Captain Rogers – Lost at Sea

To date, I have brought you the stories of at least four mariners among our direct ancestors to include Capt Nathaniel Dickinson, his son Capt David Bill Dickinson, Capt Philip Moore Hale, and his son-in-law, Capt David Alba Scribner.  However, there is mention of a fifth mariner in an early family bible.  A handwritten page in the P M Hale family bible, which has been passed down for several generations in our family, notes: “Capt. John Rogers sailed from New London August 28^th 1796 for Barbadoes which was the last ever heard from him.” 

Another source, a book titled James Rogers of New London, Connecticut, and his Descendants - 1902, records that Captain John Rogers “was a master mariner and owned a vessel running to the East Indies.  He was drowned in sight of New York harbor.” 

A memorial gravestone for our Captain John Rogers in the Cedar Grove Cemetery in New London, Connecticut cites that he was “Lost at Sea, Aug 28, 1796.”

Captain John Rogers (1760-1796) was born in New London, Connecticut on January 4, 1760 to John Rogers “the cooper” & Martha Colver Rogers.  As a cooper, John’s father was in business to make or repair wooden casks, kegs or tubs in the New London area.  The Rogers family line descends from James Rogers who is believed to have arrived in 1635 from England aboard the ship Increase [see the blog post James Rogers, a very early immigrant recently posted on July 15, 2022].  The Rogers family lived in the New London area for many generations and was well known and respected.

Our young John Rogers (1760 – 1796) was a mariner, however he enlisted and served with the Continental troops from 1777 to 1779 where he is listed as both a “private” and a “seaman” in available records [see the blog post, Ancestors Who Fought in the Revolution, part 2 posted on April 10, 2022].  After John’s involvement in the Revolution as a young man, he settled down in 1782 and married Hannah Smith of New London.  Hannah was the daughter of James Smith & Abigail Hempstead Smith, both also of New London.

When Captain John Rogers died, his 35 year-old widow, Hannah Smith Rogers, was left pregnant with 6 young children.  Dates for the birth and death of John & Hannah’s children are also noted in the family bible.

Hannah remained in New London, never remarried, and lived to 85 years of age.  After John’s death, she raised their seven children on her own and probably with the help of her extended families.  Two of John and Hannah’s children married into the Mallory family.  Their youngest child, Eliza Rogers, who was born after the death of Captain John Rogers, married Charles Mallory (1796 – 1882) in 1818.  Charles Mallory became an important leader in the shipping and ship building industry in nearby Mystic, Connecticut.  Eliza Rogers Mallory was close to her older sister, Mary (our ancestor), who married Capt David Bill Dickinson in 1812.

The location of New London with a good harbor on the New England coast naturally provided opportunities for a life as a mariner, including ship owners and investors. It also provided opportunities for many of the supporting businesses needed to build and supply those industries.  It is not surprising that we have several seamen and sea captains in our family history that are rooted in this small New England community.

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Key Individuals:

    

     John Rogers “the cooper” (1716 – 1779)

     Martha Colver Rogers  (1717 – 1716)    

              Captain John Rogers  (1760 – 1796)

              Hannah Smith Rogers  (1760 – 1845)

 

Notes:

In addition to the surnames of Rogers, Smith and Colver, other family names on our tree that have deep roots in the New London area of Connecticut include  Dickinson, Bill, Hempstead, Rowland, Bailey or Bayley, Chapman, Brooks, Wheeler, Wyatt and others.

- Jane Scribner McCrary