June 1861
Fulton Co., Ky.

"To the Clerk of the County Court, Hickman, Fulton Co., Ky.: 
Sir:

   I do hereby grant you the privilege to issue license for my daughter, Elizabeth Ellen 
Hodge, resident of Fulton Co., Ky., aged 19 years the 31st day of August next, 1861. 
Born Henry Co., Tenn. Born 31st August 1842. Parents: John Hodge and Louisa Ewing
Matheny. John Hodge was born in State of Ky., county unknown. Died 17th day of 
January 1845, aged about 29 years. Louisa Ewing Hodge was born Rutherford Co., 
Tenn. in year 1822, on the 19th day of November. Aged at this time 39 years 19th 
day of next November. 

   Should this need any correction, I hereby authorize R.M.Matheny to make any 
correction within his power. Should this prove sufficient, you will please to grant the 
license with truly my consent."

her
Louisa E. (X) Hodges
mark

   It would be wonderful if all consents had this kind of detail. It is made even more 
remarkable by the fact that Mrs. Hodges was illiterate - someone else wrote all of this 
for her, and one could suspect that the person was R.M.Matheny, who may have been 
her son by a prior marriage, since she noted her maiden name as Louisa Ewing 
Matheny in the consent. The marriage, by the way, was for her daughter, Elizabeth 
Ellen Hodge, to marry William R. Oaks, age 28, 1st marriage, born TN, both parents 
born TN. They were united in matrimony on 9 June 1861 at Louisa Hodges' home.


   This was submitted by Bill Utterback on the Jackson Purchase List - Dec. 22, 2003