Jesse Hodges (Snr) (1880 – 1964) was born in Nailbridge, near Cinderford and was a son of a miner. He married Annie Matthews in 1901 and continued to live at Nailbridge. They had nine children, one of whom died from laryngitis. As a boy, he worked in an iron mine. He then moved to Crump Meadow colliery where he became a buttyman. In 1920-1922, he was elected as a Labour representative on East Dean District Council. In 1925, he was elected as an assistant part-time checkweighman at Crump Meadow colliery.[1] He represented Crump Meadow on the FDMA Executive during the 1926 lockout and was the joint secretary of the Cinderford Strike Committee with Albert Meek. He was blacklisted for seventeen months after the end of the lockout.[2]
[1] Interview with Jesse Hodges’ son also called Jesse Hodges (born 1907) by Elsie Olivey on 16 May 1983, Gage library.
[2] Interview with Albert Meek by Elsie Olivey on 6 April 1983, Gage library.