The earliest ancestor in the Bodie family according to Ancestry.com is Jean Budd, a native of Normandy, France. He was born there in 1508, but a few years later he migrated to England. He had a son, William Boddie, born in 1526 in Essex England, so he assumed the English spelling of the name. William was married to a young lady named Joan, but he died as a young adult in 1557 in Portsmouth, England.

John Boddie was born in 1550 in London to William and Joan. He and his wife, Thomasine (Mildmay), had a son, Thomas Boddie, born in 1580 in Portsmouth, who was married to Mary Mildmay. John Boddie was born to Thomas and Mary in 1605 in Norfolk, and he was married to Mary Haeward. John and Mary had a son, William Boddie, born in 1633 in Essex, who was married to Elizabeth (Taylor).

William and Elizabeth Boddie are the ancestors who brought the family to America. They had a son, John Boddie, who was born in 1685 in Isle, Va. He was married to Elizabeth (Thomas), and he died at a fairly young age in 1720 in Isle. John and Elizabeth had a son also named John who was born in 1712 in Isle. He was married to Elizabeth (Jeffries), and they eventually moved to Edgefield, S.C. where John died in 1777. John and Elizabeth also had a son whom they named John who was born in 1750 in Edgefield. This John was married to Hannah Allen, and they had a son whom they named Allen Boddie who was born in 1776 in Edgefield. Allen was first married to Penelope ? who died young and then to Elizabeth ? by whom he had a son, Allen Bodie. (Researchers of this family began using the spelling of Bodie at this generation.)

Local family historians have records beginning with this generation of Allen Bodie who was married to Sallie ?. Allen was born in 1822 in Aiken, S.C. and died at 36 years of age in 1858 in Rocky Grove, Aiken, S.C. The family was residing in Orangeburg, S.C., in 1850, but Sallie died in 1880 back in Aiken. Allen’s death left Sallie a fairly young widow with the following children: Joseph, b. 1845; John Thomas, b. 1848, d. 1911, m. (1) Mary “Polly” Stevens or Stevenson (2) Annie Margaret Starnes (1866-1931); Reubin, b. 1849; Levi, b. 1851, d. 1911; and Nathan, b. 1858.

The second son, John Thomas Bodie, was married first to Mary “Polly” Stevenson, daughter of Jessie R. and Sarah Stevens. They had the following 10 children before Polly’s death in 1896: Adeiannah, b. 1869, d. 1943, m. Daniel Paul Smithart; Bertie or Becke E. “Beedie,” b. 1861, d. 1926, m. Martin Ward “Bubb” Poole; Josiah O., b. 1872, d. 1874; Norman Knight, b. 1874, d. 1926, m. Mollie Gunter (2) Fannie Mae Farnell; Anna Laura/Lora “Annie,” b. 1876, d. 1941, m. Lodie Harly Gunter; Rebecca, b. 1877, d. 1879; (twin) Isaac Durham, b. 1877, d. 1959, m. (1) Rosa Bell Smithart (1882-1943) (2) Vassie Hall; Paul Thomas, b. 1879, d. 1946, m. Minnie V. Jeffcoat; Mary Etta “Mae Eddie,” b. 1881, d. 1917, m. Claude Hutto; William Lucius, b. 1882, d. 1957, m. Luzena Courtney; Jesse Allen, b. 1884; and Salley Alice, b. 1886, m. Alonzo Gunter.

James Thomas Bodie was married second to Annie Margaret Starnes who helped him rear the youngest of Mary “Polly’s” children. They had three more children: Arthur Clifton, b. 1898, d. 1899; John Burton, b. 1900, d. 1939; and Carrie, b. 1901. John died in 1911 and left Annie Margaret a widow to finish rearing their youngest two children.

The oldest child of James Thomas Bodie, Addie, was married circa 1890 in Aiken, S.C., to Daniel Paul Smithart. Around the time their youngest child was born in 1911, the family moved to the Searight community. They reared the following children: John Gary, b. 1893, d. 1974, m. 1913 Lou Ella Stuart; Nellie E., b. 1895, d. 1983, m. (1) George Stewart (2) ? Hall; Alonzo “Gonzales or Gonzie,” b. 1898; Lizzie, b. 1901; Walter, b. 1902; Lena, b. 1905, d. 1971, m. 1920 Silas Kimbrough; Edgar, b. 1908; Quinnie, b. 1909, d. 1938, m. Dillard A. Fletcher; and Arthur Daniel, b. 1911, d. 1980, m. Gladys Louise (Lindsey) Jernigan.

