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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Sussex => Topic started by: mnmilt on Monday 21 April 08 01:56 BST (UK)

Title: William Bodle - b 1810 in West Firle or Alfriston?
Post by: mnmilt on Monday 21 April 08 01:56 BST (UK)
All,
I need your help is trying to help break down a brick wall.  Many years ago I became aware that there is an Alfriston in Auckland, New Zealand.  I was able to ascertain that this part of Auckland was named by Dr George Edward Bodle after Alfriston, Sussex.  However, George was born in Sydney, Australia in 1844 with no obvious links to Alfriston, Sussex.  I was able to learn that George Edward Bodle was the son of George R Bodle and Anne Butler.  They married in Sydney, Australia where George was serving in the army (80th Regiment of Foot).  Descendants of George Edward Bodle have informed me that George Bodle was born in West Firle in 1812.  They speculate that George's parents were William Bodle and Sarah Susan.  William and Susan had 4 children that were christened in Alfriston - Mary (1801), Ann (1803), Jane (1805) and Anna (1806).  All of these christenings are listed in the IGI.  Additionally, William and Susan may have had three children born in West Firle - Susanna (1808), William (1810) and George (1812).  These latter children are not listed in the IGI.

After serving with the 80th Regiment of Foot in Australia (on convict duty) and New Zealand (a whaling dispute), George Bodle was posted to India where he gradually moved through the ranks, becoming Paymaster.  By 1853, he was in Ireland serving in a Depot Batallion.  By the time that he retired (about 1870) he had risen to the honorary rank of Major.  His military service can be traced through the Hart's Army list.  The 1866 edition describes his military service thus:  Major Bodle served in the 80th Regiment throughout the Sutlej campaign of 1845-6, including the battles of Moodkee, Ferozeshah, and Sobroan (Medal and two Clasps).  Also in the Burmese war of 1852, including the capture of Martaban, operations before Rangoon on the 12th, 13th, and 14th of April, and capture of the Great Dragon Pagoda (with the storming party), and capture of Prome (Medal with clasp for Pegu).  Interestingly, a picture of George's India General Service Medal can be found on the internet (http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17372).

George Bodle and Anne Butler had 4 children in Ireland.  William Crawford Bodle (1853); Francis Joseph Bodle (1857); Robert Arthur Bodle (1856) and Mary Ann Grace Eliza Bodle (1862).  Anne Bodle died in 1866.  It has been reported that George was heartbroken and left Ireland, never to return.  However, it is not known where he went to, although it is reported that he attended George Edward's wedding in London in 1870.  However, he had a falling out with his children (they didn't agree with something that he had done).  He hasn't been located in the 1871 census.  In the 1872 Hart's Annual List it states that he took a commuted allowance in lieu of half pay.  It is unknown when or where he died.  Although George Bodle can't be found in the 1871 census, his three youngest children can be found in the 1871 census (as well as George Edward Bodle, his wife Eliza and their 3 month old daughter Annie).  William Crawford Bodle has not been found in the 1871 census, although he may have been in India by that time.  It is reported that he died in 1872 (drowned while taking a rope to a boat).  Francis and Robert can be found in New Shoreham, Sussex, where they were attending the Protestant Grammar School (deceased mother being Catholic).  Mary can be found in London (Tower Hamlets), living in the household of William and Priscilla Bodle.  Unfortunately, Mary's relationship to William is not easy to read.  Ancestry claims that it is daughter but that isn't correct.  The reference for the census is Class: RG10; Piece: 575; Folio: 70; Page: 37.  William Bodle had married Priscilla Brodrib and was working as an Exam Officer, HM Customs.  He moved back to Alfriston, Sussex after Priscilla died in 1873.  He remarried to a Catherine Willard in Dec Q 1874.  William died in 1890 and Catherine died in 1894.  His age fits with a William Bodle listed in the IGI as being christened in Alfriston, Sussex on 6 May, 1810 and being the son of Thomas Bodle and Hannah.

All four of George Bodle's surviving children (George Edward; Francis; Robert and Mary) emigrated to New Zealand in the 1870s.

That was a lot of background information, but it was necessary to set the scene for the questions that I need help with;

1)  What was the relationship between William Bodle (m Priscilla) and Mary Bodle (daughter of William Bodle and Anne Butler)?
2)  Who were the parents of William Bodle (b 1810 in West Firle) and George Bodle (b 1812 in West Firle)?
3)  What happened to George Bodle after he left the army?

