AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT ROGERS FAMILY FAIRHAVEN MASSACHUSETTS COMPRISING ALSO BRIEF RECORDS OF THE CONNECTING FAMILIES OF GIFFORD CUSHMAN HUDDLESTON DELANO AND MERRIHEW ' In records that defy the teeth of time."—EDWARD YOUNG. LEONARD BOLLBS ELLIS PR1VATELT PRINTED 1891 I3X E. ANTHONY & SONS, Incorp., PRINTERS, NEW BEDFORD, MASS. PREFACE. The aim of this book is simply to arrange in chrono­ logical order the genealogical and historical memoranda that have been gathered by the compiler in the few months allotted him for the work. More than this could not be well accomplished without exhaustive research, extending through years of patient labor. L. B. E. " Down to the Plymouth Bock, that hail hern to their feet ax a doorstep, Into a world unknown—the corner-stone of a nation^—LONGFELLOW. THE ROGERS FAMILY. Thomas Rogers and his son Joseph were passengers on board the Mayflower, which brought the Pilgrims from Delfthaven to New England in 1620. When they reached the coast, the Pilgrims realized that while they were loyal subjects of King James of England, who laid a general claim to the territory, they had no power delegated to them, nor even authority to enter the country. If they landed north of the limit of the Virginia Company, 41 degrees north latitude, they would lose such rights as they might claim from the patent of that company, and would thus place themselves beyond the pale of established authority. In this dilemma, the wisdom of the leaders came to their aid, and in the little cabin of the Mayflower, on that eventful day, November 11, 1620, they drew up the Compact which gave birth to the nation that to-day holds dominion from sea to sea. " IN YE NAME OF GOD, AMEN! We, whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread soveraigne Lord, King James, by ye grace of God, of Great Britaine, Franc, & Ireland, defender of ye faith &c, haveing undertaken for ye glorie of God, and advanceinentc of ye Christian faith, and honour of our King and countrie, a voyage to plant ye first colonie in ye Northerne parts of Virginia, doe by these presents, solemnly and mutualy in ye presence of God, and one of another, covenant and combine our selves togeather, into a civill body politick, for our better ordering and preservation, and further­ ance of ye ends aforesaid; and by vertue hearof to enacte, constitute, and frame such just and equall lawes, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meete and convenient for ye generall good of ye Colonie, unto which we prom­ ise all due submission and obedience. "In witnes whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Oap-Codd, ye 11 of November, in ye year of ye raigne of our sover- aigne lord. KING JAMES, of England, Franc, and Ireland, ye eight­ eenth, and of Scotland ye tiftie-fourth. Ano. Dom. 1620." Among the forty-one signatures attached to this docu­ ment is the name of Thomas Rogers, the ancestor of all the early families of that name in New England. One of the first acts of these citizens was to confirm John Carver as Governor of the new commonwealth. The exposures and hardships which these early settlers experienced during the first year of their settlement were fatal to an appalling degree. Fifty-one, one half of the entire colony, died in 1621. Among these was Thomas Rogers. Joseph, the son of Thomas Rogers, and who also came in the Mayflower, was allotted land (two acres) in 1624, and at the town meeting, June 1, 1627, shared in the cattle division. This was one of the methods adopted by the Colony to encourage the people, so that a few could have the care of one animal for the space of ten years. The animal was then to be restored, with one half of increase, to the authorities. At this allotment, fifteen head of cattle were assigned in twelve divisions. The eleventh lot fell to the Gov­ ernor, William Bradford, and to those with him, namely: His wife, Alice Bradford, Manasseh Kempton, William Bradford, Jr., Julian(a) Kempton, Mercy Bradford, Nathaniel Morton, JOSEPH ROGEKS, John Morton, Thomas Cushman, Ephraim Morton, William Latham, Patience Morton. "To these persons fell an heifer of the last year, which was of the great white-back cow that was brought over in the Anne." " In 1635, Joseph Rogers was allowed a constant ferry at and over Jones river, near his dwelling, and to have a penny for the transportation of a person over the same, he, said Joseph, maintaining a sufficient ferry."