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Brentford Councillors - Henry William Dodge

Introduction

Henry William Dodge 1866 – 1961

It told readers how in 1888 he had organised a meeting for his rowing club at the Oxford and Cambridge PH to decide on a sport to play for the winter and had suggested they form a rugby club. He was defeated by one vote and as a result Brentford FC was formed. It seems he had played for the amateur team for four years then captained the reserves for four. In the early days a local butcher had lent his field for matches and cleared out his cattle on the Saturday morning leaving the team to clean up the grass. By 1956 Bill was the last one of these founder members left.

There is some information about him on the Ancestry website.
The following expands on this.

It seems he was born in the High Street and was baptised in New Brentford (St Lawrence’s Church) on April 22nd 1866 (the baptism entry is on ancestry). His father was a builder called Henry and his mother was Sarah.
The birth was registered in the June quarter Brentford 3a 65.

The 1871 census has Henry Dodge (Builder and Undertaker) aged 34 born in Windsor, wife Sarah (38) born in Brentford living with their family in Catherine Wheel (Yard/Road is not shown). Their children were Jemima (7), William H (5), Francis (3), Ernest (3mos) all born in Brentford and a 15year old servant. I think William H here should be Henry William.

Henry senior died in 1880 (Dec 1880 Brentford 3a 58) and the 1881 census shows Sarah (48) a dressmaker at Nedwood Cottage, 17, Orchard Road. Henry was a scholar aged 15 and he had an older and a younger sister and a younger brother.

I’m not sure which is the correct entry in the 1891 census but on April 2nd 1896 Henry William Dodge a clerk aged 30 living at 20, Hamilton Road married Katie Ellen Aldington aged 19. Her address was The Express, Kew Bridge and her father Robert was an innkeeper. This took place at St Paul’s Church and the copy of the marriage register is on Ancestry.

By 1901 they were living at 10, Windmill Road with daughters Phyllis K (3) and Nora D (5months) and a servant. Henry William is a Surveyor Builder.

About 1906 he started the architects firm Dodge and Reid at 120, High Street opposite the Market Place and became a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Architects.
He retired from the company in 1947.
In 1911 the family were living at Newlands, Somerset Road and Mr Dodge is shown as a Surveyor and an Employer. Katie was 33 and had been born in Sheen Surrey. Phyllis’s full name was Phyllis Kathleen and Nora’s Nora Dale.

In 1917 he was Vice Chairman of the Council. He was one of the 17 men standing in 1919 having been proposed by Forrester Clayton, seconded by Henry John Selwood and proposed by AH Pittard, seconded by Charles William Howard but does not seem to have been re-elected and his name isn’t on the list of votes published by the Middlesex Independent on April 9th 1919. At this date his address was Glan Helen, Upper Butts.

His name does appear on the houses built by the Council on the corner of Ealing and Challis Roads in 1920 as the architect (Dodge and Reid) and also on the foundation stone at the Cottage Hospital in 1927 as HW Dodge FSI AR Reid ARIBA. This stone is now in the wall at the Brentford Health Centre opposite Brentford Station.

When his death aged 94 was announced in the Brentford & Chiswick Times on January 27th 1961 it was mentioned again that he was the last surviving member of the group who founded Brentford FC and told again his story about him suggesting a rugby club and having lost by one vote. He was described as ‘one of Brentford’s oldest and best loved personalities’.

Died January 24th 1961. Probate May 2nd to Katie Ellen Dodge widow.
Effects £17,973. 12. 8d.
Registered Ealing 5c 140. His funeral was held at St Lawrence’s Church and he was cremated at Mortlake Crematorium.

Mrs Dodge died the following June aged 84 with her death registered at Cuckfield Sussex 5h 219.
Katie Ellen Dodge of 20, Cuckfield Road, Hurstpierpoint, Sussex died June 24th 1961.
Probate August 28th to Phyllis Kathleen Brown and Hilda Mildred Milne widows.
Effects £17625. 10.10d.

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Page published January 2013