Any help would be appreciated.

Regards

Mark Milton
Title: Re: William Bodle - b 1810 in West Firle or Alfriston?
Post by: kerryb on Monday 21 April 08 08:04 BST (UK)
Hi Mark

I checked out www.familyhistoryonline.co.uk and found the following:

Date of baptism: 8/10/1810 name: William Bodle, father's name: William Bodle, mother's name: Sarah Bodle, Parish: West Firle St Peter

I suggest you check the site out for George and Susanna,  there is a small charge but sometimes especially with Sussex records it can be worth it.   :)

Best wishes

Kerry :)
Title: Re: William Bodle - b 1810 in West Firle or Alfriston?
Post by: Jane Masri on Monday 21 April 08 08:42 BST (UK)
Mark,
The 1871 relationship of Mary Bodle is not daughter in my opinion.  It's not written in the same way as the other entries on the page, 'daur'.  The last letter looks to be an 'N'.
Going on the information Kerry has found, there is this marriage from the Sussex Marriage Index;  As it's by licence, if the allegation can be found it might provide further information.  This might be at the East Sussex Records Office in Lewes.

Alfriston, East Sussex,    6 Nov 1800:
 William BODLE, (lic)
 Sarah SUSAN, botp.

jane
 
Title: Re: William Bodle - b 1810 in West Firle or Alfriston?
Post by: kerryb on Monday 21 April 08 08:53 BST (UK)
Morning Jane

I agree that the 1871 census, it doesn't look like Daur next to Mary.  I think it actually reads Cousin?

Kerry
Title: Re: William Bodle - b 1810 in West Firle or Alfriston?
Post by: Jane Masri on Monday 21 April 08 08:56 BST (UK)
 ;D  Ahh, yes, it could say that.  I felt the first letter was a 'C' & the last 'N', but couldn't figure a relationship with those letters...of course, COUSIN  ;D  You must have slept with the knives last night Kerry...SHARP!

jane
Title: Re: William Bodle - b 1810 in West Firle or Alfriston?
Post by: kerryb on Monday 21 April 08 09:00 BST (UK)
 ;D ;D

Nice to know my eyes are sometimes better than they feel they are!

Kerry
Title: Re: William Bodle - b 1810 in West Firle or Alfriston?
Post by: Jane Masri on Monday 21 April 08 11:08 BST (UK)
Mark, I think I've found him in 1871.  It's mistranscribed as BADLER but looks like BODLE to me.
46 Partridge Road, Kilburn, Willesden, Middlesex.  RG10/1328/30/52

Augustus ROPA?  40  Agent to Imperial Gas  b. Hammersmith
Lydia                    45                                      b. Maidstone, Kent
Harriet                 15                                      b. Plymouth, Devon
Anne                    10                                      b. St. John's Wood, London
Florence                7                                                      ditto
GEORGE BODLE    59  unm.  Visitor.  Retired Officer of Infantry  b. West Firle, Ssx
Rose Young?  visitor  unm.  22                       b. East Indies, Hyderbad
Anne B....?  serv  unm  20                               b. Midhurst, Ssx.

So he was alive in 1871,

jane
Title: Re: William Bodle - b 1810 in West Firle or Alfriston?
Post by: Jane Masri on Monday 21 April 08 14:30 BST (UK)
Mark, are you saying there are TWO William Bodle's?
1.  William s/o William & Susan born W. Firle 1810.
2.  William s/o Thomas & Hannah born Alfriston 1810 the one who's on the 1871 census with Mary the daughter of George R. Bodle & Anne Butler?  And you are trying to find the connection?

