Person:Israel Rogers (4)

Sources

Related

Person:Israel Rogers (3) Lived on Long Island North Hempstead, Exact contemporary to Israel (4); relationship to Israel (4) (if any) unknown.

Overview

This article is for the Israel Rogers who lived in New London Connecticut 1761-1836. Israel served for a short period (1805 to 1809) as the Lighthouse Keeper at Little Gull Island Light at the entrance to Long Island Sound. A Connecticut marriage record shows him marrying Zuriah Miner in New London Connecticut, in 17xX.^{Citation needed}

The first keeper of Little Gull Island Lighthouse was Israel Rogers, who along with his wife Serviah and children, had to share the small dwelling with an assistant keeper and his wife and children in a location where they were sometimes isolated for up to two months at a time. This level of hardship and lack of privacy was typical for lighthouse personnel and their families. The next keeper was Giles Holt, Israel’s son-in-law, who served an ultimatum to the local Superintendent of Lighthouses that the womenfolk would not put up with the housing arrangement any longer. If an additional two bedrooms were not built, Holt threatened to resign his post. Holt may have got his way^[10] as the dwelling was later described as a seven-room structure.

There are multiple "Israel Rogers" in the general area. Israel (4) is an exact contemporary of Israel (3) who lived in North Hempstead, Queens, Long Island New York. Both are missing in the 1810 census^[6], and either could be the Lighthouse Keeper. Since we know that Giles Holt followed his fatherinlaw as the Keeper, though we don't know exactly when that transition was made. In any case, Giles married the daughter of Israel in 1804 in New London Connecticut, where we know Israel (4) was living. That seems to indicate that it is in fact Israel (4) who was the first Keeper.

Cemetery Record

From: Hale Cemetery Inscription and Newspaper Obituary Collection as imaged by Ancestry. (WPA project). New London CT, Sep 4 1836, Israel Rogers, age 76 (list in a group under the heading 3 October 1836. Not sure of the significance for the heading date [possibly the date of the newspaper]. No Explanation in text.

Spouse

Discussions concerning Gull Island Light (e.g, ....), identify Israel's wife as Zerviah. Some genealogists give her name as "Sophia". This is apparently based on gravestone transcription for a Sophia Rogers in the Cedar Grove Cemetery, New London ^[9]. Since this is the same cemetery as Israel is buried in, its plausible that Sohia is Israel's wife. Current data at hand are insufficient to evaluate this. If Sophia's grave is adjacent to that of Israel, this which might support the view that his wife's name was Sophia. But then again, this could be the grave of a daughter, or some other relation, or even no relation at all. [If you believe the inscription asserted by Find a Grave, it explicitly says it was the wife of Israel Rogers, and the age rules out it being a daughter.]

Child List

Revolution

From: U.S., Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900

During the Revolution Israel of New London served as a private for two years under a Captain Shapley, in the Connecticut Militia. A pension was applied for in 1833, and an $80 per annum pension sent to John and Barber (sic) Howell, apparently a married daughter and her husband.

1. ↑ "New London Vital Records", in Connecticut, United States. The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records
   p. 257.

   ROGERS
   Isreal, s. John & Ann, b. Sept. 4, 1761 [2:101]

2. ↑ Connecticut, United States. Connecticut Deaths and Burials, 1650-1934. (FamilySearch Record Search)
   [1].

   Name: Israel Rogers
   Gender: Male
   Death Date: 09 Oct 1836
   Age: 75
   Birth Date: 1761
   Indexing Project (Batch) Number: B03746-4
   System Origin: Connecticut-EASy
   GS Film number: 3353
   Reference ID: 68
   [Note: film 3353 is the Hale Collection]

3. ↑ Rogers, James Swift. James Rogers of New London, Ct. and his descendants. (Boston: The compiler (self-published), 1902)
   p. 130.

   Israel Rogers [#122], s/o John Rogers [#60, p. 91, and Ann Tinker], b. 4 Sep 1761, d. 9 Nov 1836, m. Zerviah Miner.

4.   New London, Connecticut, United States. 1790 U.S. Census Population Schedule
   [2].

   line 12, left side: M16+:1 M0-15:0 F:3
   [Probably Israel and wife, Mary and Lucy]

5.   New London, Connecticut, United States. 1800 U.S. Census Population Schedule
   [3].

   line 18: M<10:2 M26-44:1 F<10:1 F10-16:2 F26-44:1
   [Probably Israel and wife, John and Israel, Hannah, Mary and Lucy]

6. ↑ New London, Connecticut, United States. 1810 U.S. Census Population Schedule
   [4].

   last line top page: M10-16:1 M16-25:1 M>45+:1 F<10:1 F10-16:1 F45+:2
   [Probably Israel and wife, John and Israel, Hannah, and ?younger daughter/granddaughter?, ?mother or mother-in-law?]

7.   New London, Connecticut, United States. 1820 U.S. Census Population Schedule
   [5].

   line 11: M<10: 1 M10-15: 1 M45+: 1 F<10:1 F10-15:1 F45+:1
   [Probably Israel and wife and some grandchildren]

8.   New London, Connecticut, United States. 1830 U.S. Census Population Schedule
   [6].

   line 14: M5-9:1 M15-19:1 M60-69:1 F5-9:1 F15-19:1 F60-69:1
   [Probably Israel and wife and some grandchildren]

9. ↑ ^9.0 9.1 Find A Grave
   Sophia Rogers.
10. ↑ Little Gull Island Lighthouse, New York
    [7].

    Israel Rogers was the first keeper at Little Gull Island Lighthouse (1805 – 1809), and was succeeded by his son-in-law Giles Holt (1809 – 1816), and then by John Rogers (1816-1826) [said in the text to be a grandson of Israel, but that is not possible as the oldest son, John, wasn't born until 1790 and married in 1814, so could not have an adult child in 1816 when John assumed his duties. Perhaps, it was a nephew of Israel?].