandfather's grandfather!