—Ply­ mouth Records, Book 1; Court Orders, page 87. There is a record that Joseph Rogers died on Christ­ mas day, 1660, from fatal injuries received while wrest­ ling with his friend John Hawes. In 1661, at a court trial, John Hawes, of Yarmouth, for giving a fatal fall to Joseph Rogers, while wrestling with him on Christmas day, was acquitted on a charge of manslaughter. It is recorded that Joseph Rogers was married and had six children. John Rogers was one of the early proprietors of Dux- bury, (lie went to Scituatc, and finally to Weymouth, where he died in 1661./ He was a member of the Dux- bury company of militia, Miles Standish, captain, 1643. 8 * John Rogers, of Marshfield, was the ancestor of the following families of the name, and, from data obtained, he must have been born about 1628. John Rogers and wife had : A/© , _>Hannah, who married, Nov. 23, 1664, John Tisdale, Jr., pwfaapB of Taunton. He was a son of John Tisdale and wife Susan Walker. Elizabeth, who married, Nov. 17, 1668, Nathaniel Will­ iams, of Taunton. He was the son of Richard Will­ iams and wife Frances Dighton. Richard Williams is believed to> have been a brother of that apostle of religious liberty, Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island. John. Abigail. John Tisdale, Jr., and wife Hannah Rogers had : Abigail, born July 15, 1667. John, born Aug. 10, 1669. Anna, born Jan. 27, 1673. Remember, born July 8, 1675. John Tisdale, Jr., the parent, was a son of John Tis­ dale, one of the twenty-six original proprietors of Free­ town, at date of purchase, April, 1659. Nathaniel Williams and Elizabeth Rogers had : John, born Aug. 27, 1675. Nathaniel, born April 9, 1679. Elizabeth, born April 18, 1686. Elizabeth married in 1708 John Macomber, of Taun- * Gen. E. W. Pierce's Contributions. 9 ton. Their daughter Elizabeth became the wife of Will­ iam Rounsevill, and these were the parents of Levi Rounsevill, captain of the minute men of Freetown, who responded to the Lexington alarm, April 19, 1775. Capt. Rounsevill was the father of Rev. William Rounse­ vill, a most eloquent man, who represented his native town ten years in the General Court. He was grand­ father of the distinguished scholar and Unitarian divine, William R. Alger, formerly of Boston, and now (1891) of New Orleans. One of the family of Rogers was President of Harvard College from 1682 to 1684. [Comets in the Pilgrim days were] " thought to be forerunners of evil. Increase Mather proclaimed that such blazing stars foretold great changes, and learned pastors', Wetherell of Scituate and Wis- wall of Duxbury, taught earnestly from their pulpits that this comet (1680) was directly connected with the death of Governor Josiah Winslow, which followed in the same year. Four years later (1684) Judge Sewall was impressed by the fact that President [John] Rog­ ers of Harvard College died at the close of a solar eclipse."—Goodwin, page 579. January, 1676, "William Rogers went to Nantucket." From him, through authentic sources, is traced the direct lineage of HENRY HUDDLESTON ROGERS, of Fairhaven (1891). From genealogical records in the possession of Allen "Coffin, Esq., of Nantucket, it is found that William Rogers married Martha Barnard, daughter of Robert Barnard, who was one of the first twenty proprietors of 10 the island of Nantucket. This marriage was prior to 1678, as shown by a deed dated Nov. 24, 1678, by which Robert Barnard conveys to his son-in-law, William Rog­ ers, and his wife Martha, a house, land, and commonage. This deed was acknowledged before Tristram Coffin, chief magistrate. Their residence in Nantucket was of short duration. That they moved to Martha's Vineyard is shown in the records, by a deed dated January 10, 1679, by which " William Rogers, in consideration of 17£, lawful money, and for transporting his family and household goods, cattel, sheep, &c., unto Holmes Hole, paid by James Coffin, conveys the ten akers of land that was given to him by his father-in-law, Robert Barnard, together with dwelling-house and privilege for 10 head of cattle, 15 sheep." This deed is signed by William Rogers, ac­ knowledged before Tristram Coffin, and witnessed by Nathaniel and Mary Starbuck. It is clearly demonstrated that William Rogers took up a permanent residence on Martha's Vineyard, for there is recorded a deed of Samuel Tilton to William Rogers, conveying one-third part of a neck of land on Martha's Vineyard, called Holmes Hole. This deed recites that it is in confirmation of one lost. It is acknowledged before Thomas Mayhew, and dated Oct. 30, 1699. Connected with it appears the following memoranda: "Entered Nov. 2, 1699, in folio 57, per Matthew Mayhew, Regr." This no doubt refers to the record on the books at Ed- gartown; and then follows the usual certificate: "Re­ corded, June 1, 1709. Eleazer Folger, Regr." 11 The probate records at Edgartown reveal much inter­ esting and valuable information regarding the Rogers family, and from them much genealogical material is gleaned.