A History of St. Andrew`s Church, Charmouth
Hodges - Reverend Joseph
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Thomas Hodges was curate in charge of Charmouth between 1818 and 1827 when Audain, the Rector, went to the West Indies.
He and his family lived in Lutrell House opposite the Church. There is a humorous story about his wife who got her brandy cheap from the smugglers then infecting the coast. The Excise officers lived at the bottom of the village. Their Chief wrote to the Rev. Hodges saying that he was coming down for a few days as he had work to do down there. Mrs Hodges got very anxious thinking he had heard of the brandy, But she knew well and trusted the excise officers house keeper, so she consulted her and when suggested the incriminating bottles should be put in a cupboard in the excise officers own house, as the last place he would suspect. This was agreed to Mrs Hodges brought down the bottles hidden in the vast muff fashionable at the time" Thomas appears as Curate in 1819 in a Report on a Day school for 26 Pupils and a Sunday School for 36 Pupils, one of which was supported by voluntary subscription.
In 1831 He bought Berne Farm, near Charmouth with an estate called Norchard at Stanton St. Gabriel and settled it on the marriage of his only surviving child, Elizabeth on her marriage to the Rev. Thomas Bennett Edwards, Vicar of Saltash, Cornwall.
Thomas was a great friend of Mary Anning and acted as Agent for her in selling her finds. The following story is told when in 1835 she gave him a letter detailing her recent discoveries which he showed to his friend Adam Sedgwick in Cambridge There was first 'a perfect ichthyosaurus about four feet and half long. and he negotiated her sales to him. He died in 1847, aged 64 at Charmouth and was buried in the Graveyard. There is an impressive marble memorial in the church to both him and his wife, Maria.
In Memory of/The Revd. THOMAS HODGES, M.A/of Trinity College Cambridge,/Sometime Curate in charge of this Parish of Charmouth;/who died April 18th 1847 aged 64 years/Also of MARIA, his wife,/who died May 27th 1871,aged 77 years/This tablet was erected by the only surviving child/MARIANNE, widow of THOMAS BENNET EDWARDS,/late Vicar of St. Stephen's by Saltash, Cornwall/in grateful memory of most kind and loving parents/Requiescant in Pace/ +Jenkins, Torquay.
Thomas Hodges and his wife Maria
Thomas Hodges was curate in charge of Charmouth when Audain, the Rector, went to the West Indies until October 1826. He and his family lived in a house opposite the Church.
Thomas died on 18th April 1847, aged 64 and Maria, his wife on 27th May 1871 aged 77.
Their son Joseph died when he was 9 1/2 and a tablet to his memory is on the south wall of the Sanctuary.
 
1819 Poor rates showing Reverend T. Hodges occupying the Rectory and paying £1-10.0
In 1831 Berne farm was purchased of the executors of Richard Knight,esq, by the rev. Thomas hodges of Charmouth, who afterwards settled it together with another Esate in Stanton st Gabriel's called Norchard on his only surviving daughter , Elizabeth on her marriage with the late Rev. Thomas Bennett Edwards, vicar do St. Stephens of Saltaah,  Cornwall

 Thomas Hodges son, Joseph died when he was 9 1/2 and a tablet to his memory is on the south wall of the Sanctuary.
 In relief, a picture of a skeleton wearing a crown and holding a spear in one hand and an hour glass in the other. The spear is being directed towards an ill boy lying between his father and mother The caption beneath reads - Sacred to the memory of JOSEPH,/only son of the Rev T HODGES of Trin. Coll. Camb. A.M./and MARIA his wife./"Forgive, blest shade! the tributary tear that mourns thy exit from a world like this;/Forgive the wish that would have kept thee here,/And stayed thy progress to the realms of bliss".

 
Secondly there is a memorial on the wall of the north aisle to Thomas Hodges,. and Mrs. Hodges. Their son died when he was and a rather gruesome tablet to him is on the south wall of the sanctuary. The following story was told me by Mrs Drogo Montagu when she lived at Bellair. "Mrs. Hodges used to buy brandy from smugglers then infesting the. coast. The excise officer lived at the bottom of the village. He wrote to Mr. Hodges that he was coming-down for a few days as he had work to do down here. Mrs. Hodges got very anxious thinking he had heard of the brandy, but she knew well,and trusted, the excise officer` s house-keeper. So she consulted her and she suggested that the incriminating bottles should "be put in a cupboard in the officer`s own house, as the last place he would suspect. This was agreed to and Mrs Hodges brought down the bottles hidden in the vast muff fashionable at the time. This was related to Mrs Montagu by the grandson of Mrs Hodges whose mother at one time owned "Berne Farm in the Whitechurch Canonicorum Lane"