Sometimes I get interesting email I just have to share with everyone. This is one of those occasions! Please check the links, because they have some of the best local history and genealogy of a Mayflower family I have ever seen. There is a great sketch of Thomas Rogers (about 1571 - 1620), who died that first winter in Plymouth but his sons Joseph (1602/3 - 1677/8) and John (1606 - abt 1691) went on to have descendants in the Plymouth Colony.
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| St. Peter and St. Paul Church, Watford, Northamptonshire Where members of the Rogers family were baptized and married (photo from the website mentioned below) |
Dear Mayflower Society Representative,
I hope you don't mind me contacting you by email. My name is Dee Solomon
and I live in the small village of Watford in the County of Northamptonshire in
England UK.
As I am certain you are already aware, our village is the birthplace of the
Pilgrim Father Thomas Rogers, his wife; Alice Cosford and their children.
My reason for contacting you is to bring to your attention our village's
history website - which tells the story of Watford from Roman times to modern
day. We do have one webpage which is dedicated to the story (as far as we know
it) of the Rogers family.
Since we started the website we have had a number of descendants of the
Rogers family (now living in the United States of America) contact us for
information or photos of Watford - of which we have been happy to assist
wherever possible. One person even asked us to send them a leaf from a tree in
our churchyard!
Whilst few buildings now exist in the village that were around in Thomas
Rogers time, our parish church was built in the 1300s and was, with
certainty, where the Rogers family once attended services. Indeed, his father;
William Rogers, his sister; Elizabeth and his infant brother; John Rogers were
all buried in the churchyard here. Likewise, Thomas and Alice's children were
all baptised here too. We still have the 15th Century font in the church that
was almost certainly used for the baptisms.
One thing we have noticed is that when descendants are tracing their
ancestry they often get our village confused with the much larger town of
Watford in the county of Hertfordshire, England UK. Watford in Hertfordshire is
only about 60 miles to the south of us and has no connection with the Rogers
family. However, we understand how easily people can make this mistake and we
try to correct this if we ever see it used on genealogy sites.
We just wanted you to be made aware of our existence here and, if we can
ever be of assistance to you and your society or to individual members who are
descendants of the Rogers family, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Kindest and best wishes.
Dee Solomon
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For more information on Thomas Rogers
The Thomas Rogers Society in America http://www.thomasrogerssociety.com/
The General Society of Mayflower Descendants https://www.themayflowersociety.org/
The Pilgrim Fathers UK Origins Association and Community Interest Company http://www.pilgrimfathersorigins.org/
Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Descendants of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts December 1620: Family of Thomas Rogers, by Ann T. Reeves (Plymouth, Massachusetts: General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 2000)
"English Ancestry of the Pilgrim Thomas Rogers and his Wife Alice (Cosford) Rogers" by Clifford L. Stott, The Genealogist, No.2 (1989).
Thank you! Great information to tuck away for another day.
ReplyDeleteResearching family ancestral lines is a wonderful opportunity to learn of them. I enjoyed the items posted by you folks. Thanks
ReplyDeleteReed Wright, Preston, Idaho, USA
You have a terrific site. However, I find that as I get close to being a "true blue" Mayflower descendent, something gets in the way. I have been trying for decades. I was born in the little village founded 2 years after Plymouth. You may know it as Wesasgusset,"Town of the evil men" who caused great harm to the Pilgrims and the Indians. It's quite a story. Weymouth is now a quiet New England village. Anyway, Tonight, after many decades, I finally discovered that I'm descended through Thomas, albeit through his daughter ,Elizabeth ( a nice touch of fortune since my mother, my daughter, and the daughters of my brother and sister are all named Elizabeth). Well, maybe I'm descended. My family no longer gives me much credit after coming up with the "Cushings". Anyway. I'm glad you are there and I am even "gladder" I'm here.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth Kane
Alexandria, Virginia
Please send more information on your interesting tidbits. Who are the Cushings? Why would your family think they should disown you? I think you sound wonderful.
Deleteslowcomb12@gmail.com.
Thank you very much for the information. I am still trying to gather family information going back to the Rogers family. I enjoy reading all the stories of how life was back then. What a hard life they had.
ReplyDeleteApril Kelley
Florida, USA
To Elizabeth Kane: you just keep researching and don't mind what they don't like. I am a Rogers by birth. I am trying to find my grandfather's father. I don't know his name. My grandfather had a very common name, William Thomas Rogers. He was born in 1887 in (supposedly) Blount county TN.
ReplyDeleteI think what you have been able to uncover is just wonderful. Thank you. Keep up the good work.
Patricia Slocum. TN.
