Hamilton Rodgers Sr. (1726 - 1807)

Born 1726 in Rathmore, County Antrim, Ireland

Husband of Isabella (Means) Rodgers — married about 1747 in Buckingham, Virginia

Descendants

Died Mar 1807 at about age 81 in Chillicothe, Ross, Ohio, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Jayme Hart [send private message] and Steven Rogers [send private message]

Biography

The following life sketch was written by Dave Rodgers (Ancestry member daverodgers70)

Preface by Dave

Arthur Lee Rogers, Arthur's great grandson, wrote a "Short Sketch of the Rogers Family" in 1853. This was used and augmented in 1903 by Hugh Milton McIlhany, another great grandson of Arthur, in "Some Virginia Families." Numerous people have utilized "Some Virginia Families" as their source of information on Arthur and Hamilton, and their parents, William and Jane, but in reading the latter (with his quotes of the former) I have discovered that much has been read into what Arthur Lee actually provided. In essence, Arthur Lee Rogers (which used as his primary source his grandfather, Hugh, Arthur's son) ends up being the sole source for all of the subsequent writings on the first two generations of this Rodgers/Rogers family. The concern that I have with this is:

1. very little detail is actually provided of the first and second generation by these writings, although a great deal of "detail" has been inferred by later users.

2. the true date of death reported for William and Jane and birth date of Arthur is not stated in any work and is left unknown. Arthur Lee mentions only that Hamilton was "old enough to work" and that Arthur "became of age..." after their parents' death. Since Arthur's descendants are the only source of this early information and Arthur, based on their statements, may have been as young as a newborn, it is uncertain how accurate this source might be on the lives of the first and second generation.

Since originally writing this story I have visited Ireland and performed additional research on William and Jane and their families. I have found that Hamilton was born in Northern Ireland, as he was listed in the will of Jane's step-brother Robert Carswell in 1727 (along with William, Jane, and Jane's son from her first marriage). William Rodgers was the administrator of Robert Carswell's estate but withdrew from his duties in May 1729.

Hamilton's life before Arthur's birth

Arthur Lee stated, "About the year 1720, William Rogers and his wife came over to the United States, and landed at Philadelphia, where in a short time they died, leaving two helpless children, Hamilton and Arthur." This information appears to have some error in it. Hamilton was likely born in Antrim County, Northern Ireland in 1726. I believe that there is satisfactory evidence to tentatively conclude that William, Jane, Hamilton, and possibly Hamilton's half-brother (James Allen) migrated with sea Capt. Hance/Hans Hamilton who were documented (by a family Bible) to have landed at New Castle, DE on 24 Aug 1729. Although the trip has not been fully researched and documented, the Archbishop of Belfast wrote a letter in Mar 1729 that there were 7 ships in the harbor preparing to transport what he estimated as 1000 Presbyterians to America. A historian writing in 1769 Philadelphia stated that 1551 immigrants from Northern Ireland arrived at New Castle, DE in 1729. There has been a claim that 140 Scotch-Irish families were requested by the Penn family. Although the numbers seem to be substantiated by historical figures, this claim has not yet been documented or disproven by me. The group was said to have been requested as a buffer for the Penn government from the Indians and Lord Baltimore's land claims in southern Pennsylvania (south of Gettysburg). Names of people who came to live in Adams County by 1740 have been matched to names of people who lived in the Belfast area prior to 1729. Amongst the names associated with Hamilton was John Hamilton (documented in Ireland to be a brother of Jane) and James and John Russell (documented in Ireland as nephews of Jane). Using these names it is likely that Hamilton followed the same path and migrated from New Castle to Adams County between 1729 and 1740. Ancillary evidence indicates that the migration occurred within a year or two after landing (i.e. about 1730).

