Jonathan Hodges

"Jonathan Hodges was a farmer. He was also a 'clothier,' that is, he owned a fulling-mill and carried on the business of fulling, dyeing and dressing cloth. When a young man he went to Freetown, Mass., and there carried on his business of clothier. He was a member of the church in Berkley and may have perviously lived a short time there. Soon after his marriage he settled in Norton, and about 1745 built there his fulling-mill, the first one erected in that place. It stood on Goose Brook, a few rods below the bridge, near where George H. Arnold lived in 1850. As the mill-pond overflowed Judge Leonard's land, Jonathan Hodges soon moved the mill about 35 rods further down stream, and ran it until about 1784, when his son Jonathan assumed the business. He was an ernest and prominent church member and an influential citizen. In 1745 he was admitted to the Norton church, by letter from the Berkley church, and doubtless at this time mad his confession of faith: 

'I desire to bless God for that he hath cast my lot in a Gospel Land, where I have the Glad tidings of a Saviour proclaimed in mine ears, and for that I have the holy Scriptures to Read & to direct me in the ways of God's commands. And I allso desiar to bless God for his Goodness to me, that I desended of such parents, who taught and instructed me, and gave me up to God in mine infency in baptisem, which is an ordinance apinted by Christ to beleivers and their infant seed, &, notwithstanding God's goodness to me, I have sined against him. I therefore acknowledge I deserves nothing from the hand of God but his wrath and indgnattion to be poured out upon me. But I would bless his most holy name, that he hath putr it into my heart to be making my peace with him. Ihave had a desire for som time to come to the Lord's table; but being in som measure sensable of my own unworthness, I daust not, least by coming unworthily, I eat and drink judgment to myself. But I have taken incourigement from the word of God, to come up to this holy ordinance; as in marthew xi. 28, come unto me, all ye that Labour and are heavy Laden, & I will give you rest; John vi. 37, And he that cometh to me I will no wise cast out. Idesire to come hungering and thirsting after Christ, & to be putting my trust in him. I allso desire to forsake all sin, as it is a braaking og God's holy & just law. I also desire the prayers of this Church of God for me, that so I may become a worthy communicant at the Lord's table. (signed) Jonathan Hodges.'
In 1767 he was elected a warden of Norton, being ' of good substance and of sober Life and conversation' (as the law directed), with the duty of seeing ' that the Sabbath was duly observed in all public houses and elsewhere, and to examine all persons suspected of unnecessary traveling on Sunday,' ect. His badge of office was a ' white wand, not less than seven Feet in length.' No record of active service in the French was by Jonathan Hodges has been found; yet it seems probable that he served. For he was Ensign of the First Norton company in 1756, and 'Captain-Lieutenant' in 1762, and apparently full Captain not long after, being styles Captain in the town records." (Hodges Genealogy, 127-28)