The second daughter of James Thomas Bodie, Becke or Beddie, was married to Bubb Poole. They reared the following seven children: Lela, Swinton, Phillip, Lillie, Ruby, Nealie, and Callie.

The oldest adult son, Norman Knight Bodie, was married to Fannie Mae Farnell, daughter of Jim M. and Martha Monassa (Hooks) Farnell. They reared the following eight children: Martha Lodell, b. 1910, d. 1977, m. Willie Frank Carter; Addie Bell, b. 1912, d. 1986, m. Ezra Barnes; Mary Louise, b. 1914, d. 1983, m. Henry Donaldson; Marvin Norman, b. 1916, d. 1962, m. Lucy Elizabeth Ward; James Thomas, b. 1918, d. 1919; Bonnie Jewell, b. 1920, d. 1979, m. (1) Charles O. Burge II (2) Ted Raley; Anne Corene, b. 1921, d. 1994, m. Bobby Ray Bush; and Fannie Irene, b. 1921, d. 1992, m. Otis Hall.

The next daughter, Annie Lora Bodie, was married in 1896 to Lodie Hartly Gunter. They reared the following 10 children: Lilla Mae, b. 1897, d. 1981; Willa Bell, b. 1899, d. 1977, m. Pugh Hollis Murphy; Florence E., b. 1902, d. 1988, m. Roy Copeland; John Quincy, b. 1905, d. 1986, m. Lillian Holmes; Felder David, b. 1907, d. 1995, m. Ethel Hogan; Mary “Mollie” Francis, b. 1909, m. David Tadlock; Laura Thelma, b. 1911, d. 2001, m. Robert Edward Norton; Alice Inez, b. 1913, m. 1935 Clyde McCall Northrop, Jr.; Julia Marcus, b. 1916, d. 1987, m. Earnesteen Jewel Pierce; and Elgie Lee, b. 1920, m. Alton Amos Mason.

The next son, Isaac Durham Bodie, was first married to Rosa Belle Smithart with whom he had the following 16 children: Anna Dora, b. 1898, d. 1957; John Allen, b. 1900, d. 1966, m. Addie Viola Cardwell; Sallie Mae, b. 1902, d. 1973, m. Chipley Rufus Cartwright; Leola, b. 1903, d. 1974, m. Fred Campbell; Earnest Wilson, b. 1905, d. 1975, m. Vester Harris; Homer Lee, b. 1906, d. 1975, m. Aliene Hughes; J.D., b. 1908, d. 1972; Gladys, b. 1910, d. 1999, m. W. Homer Polk; William Sterling, b. 1911, d. 1939; James Merlin, b. 1913, d. 1981, m. Clara Browder; Jodie Earl, b. 1915, d. 1941; Chrisia Bell, b. 1916, d. 1926; Comer Wilson, b. 1918, d. 1991, m. Arene Elizabeth Cooper; Hattie Myrtle, b. 1919, d. 1971, m. Willard Herman Cotton; Cassie Pearl, b. 1920, d. 1973; and Callie Jewel, b. 1922, d. 1924.

The son, Paul Thomas Bodie, and wife, Minnie, had only one daughter, Carrie Nee. The daughter, Mary Etta Bodie, and husband, Claude Hutto, had three children: Agnes, Azell Lee, and Quitman. The son, William Lucius Bodie, and wife, Luzena Courtney, had one daughter, Mattie. The daughter, Sally Alice Body, and husband, Alonzo Gunter, had the following children: Warren; Myrtis, b. 1902; Lodic Rozelle, b. 1905, d. 1973, m. Lizzie Lucille O’Neal; Elizabeth; Cornelia; Luther; Geneva; and Esta.

Sources for the above genealogy include Ancestry.com for the early generations and the family records of Linda Sparks and Jennifer Rockwell who are Bodie descendants. Appreciation is expressed to them for collecting the family data and generously sharing it for this writing. There is much more information on the later generations of this family.

Anyone who might have a correction to the above or additional information on this family is requested to contact Curtis Thomasson at 20357 Blake Pruitt Road, Andalusia, AL 36420; 334-222-6467; or Email: cthomasson@centurytel.net.