The Dodgen Family History

My knowledge of my Dodgen Family History comes from my Father's research and especially from Mary Dodgen Few's book on her family history entitled," The Dodgen Story." Dodgen is the maiden name of my dear grandmother Floy Kate Dodgen Melton who was married to my grandfather Ira Herbert Melton. We called our grandmother "Bonky." The name derived from my cousin whom she was bouncing on the bed as a child and saying, 'bonk, bonk bonk, etc." I will say more about Bonky later.

Now I am going to write about the early Dodgens who came to America from England. The earliest record we have of our Dodgen line in England is Robert Dodson. ( notice the difference in spelling.) He married Anne Parkins in London England in 1592 at Saint Mary Wool Church. They were Anglican. Together they had 11 children. The son who would carry on the family name was a twin named Thomas, born September 28, 1606. His twin brother was John. Thomas's first wife may have been named Margaret and they married before 1645. They too were Anglican. The name was now spelled Dodgin. Together they had 5 children. Their son was Benjamin Dodson, born in 1645 and christened at Holborn Saint Andrews Church in England. Benjamin's name was spelled Dodson but was later changed to Dodgin when he married Grace_______?. He was born in 1645 and christened in the Anglican Church named Holborn Saint Andrews, in England. His occupation was Brewer. With Grace he had one child named Jacob Dodgin, and with his second wife Elizabeth_______? he had two children. Elizabeth lived in Bermondsey, a suburb of Southwark in Surrey County, which was near London. She died during her son John's birth. It was John who would continue the family line. John was born September 15, 1689 in Bermondsey and Christened Anglican at Saint Mary Magdalene Church in England. His first wife was Elizabeth______? and they married in 1717 also in Bermondsey England. He too was a Brewer like his father and was the Brewer of Saint Olave's Parish. With Elizabeth he had three children--all girls. Interestingly their names are all spelled differently in the records: Sarah Dodgin, Mary Dudgeon, and Anne Dodgen. All three were born in Bermondsey and Christened in Saint Olave's Parish in Surrey County England. John's second wife was Mary Almand, born in 1688 at the Anglican Church Hackney Saint John. They had four children together and it was their son William Dodson or Dodgin born on December 6, 1720 that would carry the family line to America.

William Dodgin I was the Father of the Dodgin Family in America and in the state of Virginia. He was born December 6, 1720 in Surrey County England. He lived on the Thames River in Saint Olave's Parish. In 1746 he moved his family across the Atlantic to King George County Virginia. His brother came with him. They were not fleeing religious persecution but were rather adventurers. They were Anglican and Anglican was the state church of Virginia. With his first wife Elizabeth______?, he had four children. They had married before 1739 when he was very young. John and Elizabeth's son was Olimon Dodgen Sr, born in 1751 in King George County Virginia. He was the first American born Dodgen!! ( I will continue with the Dodgen's in the USA in my next post.)