From the Sussex Marriage Index;

Archdeaconry of Chichester Marriage Licence,   15 Oct 1799:
 Thomas BODLE, bach.a.26 carpenter Seaford SRS 35
 Hannah HERSEY, sp.a.22 Southstoke(1mth)
 Sponsors ss:T.B.; Wm.H. hus SOuthstoke

South Stoke, West Sussex,  16 Oct 1799:
 Thomas BODLE, Seaford
 Hannah HERSEY
 
By the way, it's Augustus Frederick ROPER that George is visiting in 1871.  Lydia was formerly, HENLEY so not an obvious family connection there.

jane
Title: Re: William Bodle - b 1810 in West Firle or Alfriston?
Post by: posterity on Saturday 16 July 11 03:51 BST (UK)
George Edward Bodle had been born in Brighton when the family resided there in the 1840’s when his mother had employed and become friendly with an Emily Haines. I understand the family were comfortably well off with young George eventually attending medical school, graduating and being licensed from the Royal College Physicians in Edinburgh, and a Surgeon, in 1866. This Haines’ family connection with the Bodles’ was the start of an association that was to eventually see Louisa get her opportunity in New Zealand in the employ of Dr Bodle.

Dr George and Eliza had initially lived in Middlesex where their daughter Annie was born in 1871. They then, I understand, moved to Devon, and in 1873 a son George Angus Bodle was born.

Dr George and his brother Robert must have come out to New Zealand after this time, without the family initially.

Auckland Star (New Zealand), Volume VII, Issue 1871, 15 February 1876, Page 2
Painful Accident.

"On Monday morning Inst, about ten o'clock, Mr Robert Bodle, of Papakura valley, was driving a horse and cart when the horse took fright at a sledge lying beside the road. In its course the wheel of the cart ran over the stump of a tree, throwing Mr Bodle out with great violence. His left foot getting entangled with the reins, he was dragged some distance, the boot was torn off, the skin and the muscles round the ankle much lacerated, and both bones fractured close to the joint. Toe sufferer is a brother of Dr Bodle, resident medical practitioner of Papakura, who upon seeing the nature of the accident brought his brother down to Auckland, and arrived at the Provincial Hospital about seven o'clock yesterday evening. Dr. Philson, upon examining the leg and consult. ing with Dr. Bodle, decided that nothing short of amputation would be of service, and the leg was at once removed, and upon making enquiries to-day, we learn that the patient is doing well".

Following this accident Dr George evidently returned to England for his family and they all made the move back to New Zealand in 1878 via the United States where they visited Ingram relatives. Unfortunately the pitfalls of sea travel were to befall the family when young 5 year old George Angus fell into the ship’s hatch during the voyage to New Zealand. Dr Bodle acting in his medical capacity as Ship’s Surgeon on the trip out could do little with his son unfortunately dying of his injuries 6 months later.

Dr George Bodle and Eliza with their three children arrived in Papakura, South Auckland, New Zealand that same year, and settled in Alfriston, as George had named it after his family’s original seat in Sussex. At the time of his return to England for the family and then the untimely death of young George Angus, the family was in the process of constructing a fine house on their property. Eliza’s mother who had accompanied them out to New Zealand was to occupy one of the front rooms.

By late 1881 with her mother aged 74, Eliza wrote back to England relatives asking if they knew of a reliable maid servant and nurse that would be prepared to come and live in New Zealand at their expense to care for her mother. It was with this simple request by the stroke of a pen that Louisa Haines (my great, great, grandmother) was to get her chance at having her ultimate dream come true; to travel to far flung places on the globe and then to hopefully marry the man of her dreams.

Now the interesting part regarding a Major Bodle late of HM 80th Regiment...

Marrriage Notice
Auckland Star, (New Zealand) Volume XVIII, Issue 95, 23 April 1887, Page 8

NUTTER-BODLE.-On 7th April 1887, at the residence of Dr. Bodle, Papakura Valley by the Rev. T. Norrie, Frederick Alexander, son of Frederiok Nutter, of Devonport, Auckland, to ; Grace, only daughter ot the late Major Bodle, of H.M. 80th Regiment.

I have ascertined that in May 1843 Seregeant Major Bodle had married an Anne Butler of Castlereagh St. Sydney, Australia (sister of James Butler of Williams St, Sydney) Anne evidently passed on (died) at her residence at Templemore, Ireland in 1867, by which time her husband is described as a Major late of HM 80th Regiment.

Question ...How was Grace, only daughter of Major Bodle related to Dr Bodle, Alfriston, New Zealand, and how / why did she arrive in New Zealand?

Don't know whether any of this helps or confuses the Bodle jig saw puzzle... Clint McInnes ( Posterity).

