The Rogerenes

In my last blog post, James Rogers, a very early immigrant, I shared information about the first Rogers in our line that came to America in the colonial era.  James Rogers was believed to descend from a long line Protestant preachers including John “The Martyr” Rogers who was burned at the stake in England for his anti-Catholic sermons in 1554.

In colonial times, we find that many early immigrants were prompted to leave England or their homeland because of both political and religious differences.  In the New London area (now part of Connecticut), the majority of early residents were members of the Congregational Church, a Protestant group. Others associated with Seventh Day Baptists or Quaker communities.

While we are direct descendants of James Rogers (1615-1687), I would like to digress slightly and tell you about John Rogers, the third son of James Rogers who was a brother to three of our direct ancestors.  And even though he isn’t our direct line, the story about him is interesting in that he was the founder of a religious sect called The Rogerenes.

John Rogers (1648 – 1721) was raised in a family that belonged first to the Congregational Church in New London and later joined local the Seventh Day Baptist church.  As a young adult, John was attracted to the Baptist faith and began to oppose the Congregational Church, and eventually also the Seventh Day Baptists.  As a young man, when his religious beliefs began to change he embarked on a career as a minister.  He began to oppose some of the teachings of the Congregational Church, and supported several of the beliefs of both the Baptist and also the Quaker theologies.  John founded the new religious group known as The Rogerenes in 1674. 

The Rogerenes maintained that they did not have to pay taxes to support the Congregational Church or any church.  They didn’t violate civil laws, but loudly proclaimed and displayed their unwillingness to abide by ecclesiastical laws that they believed were not in keeping with the Rogerene faith. 

Several years after John Rogers founded his Rogerene sect, his wife, Elizabeth Griswold Rogers petitioned for a divorce.  She described his unusual behavior, conduct and beliefs as her reason to divorce him.  Her divorce was granted.

Rogerenes were not Congregationalists, Quakers or Seventh Day Baptists, though they shared some of the same beliefs.  The Rogerenes were advocates of peaceful non-resistance as were the Quakers.  They also believed in healing by prayer known as faith healing without the attentions of a physician and were against any medicines or formal medical treatment.  They believed healing would be achieved only by prayer and the laying on of hands.  They prayed specifically in silent worship (opposed to oral prayer like the Quakers); they believed in adult baptism by immersion; and they believed in celebrating communion in the evening like the Baptists.  And while the Rogerenes believed in Sunday worship, unlike the Congregationalists, they didn’t believe that anyone had to abstain from work on the Sabbath for the whole day.

Rogerenes opposed slavery and were active in the abolitionist cause and the Underground Railroad.  They advocated for the rights of women, a peaceful co-existence with the Native Americans, and were opposed to war and the military. 

The Rogerenes, though Christian, were very anti-clerical and were vocal religious dissenters, often showing up at Congregational Church events where they created disruptions and were known to go out of their way to provoke conflict and garner attention.  Not surprisingly, the Rogerenes were often persecuted for their beliefs and their disruptive behavior. 

Members of the Rogerenes were known to march through New London on Sunday proclaiming that they were working on the Sabbath and would attend functions at churches of other denominations to disrupt and argue with those of differing beliefs.  As a result, Rogerenes were also frequently hauled before the courts where they were fined or imprisoned, tarred or whipped either for their behavior or for their refusal to pay taxes which at the time supported the Congregational Church. 

In the early 1700’s the former leader of the Congregationalist Church in New London, Gurdon Saltonstall, became the Governor and actions against The Rogerenes escalated.  As a result, John Rogers and his followers spent more time in prison.  John Rogers cumulatively spent about 15 years of his life incarcerated.

In 1721, John Rogers traveled to Boston to minister to the sick during an outbreak of smallpox.  He believed that his faith would protect him from contracting the infection.  John later returned home to New London, only to become sick with smallpox himself and die along with a couple of members of his family who likely contracted the disease from him.

The Rogerenes remained active long after the death of John Rogers “the Founder” for over 200 years and well into the 1800’s.  Eventually one branch of the sect resettled in New Jersey and others integrated into nearby Quaker communities. 

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Key Individuals:

James Rogers  (1615 – 1687), 8^th or 9^th great grandfather

Elizabeth Rowland Rogers  (abt 1620 – 1709), 8^th or 9^th great grandmother

1)  Samuel Rogers  (1640 – 1713)

2)  Joseph Rogers  (1646 – 1697), 7^th great grandfather

3)  John Rogers  (1648 – 1721) – founder of the Rogerenes

4)  Bathsheba Rogers  (1650 – 1711), 8^th great grandmother

5)  James Rogers  (1652 – 1714)

6)  Jonathan Rogers  (1655 – 1697), 8^th great grandfather

7)  Elizabeth Rogers  (1658 – 1716) 

For an explanation of the notations of 7^th, 8^th and 9^th great grandparents, please see the Notes section of my previous blog post titled James Rogers, a very early immigrant.

Notes:

Bathsheba Rogers (1650 – 1711), one of my 8^th great grandmothers became an early convert to The Rogerenes.  She was known to be a particularly zealous Rogerene and according to one account “she suffered long and cruel imprisonments” as a result of her work with the Rogerenes, as she was very devoted to her brother John’s religious movement.  Bathsheba married Richard Smith (1640 – 1682) in 1670, and her great grandson, James Smith Jr (1832 – 1798) was featured in my April 10, 2022 blogpost Ancestors Who Fought in the Revolution – part 2. 

- Jane Scribner McCrary