Gallery Samples Stories of our Ancestors | Page 64

PART 2: LESLIE HODGKISS (1908 – 1985) & RUBY ANDERSON (1908 –
2003)

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INTRODUCTION

e have explored the Anderson family from the 1600’s and the Hodgkiss family from
the 1800’s and we have found that these two families had little in common. If one
looks firstly at Jock and Rebecca Hodgkiss one sees an English/Welsh couple who
came from harsh circumstances and who took many blows in their lives separately
and together. Jock was sociable, full of English humour but a brave soldier in many ways;
Rebecca was stoic, conscientious, prejudiced, kind. She had an enormously strong personality;
what girl today would have the courage to take a ship to an unknown, largely unchartered land
all alone at the age of seventeen?
On the other hand the Andersons were quite different: Jack came from a light hearted,
hardworking, pioneering and ultimately loving family: Ida’s upbringing appears to have been
more stringent, straight-laced, conscientious and severe. They were all examples of the
Protestant Work Ethic.
I realise that I’m making assumptions which have been based on the legends and family stories
that have gathered around these ancestors and I cannot vouch for their true validity. I am fully
aware that each one was immensely brave and strong and that I could never be equal to the
harshness of pioneering.
So, on that short summary of my interpretation of characters we have set the scene for the
marriage of Leslie Hodgkiss and Ruby Anderson and for their family which would follow.

CHAPTER 1: A MARRIAGE ON THE 14TH JULY 1934:

WEDDING OF RUBY VIOLET ANDERSON AND LESLIE JAMES HODGKISS

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