Title: Re: William Bodle - b 1810 in West Firle or Alfriston?
Post by: posterity on Sunday 17 July 11 10:51 BST (UK)
I had the front bit of last post a bit wrong... I went back and checked as i had received the following which may help you..



Hi there
It is amazing that we have been able to unearth what we have about the ancestors.
I have boxes of information and details mainly in my head which I need to put in writing whilst I can remember.
My husband's side is Voller (sent out from Sussex).  Was only here a few months and was involved in the
Wairau Massacre where only a few survived. Elizabeth Voller married a Henry Miller (the German ancestor in
Nelson in 1872.  I have no information on Henry Miller (I don't believe this is his real name).  I have become
quite suspicious of those I can't trace from so little info.  The same goes for Dr Geo Bodle's mother Ann
Butler born 1826, Tipperary Ireland.  Ann and father George married in Sydney Aust in 1843.
  He came from Alfriston in England but
Dr Geo went to India from Sydney and Ann returned to Ireland where they met up again in abt 1850.
Dr George's father was in the 80th Staffordshire Vols reg which accompanied the convicts to Sydney in
abt 1838/9.  My theory is that Ann and her mother were on board.   The older Geo. was in NZ abt
1840 as a soldier, went back to Sydney married  Ann.  Their marriage cert. states "with permission of
said mother" and Ann signs with a cross.   Dr Geo. was the only child of several that was born in Australia.
Ann Bodle died in 1866 of a strangulated hernia.  The father left Ireland never to return. 
It has taken several years to find what became of him and recently found that he was murdered and his
body was found floating in the docks area in London 1873 not long after Dr Geo and Eliza Janetta arrived here.
The story goes that there falling out as he was buried in a common grave and no one seemed to care about
him.  Very sad.
Off to have my coffee fix.
cheers
Sharon
(Did you feel the latest shake?)
 
Title: Re: William Bodle - b 1810 in West Firle or Alfriston?
Post by: mnmilt on Tuesday 02 August 11 03:42 BST (UK)
Hi Clint,
Thanks for the post.  It is helpful and isn't confusing.  It is all consistent with the information that I believe that we have previously shared (and also with Sharon).  I didn't have the information about Robert Bodle.

I can answer your question about Grace Bodle.  Her full name was Mary Ann Grace Elizabeth Bodle and was born in 1862 in Templemore, Ireland.  She was George Edward Bodle's sister.  I don't know when or why she arrived in New Zealand but one can speculate that she emigrated to New Zealand since all of her siblings had emigrated to New Zealand or had died.  In 1871, whe was living with her Uncle and Aunt (William and Priscilla Bodle).  Priscilla died in 1873 and William remarried in 1874.  Perhaps those events had something to do with her ultimate emigration to New Zealand.


Regards

Mark
Title: Re: William Bodle - b 1810 in West Firle or Alfriston?
Post by: ElaineTodd on Thursday 11 October 12 04:52 BST (UK)
Hi Mark,

I believe you are the original reporter/investigator of the bodle family history.

I am a direct descendant of Dr. George Bodle who settled and named Alfriston (on the out skirts of Auckland) in 1875 with his family-his wife, children and mother-in-law Eliza Darroch of Gourach.

My name is Elaine Janetta Bartley and I would be delighted to communicate with you. My grandmother was his daughter. I remember hearing that 'old lady Darroch' had a maid who lived with her.  I know Dr Bodle's brother was Frank Bodle who was the manager of the Loan and Mercantile company in Auckland. I have also heard the name Nutter mentioned and reference to living in Ireland.

Our family have lost all connection with our British links and I would be most interested to find some connection. My husband and I visited Alfriston in Sussex some years ago but the only Bodles we found were all in the grave yard of the church.

The little church in Alfriston NZ is in very good repair built by Dr Bodle and other settlers during the 1870s where most of the early generation are now buried.

We speculate that there were two Bodle families of the name Edward-one from England and one from Australia.

Elaine.
Title: Re: William Bodle - b 1810 in West Firle or Alfriston?
Post by: Mike Sandercock on Friday 12 December 14 12:48 GMT (UK)
I work for an agricultural merchant called Bodle Brothers ltd, which was founded in a working windmill in Alfriston, Sussex in the early 1800's. The two original brothers were called Tom & Richard Bodle, flour millers. I have quite a lot of historical information about our business but not so much on the family. It may be interesting to research more.
Mike