Aha, there is a burial at St Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney, 26 Apr 1734, Valentina Hodges of Exeter, spinster!

And in this snippet, it says that Mr Buttall was succeeded by Mr Nathaniel Hodges.

Buttall and Hodges?

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=B...ed=0CC4Q6AEwAQ

Saw that, too.

Ah, Samuel Buttall. Mary's father?

Ooh! Another snippet.

http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/tbhs/02-1_062.pdf

Query, Hodges, Benjamin or Nathaniel

The anonymous 'Impartial History of Michael Servetus' 1724, has usually been ascribed to Sir Benjamin Hodges, sometimes Sir Nathaniel Hodges. Nathaniel Hodges was a some time Baptist minister who received a knighthood and (according to his epitaph in Stepney Churchyard) died on 27 August 1727, aged 51. Who was Sir Benjamin Hodges?

Oh yes, I saw that, thanks, Shona. I wish TNA would hurry up and give me a quote for William Dry's probate inventory! I'm really hoping it gives the names of his daughters, or at least some information about his executor Mr William Lee which might help.

According to the history of the George Street Baptist Church in Plymouth, the Mr Buttall was a Samuel.

The British Newspaper Archive has a piece in the Ipswich Journal from 25th Feb 1727 which I haven't viewed fully but it says something about "by Col. Nathaniel Hodges and Colonel Williamson(?) to his Majesty, who was pleased to confer the Honour of Knighthood on the said Col Hodges, Colonel of the Second Regiment of Tower Hamblets."
So it looks as though that answers the question of "at what time he received the honour of knighthood".

Found the full story in the London Gazette:
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/6558/pages/1

(it is Feb 1726/7)

At last, I have William Dry's probate inventory, so-called, though it starts by saying it is "a Declaration instead of an Inventory". And at the end of page 2 it mentions "the said Frances Dry now Quested the Relict of the said William Dry, Elizabeth Dunn, and Frances Brown his Children", which confirms that Frances Dry who married Joseph Brown was the daughter of William and Frances, and therefore the granddaughter of Sir Nathaniel Hodges (Dame Mary Hodges is also mentioned further on in the inventory). Whoopee!

I need to have a proper read through it now.

Having read through the whole thing, I find that William Dry had a brother Henry Dry who died between 1740 and 1765, so I have just downloaded the will of Henry Dry of Lincolns Inn, Middlesex, proved 5 Sep 1746, from TNA and it mentions his brother William Dry of Islington and William's wife Frances, also Henry Dry esquire, father of Henry and William, so I have evidently got the wrong parents for William Dry! Off to correct that...