Divorce Action in Williams County, Ohio - Hodson

Robert Van Buren Hodson v Mary Ann Neil Hodson (Journal 8 p190 - 14 Nov 1873; Roll 26 case number 72 - Nov 1872)

By Pamela Pattison Lash (updated 21 October 2010)

The couple was married on 17 Mar 1870 in Bryan, Wms Co (Marriage V4 p105).  Robert, b 8 June 1845, Richland Co, OH, was the son of John and Susan Jump Hodson, natives of England and Maryland, respectively. According to The History of Williams County, Goodspeed, 1882, p792, Robert was an orphan at a young age (father died in 1847 and mother in 1848) and was reared by his grandparents.  At age 21 he left Huron Co, OH and traveled to this county to settle on land left him by his father.   Mary Ann, b 11 Sept 1851 in Richland Co, OH, was the daughter of James and Mary Naggle Neil.  The Neil family appeared in the 1860 Jefferson Twp federal census as James 42 PA minister, Mary 45 OH, and children including Mary 8 OH.  By the 1870 Bryan, Pulaski Twp federal census, p20, the newly married Hodsons were listed as Robert 25 OH and Mary Ann 18 OH. 

Robert told the court that Mary Ann had been willfully absent for more than three years and he wanted a divorce.  The divorce was finalized on14 Nov 1873.  Speculation exists that several days later on 30 Nov 1873 Mary Ann married Anthony Dien in Wms Co (Marriage V4 p305).   The couple was enumerated in the 1880 Bridgewater Twp, Williams Co, OH federal census as Anthony 58 NY-OH-NY and Mary 1841, but the record shows her too old and born in IA. She died on 20 June 1881 and was buried in Shiffler Cemetery beside her parents.

Robert married Susannah A. Burns in Wms Co on 29 Mar 1874 (Marriage V4 p328) and they had the following children: Theodore S (b 25 Feb 1875), John G (b 10 Apr 1877), Cora H (b 2 Nov 1878), Thomas R (b 6 Oct 1880), Alfred W (b 28 Apr 1885), Zula Bess (b 11 Aug 1887), and Grace M (b 27 Jan 1891). Susan was the daughter of John Wesley Burns; she was born in Jan 1847 in MD. By Oct 1876 Robert and his family had moved to Bridgewater Twp on 80 acres. The "West Unity Eagle", 6 Jan 1880, mentioned that Robert Hodson, who lived one mile south of Cogswell Center, had a small child found dead.  Robert Hodson was listed as owning real estate in Superior Twp c1904.  He died on 14 Apr 1912; wife Susan passed away on 24 Nov 1932.

Robert V. Hodson