Bastardy Case and Name Change

On the 18th day of September 1827 Eliza Bruff made oath before a Justice of the Peace in Livingston County, Kentucky, that she had been delivered of a female bastard child on September 14th,  1826 at the home of Hazle Leorns. [1]  She charged that Allen Hodge, labourer of the same county, had gotten her with child.[2]

In discharge of the warrant and, with William Pippin as his security, Hodge made arrangements for the support and maintenance of the child. Hodge agreed to pay notes of $25 yearly in 1829, 1830 and 1831 and also paid in hand to Eliza $29 and a note for $25 in 1828. The money was to be paid upon the condition that Eliza would agreed that the prosecution for bastardy would be dropped and would do everything within her power to have same dismissed. If she did so and the child lived, Hodge would pay the sums of money. If this did not happen, the notes would be void.  Each party agreed to keep the agreement.

The details of this agreement are not mentioned when it was recorded in the county court minutes. It stated only "by written agreement of the parties filed here in Open Court, same is ordered to be dismissed." [3]

Allen Hodge died before 8 November 1836 when Joseph Watts was appointed guardian to Julia Allen  Hodge, "heir of Allen Hodge, dec'd."[4]  

Eliza Bruff, who had charged  Hodge with fathering her child, was deceased by 6 Dec 1841 when "Cassander Bruff, heir and infant  of Eliza Bruff dec'd, being over 14 years of age appeared in Open Court and made choice of Jeremiah Crammer as for [sic] her guardian. " [5]  If Cassander was over age 14, she was born before 1827. Remember Eliza's child by Allen Hodge was born in September 1826.

Cassander/Cassandra  took the Hodge name as when she married Jeremiah Crammer just three days after Jeremiah was appointed her guardian, she gave her name as Cassandra Hodge.[6] No further record of Jeremiah and Cassander/Cassandra Crammer has been found, but the Hodge name continues in Livingston County today.

Jeremiah Crammer chosen guardian of Cassander Bruff

6 December 1841

Return of Marriage of Jeremiah Crammer and Cassandra Hodge

9 December 1841

Click on above documents for an enlarged view

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[1] This surname is all but illegible. It could be Corn.

[2] Livingston County Clerk's Loose Papers (1827), Livingston County Clerk's Office, Smithland, Kentucky. Warrant served on Allen Hodge 19 Sep 1827.

[3] Livingston County Order Book G, p. 276,  1 Oct 1827.

[4] Livingston County Order Book I, p. 35, 8 Nov 1836.

[5] Livingston County Order Book I, p. 360,  6 Dec 1841.

[6] Kentucky, County Marriage Records, 1783-1965, Ancestry.com. Jeremiah Crammer married Cassandra Hodge 9 Dec 1841 Livingston County, Kentucky.

Published 31 Oct 2019, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/