George Dod of Highfields

1653 to 5 September 1727 (buried)

DOD00101

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1653

George Dod was the son of George and Dorothy Dod (DOD00091) and was born in 1653.

George Dod, of Highfields, Barrister-at-law, Middle Temple 1679, born 1653, educated at Brasenose College, Oxford, married (licence 14 July 1680) Charity (born 1659, died 1736), daughter of John Woodruffe, of London and Cholderton, Hampshire, by his wife Lettice (sister of Sir George Woodruffe, of Poyle), 2^nd daughter of Robert Woodruffe, of Poyle Park, Farnham, Surrey, and Inwood and Alvington Court, Gloucestershire (elder son of Sir David Woodruffe, of Poyle and Alvington, and his wife Catherine, daughter of Sir John White, Lord Mayor of London 1563) and had issue (Burke, John and Burke, Sir Bernard (1836)(Eighteenth Edition, 1972), Bellyse Baker of Highfields in Burke’s Landed Gentry, Volume 3, pages 35 to 38).

1660

George did not outlive his father; the estate passed to his only son, also George, who was to own Highfields for the next 67 years. (Baker, J Bellyse (1982), Highfields, Audlem: Sixteenth Century Home of the Dod and Baker Families, Audlem District History Society, page 9).

George matriculated from Brasenose, Oxford in 1670, aged 17.

Portrait of the young George Dod (Highfields)

Portrait sharpened using artificial intelligence tool

1661

(Warrant of constable granted to George Dod Esq, 1661, Bakers Records, 13)

1672

He was admitted to the Middle Temple, June 26, 1672 and called to the bar, May 30, 1679. During this time Highfields appears to have been managed by his cousin, William Dod, son of his father's younger brother who, in a document dated 1662, dealing with the estate of his late father, is referred to as “now resident at Highfields.” (Baker, J Bellyse (1982), Highfields, Audlem: Sixteenth Century Home of the Dod and Baker Families, Audlem District History Society, page 9).

1679

George became a barrister-at-law, Middle Temple.

1680

George Dod married Charity, daughter of John Woodroffe, London and Chalderton, Hants in 1680.

Charity Woodroffe, a spinster, married George Dod at St Andrew’s, Holborn, London on 14 July 1680. George was working at Middle Temple (Marriage Licenses at the Faculty Office).

In 1680 George married Charity, the daughter of John Woodroffe of London and Chalderton and niece of Sir George Woodroffe of Poyle and Alvington Court in Gloucestershire. Her father had died when she was four and her estate was administered by the two executors, her grandfather and uncle, John Gouldsmyth of Stapeley Manor, near Nantwich.

They kept accounts of money dispersed during John's illness and after his death on 1st July, 1664, thus:

	£	s	d
April 1 1664 - Lent to my daughter, Mrs Lettice Woodrooff (Charity’s mother)	2	0	0
For doctor Cox his phisisian, by order from my sonne		10	0
June 1664 - Lent him in mon ‘eyes whilst hee lay sicke att Endfield	19	0	0
Lent Susannah Hulbert his mayde servant for and towards family expenses att London, when my sonne lay sicke att Endfield	1	5	0
July 2nd 1664 - Pd for a Coffine for my sonne	1	10	0
Pd for funerall charges for the Church and the Minister for his sermon	4	14	4
Paid the six barerers which carried him to Church		15	0
Pad two wach men wch wached the Corpes three nights and daies		12	6
Paid for a velvet paull		15	0
19th, Pd Mr. John Gay in full for wine for the funerall	2	11	0
20th, Pd Mr. James Walcott for 54 mourneinge ringes and fashion of them	16	18	0
25th, Pd Mr Francis Stokes in full for physic	6	0	0
27th, Pd Mr Robt pearson for sugar and sweete meates for the funerall	4	1	6
Aug 10th, Pd the Collectors for Chimney money (“much clamour against the Chimney money; and the people say, they will not pary it without force”, Pepys’s diary, 30 June 1662)		18	0
Then follow various sums dispersed by Mr. John Goulsmyth “for my neece Mrs Charitie Woodrooff in Cheshire 1678” (although referred to as ‘Mrs’ was at that time unmarried). She was presumably staying at Stapeley Manor.
July 6^th-30th, Pd for comings to Lichfeild in Lichfeild coach	1	10	0
Pd a sadler in Namptwich for Coveringe a sadle for you wch you rid on in the Cuntry		4	0
Pd for hire of a Nagg to carry you to Shrewsberry		5	0
Pd more when you went to Mr Dods		2	6
for yr Journey to Lichfeild and for a man to bring the horse backe (when you went Backe to London)		5	6
And finally;
Jan 9th 1678 - Sent you to pay what Debts you owed and towards byinge yor wedinge Apparrell	40	0	0
June 7th 1680 - Sent you more for the same uses	12	11	6

(Baker, J Bellyse (1982), Highfields, Audlem: Sixteenth Century Home of the Dod and Baker Families, Audlem District History Society, page 9).

George and charity lived at Highfields for the next forty seven years, having no fewer than seventeen children, seven boys and ten girls. Their second son, Thomas (DOD00111), left Oxford in 1707 to become Rector of Stepney. Edward (DOD00115), born in 1688, was a captain in the Royal Navy. During the earlier part of his service, he was Lieutenant of HMS Dragon. Later he was given command of the Blandford. (Baker, J Bellyse (1982), Highfields, Audlem: Sixteenth Century Home of the Dod and Baker Families, Audlem District History Society, page 10).

In an early photograph of Highfields taken about 1680, the kitchen extension is single storage. Behind what is now the dining room is a second oak staircase, originally almost as fine as the first with ‘barley sugar’ bannisters. Above both these staircases are second flights leading up into attics, the two sides being unconnected. This arrangement would seem to suggest that the hall had originally an open timber roof, dividing the house into two parts. However it would be unusual for a house built in the late 16th century to be constructed in this manner. (Baker, J Bellyse (1982), Highfields, Audlem: Sixteenth Century Home of the Dod and Baker Families, Audlem District History Society, page 30).

Portrait of George Dod (Highfields)

1702

(Robert Binett to George Dod of Highfields, 1702, Baker Records 15)

1727

George Dod died in 1727 and was buried at Audlem on 8 September 1727 (St James, Audlem Parish Records).