Tim Marshall, whose family I wrote about last year has introduced me to another family who lived on Buckhurst Avenue in Sevenoaks, the Hodgsons. The 1911 census shows head of the family, John Watson Hodgson (1849-1919) a general labourer employed by the Urban District Council, and his wife, Eliza Thirza Hodgson (1864-1949) living at 7, Buckhurst Avenue with their three sons: John Watson (22) and Charles Joseph (18) who are both working as dairymen, and their brother Ernest William (13) who is at school. Ernest, sat front far right and Charles, sat next to Rev Curteis, St Nicholas church Eliza Watson kept a notebook throughout the war. More a commonplace book than a diary it records the events of family life and information about her sons when they were in the army. It also includes notable events such as the death of people she knew, such as neighbour Percy Hayward who was killed in 1915 and is remembered on the town war memorial, to the unveiling of the memorial itself in 1920. Extracts from Eliza’s diary All three sons served with the forces during the war, Ernest with the Household Battalion Life Guards, Charles with the Royal Engineers and John with the Middlesex Regiment. Continue reading...
