Person:James Rogers (7)

Origins

What is the proof that he was the son of Thomas Rogers? Or that he was from Dedham?

Great Migration [1] considers his origins unknown, and does not discuss any theories, indicating that none have been proposed by anyone it considers credible.

Rumors that he was great-grandson of the Martyr John Rogers have not been substantiated.

His family roots can supposedly be traced back to Wittenberg, Prussia in 1543 and 1511 in Brabant Antwerp, Belgium, and to 1450 in Ryegage England.^{Citation needed}

"In 1635 he was granted a "licens to go beyond the seas and to be transported to New England imbarqued in the Increase, James Rogers, 20 years." ^{Citation needed}

Therefore, thought to be the passenger on the Increase from London, 1635, age 20.

April 17, 1635 The Increase departed London for New England

Ship and Passenger Information

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Robert Lea, Master

April 15, 1635 [additional names deleted]

Roger, James . . . . . . . . . 20

Life in New England

James was a good friend of The Rev. Mr. Blinman who settled first at Marshfield, Mass.

• 1637 he was one of six men from Saybrook, who under Capt. John Underhill, took part in the Pequot war.^{Citation needed}

• By 1640: went to Stratford, CT where he married in 1640.

• The records of the General Court of Milford under date of November 22, 1645, give the following: "Ordered that James Rogers have a home lot adjoining that of Mr. Fowler's." In 1648, James Rogers "hath three acres more or less."... On November 17, 1656, the court ordered that "James Rogers hath grant of his warehouse given him by the town." [From Ostrander and Allied Families]

• By 1652: was in Milford, CT when and where he joined Mr. Prudden's Congregational church. [From An Early History of the First Church] His wife had joined the same church in 1645 and some of their children were baptized there.

• By 1654: may have been in New London when he purchased land there from Robert Park.

• 1655: a complaint was made to the General Court regarding the inferior quality of the biscuits he was furnishing for Virginia and the Barbadoes. It may be inferred that he was a baker and tradesman at and before that year.

By 1660 he was the richest man in the settlement after Gov. Winthrop.

• 14 Mar 1660/1 made a freeman in New London
• 1661-2: deputy to the Court of Elections
• 1662: Corn commissioner for New London
• 1662-1673: representative to the General Curt seven times
• 1666: retired from active business, placing his affairs in the hands of his son, Samuel. For years he had carried on the largest foreign and domestic trade of any man in New London. He owned several hundred acres of land and also some house lots. In partnership with Colonel Pynchon, of Springfield, Massachusetts, he owned 2,400 acres east of the river. [From Ostrander and Allied Families]
• 1670: He joined the New London Church by letter from the Church in Milford
• died about 1688

He and his son Samuel were on the committee of fortifications for New London. He was associated with Matthew Griswold and served with him on many committees of church and state. Governor Winthrop engaged with him in land and other transactions.

He acquired large property, and exerted considerable influence in both civil and ecclesiastical affairs.

His real estate holdings were large. He owned several hundred acres of land on the Great Neck, a tract of land at Mohegan at the place called Pamechog, now called Massapeag, several house lots in New London, twenty-four hundred acres on the east side of the river which were held in partnership with Colonel Pyncheon of Springfield. His home farm for some years prior to his death was on that portion of the Great Neck called Goshen.

He built a house of stone on that part of Mr. Winthrop's house-lot which was next the Old Town Mill. Mr. Winthrop's deed fixes the location. It is found in Book III, p. 124, of the ancient Town Records, is dated May 13, 1660-61, and reads as follows:

"Know all men by these presents that I John Winthrop for lawfull considerations to me thereunto moving do give, grant, alienate, confirm and make over unto James Rogers of New London, bisket Baker, that part or parcel of ground on which his house in New London now stands containing also the [illegible] and garden plot joining to said house as now lay excepting only a sufficient landing-place and way, or passage which is left common that to go to and from the grist mill by land and water, this said way [now known as Mill Street] being the boundary to said ground thus given towards the west, my own land without the garden and lot to be the bounds eastward. The street [now known as Winthrop Street] between my orchard and the said grounds the bounds next northward, the mill cove or creek the bounds to the southward."

... The Winthrops afterwards bought the ground back. The deed makes impossible the view stated, by Miss Caulkins, that Mr. Rogers lived on the spot where the Winthrop school now stands.

Mr. Rogers, as the deed specified, was a baker. He did business on a large scale. He furnished biscuit for seamen, and for the colonial troops. Between 1660 and 1670 he had a greater interest in the trade of this port than any other person in the town. He had large landed estates on Great Neck, at Mohegan, several house lots in town, and a large tract of land on the east side of the river.