Contact if you choose. slowcomb12@gmail.com
Thank you very much for providing this info. I've been working on my family tree for about 15 years now and recently discovered that likelier than not, I'm a descendent of Thomas as well as his son, Joseph Rogers. I come from a long line of New Englanders who all (except myself) still live there after 400 years. Every bit of info helps!
ReplyDeletethose are really nice shortcuts....
ReplyDeleteMy Amos Rogers
1758–1818
BIRTH 1758 • Dutchess County area, New York
DEATH 12 FEBRUARY 1818 • Patterson Twp., Putnam County, New York
3rd great-grandfather
....feel free to let me know who his daddy is if anyone ever finds out
Thank you of your efforts. I am trying to see if we are descendants of Thomas Rogers. I am as far back as my 3GF being a William Rogers from Canada. I have a copy of his immigration papers issued from Canada showing he left the USA (New York...apparently) when the treaty of Paris was signed. This makes me believe he was a Loyalist (he served in the Queens Rangers) and left because his neighbors probably threw him out. He (William Rogers) is shown to have been born in 1736 in Canada. But I suspect he was born in New England. I am looking for the hookup to Thomas Rogers which would have been (most likely two generations) back. Any help would be appreciated.
ReplyDeleteContact the Mayflower Society. Fill out the "Mayflower Lineage Match" on the website, and they can check the records in Plymouth for your William Rogers. For almost all the passengers (including Thomas Rogers) the first five generations are well know. If he was born in 1736 he was probably within those first five generations.
DeleteMy 3rd great grandfather was Joseph Ives Rogers, born 1802 in West Springfield, Massachusetts. His wife (my 3rd great grandmother) Caroline Amelia Smith, born 1812 in Herkimer, New York, was the daughter of Moses Smith and Sally Chapin. Joseph's siblings were, Julia Ann Rogers (Horace E. Aldrich), Theodore Rogers (1804 - 1807),and Lucinda E. Rogers (William Henry Smith). My Rogers ancestors may not fit in this particular Rogers Line, but maybe someone looking for their Rogers connection will find a connection with mine. Thank you for letting me post my Rogers family on your page!
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting to me.. My grandfather in New Hampshire has extensive lineage recordings his family has kept and i believe that the ancestor we have from the Mayflower is Thomas Rogers. I dont have the proof or the other info at this moment but could possibly get more sometime. I have seen the chart thats been kept several times leading all the way back but my grandfathers a bit of a recluse so it can be hard to contact him at times.
ReplyDeleteThe New Hampshire Mayflower Society (or the local Mayflower Society in the state where you reside) can give you more information about applying as a member. They will let you know what documents you need to submit for your lineage application.
DeleteYes I am related to Thomas Rogers. My name is Teresa Lynn Wallingford. My father is William Monroe Wallingford. His father was William Eugene Wallingford. His father was William Harrison Wallingford. His father was Richard Perry Wallingford. His mother was Louisa Jane Applegate. Her Mother was Rachael Wallingford. Her father was Joseph Thorton Wallingford. His father was Benjamin Franklin Wallingford III. His mother was Elizabeth Browne. Her mother was Mary Rogers. Her father was James Rogers. His father was Joseph Rogers. His father was Thomas Rogers.
ReplyDeleteAs you can see there is also the connection to the Hopkins family via Mary Rogers' mother Mary Paine. Her mother Mary Snow. Her mother Constance Hopkins. Her father Stephen Hopkins.
I am very proud to be part of this lineage! I received DNA confirmation, finally back in early November. 400 years! Very cool!
Sincerely,
Teresa Lynn Wallingford
tlg6618@gmail.com
Hi...is this really true That Benjamin Franklin Wallingford's mother is Elizabeth Browne great great grandfather is Thomas Rogers who came on the Mayflower ?....why am asking is because Benjamin Franklin Wallingford is my 7th great grandfather on my mom's father's side.....thanks Teresa........
DeleteIt is good to know about other relatives of Thomas Rogers. He is my 9th GGF. We share lineage with Hopkins, Snow Prence, Hurst, Howland, Tilley, Mayo, Brewster, Nickerson,Small , Cobb and others. I told my children that when they visit Cape Cod almost anyone they might talk to might be related so watch what you say. Any information you might have about our shared lineage would be appreciated. Godspeed. Rev. Frederick W. Rogers
ReplyDeleteAccording to my ancestry.com results Thomas Rogers is my 11th Great Grandfather. Very cool to have this connection and I look forward discovering more about my connection to his lineage. Great information on this site!
ReplyDeleteYes! I immigrated to New Zealand, where my husband is from and have three children; so if not already, Thomas now has Kiwi descendants. My mother was a Phinney and 11th great grandchild of Thomas.
ReplyDelete