Before Winthrop's removal to Hartford, he leased the town mill to Rogers and transferred to him a lot adjacent to Winthrop's home lot where Rogers built a stone dwelling house and bakery.

When the sons of the governor, Fitz-John and Wait-Still Winthrop returned to the plantation after 1662 they and Rogers became involved in a series of litigations pertaining to bounds and trespasses for several years.

• 1661-1668 and 1676: began to make with this children, much opposition to infant baptism. James Rogers was one of his son John's early converts and member of the church of which John was pastor. He, his wife and daughter Bathsheba were baptized in 1676. For this offense they were summoned to appear before a magistrate but were soon released. Throughout the rest of his life, James was subject to fines and imprisonment for non-conformity to the rules of the Established Church.

Family

Was early at Stratford, CT, where he married Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel Rowland. They removed to Milford, CT where they had (per Savage):

1. Samuel, born abt. 1640
2. Joseph, bapt 1646
3. John, 1648
4. Bathsheba, 1650; m1 4 Mar 1670 Richard Smith of New London; m2 Samuel Fox (as his third wife)
5. James, abt 1652
6. Jonathan, b 31 Dec 1655
7. Elizabeth, 1658; m 9 Feb 1682 the "second" Samuel Beeby.

The births of the children are all recorded in Milford, Conn, but this is not proof they were born there. It was not unusual for people to record births in the town to which they moved regardless of the place of birth. It is probable some of the children were born in Stratford, Conn. NOTE "James Swift Rogers included precise dates of birth for the six youngest children of this immigrant, stating that the 'births of the children are recorded in Milford' [Rogers Descendants 38], but only son Jonathan actually appears in those records."^[1]

Last Will & Testament

He made his last will 11 9th month 1683, codicil 1686 and died by 15 Feb 1687/8 at New London. The will was recorded 1703 at New London, CT. His widow died in 1709.

As the government of Andros was paramount in New England at the time, his will was probated in Boston. It was a simple document, expressing the wish that his children should not contend over his property.

"What I have of this world I leave among you, desiring you not to fall out or contend about it; but let your love one to another appear more than to the estate I leave with you, which is but of this world."

A later part of the document says,

"if any difference should arise, &c., my will is that there shall be no lawing among my children before earthly judges, but that the controversy be ended by lot, and so I refer to the judgement of God, and as the lot comes forth, so shall it be."

This irenic desire of the father was not met, for the children were soon engaged in a bitter controversy respecting boundaries, in which "earthly judges" were obliged to interfere.

His will further says,

""and for your comfort I signify to you that I have a perfect assurance of an interest in Jesus Christ and an eternal happy state in the world to come, and do know and see that my name is written in the book of life."

Miscellaneous

"Adam, a mulatto, was the indentured servant of James Rogers of New London. When James d. in 1688, Adam had another 3 yrs. to serve. (New London/New London 1709: 4520). Adam m. Catherine Jones in New London 1 September 1701. Catherine b. 20 December 1669, the dau. of Thomas and Catherine (Gammon), both white. (New London Vital Records). Adam and Catherine res. in New London as late as 1725. Their son, Adam, m. Amy Scoville in East Haddam 22 May 1744. [Janice Felvey]

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14} James Rogers, in Anderson, Robert Charles; George F. Sanborn; and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635. (Boston, Massachusetts: NEHGS, 1999-2011)
   6:72-84.

   ORIGIN:Unknown.
   EMIGRATION: 1635 on the Increase (on 15 April 1635, "James Roger," aged 20 was enrolled at London as a passenger for New England on the Increase [Hotten 66]).
   CHURCH MEMBERSHIP: On 17 April 1653, "James Rogers" was admitted to Milford church [MilfordChR 3; TAG 16:32].
   FREEMAN: on 14 March 1660/1, "James Rogers" was one of three men made freemen of Connecticut {CCCR 1:359]. On 28 September 1669, "James Rogers" appears in the list of Connecticut freeman at New Haven [CCCR 2:523]
   BIRTH: About 1615 (aged 20 on 15 April 1635 [Hotten 66]).

2. ↑ Rogers, James Swift. James Rogers of New London, Ct. and his descendants. (Boston: The compiler (self-published), 1902).
3. ↑ Chester, Joseph Lemuel. John Rogers, the compiler of the first authorized English Bible: the pioneer of the English Reformation; and its first martyr, embracing a genealogical account of his family... (Cambridge [Massachusetts]: Harvard College Library, 1956?)
   Vol. 3, p. 560.
4. ↑ Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England: Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692, on the Basis of Farmer's Register. (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co, 1860-1862)
   3:560.
5. ↑ The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society)
   October, 1863.