Estimate of Arthur's birth date

Since we do not have knowledge of any records or artifacts giving Arthur's birthdate, we do not know how old he was when his parents died. I have pondered the various evidence to see if I could figure out when Arthur was likely born. Using the records of Jane's family along with the documentation on Rev Johann Jacob Leidy (discussed below), Arthur likely was born between 1727 and 1733 (or about 1730).

Estimate of William and Jane's date of death

The estimate of William and Jane's death is based on the writings of Arthur Lee, as well as the documentation on Rev Johann Jacob Leidy (discussed below). Arthur Lee indicated that it was a "short time" between the time that they arrived in North America and their deaths. Although it is very likely that Hamilton migrated from New Castle to the Gettysburg area, it is really unknown whether William and Jane made the trip. Hamilton and Arthur MAY have been taken by family members (such as John Hamilton) on the trip. I tend to believe that all of the family made the trip because it is highly likely that Arthur was either a newborn or an infant by the time that the family met Rev Johann Jacob Leidy near Gettysburg. Rev Leidy's wife had a child around the same time that I estimate that Arthur was born and it would be logical for the child to need a wetnurse when Jane died. This would seem to indicate that William and Jane died sometime between 1730 and 1733 (or about 1731), as by 1734 Rev Leidy had moved to Bucks County and I believe that this is the transport method that Hamilton and Arthur migrated north.

Rev. Johann Jacob Leidy

Johann Jacob Leidy (also spelled Leyde) was an immigrant from Germany who arrived in Philadelphia on the ship "Adventure" on 2 Oct 1727. (Note: his headstone uses the initials J H L and his wife's headstone spells her last name Leidi, but other researchers have indicated that his name was Johann Jacob Leidy.) He was born between 1687 and 1700 in the very southwest corner of present day Germany. It is possible, if not likely, that he was married one or more times between 1716 and 1727 when he sailed to the New World. On 13 May 1729 he married Sarah Samuel in Carlisle, Cumberland, Pennsylvania. He migrated from Cumberland County (then Chester County) to Bucks County sometime between 1729 and 1734. Sarah apparently died by 1734, for he married "Hannah," his last wife, on 8 Feb 1734 in Hilltown, Bucks, Pennsylvania. He appears to have had at least 3 children born in Germany who survived in the New World and may have had at least one child by his wife Sarah before her death, born about 1730. He had another child or two by his last wife, Hannah until as late as 1739.

By 1740 the Leidy family obtained land that was right at the northern edge of the land that William Penn purchased from the Indians in Souderton, Franconia township, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, near the Bucks county line. What became known as the Jacob Leidy Tract (which was named for the immigrant's son, Jacob, and not Johann Jacob Leidy himself) "extended across the southwest end of the Ashton Tract, from Church Road to the Hatfield township, and along Church road to the railroad or beyond, and to the Hatfield line, on the northeast of the Althouse farm." ("History of Souderton, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania"). In 1753 after he took allegiance to the King of England (on 16 Sep) he bought 100ac of land from Samuel Parr & John O'Kill; part of which became designated as "Leidysburg." Jacob was a minister of Indian Creek Church but was ultimately buried where in the family cemetery where Immanuel Leidy's Church was later built.

Rev. James M. Latta

It happens that my research into the various family members and associates of Arthur Rogers and Hamilton Rodgers and their spouses led me to the area just north of present day Pipersville, PA. There I found that Hamilton's in-laws were buried at Deep Run Cemetery in Bedminster Township of Bucks County, right along the boundary with Tinicum Township. This church was established in 1725. Reverend James Latta was a minister at Deep Run Presbyterian Church from 1761 to 1770 and because his name sounded similar to "Letty" I considered him potentially as being that person. Unfortunately, his age was nearly the same as Arthur's. Investigating Rev James Latta I found that his father was Rev. James M Latta. Both father and son were born in Ireland; the father in about 1690 and the son in 1731. Both came to Maryland in 1738 where the son began his education. Some say that the family moved to Lancaster County, PA by the 1750's but it is relatively well documented that the elder reverend was in Maryland during the 1738 to 1750 timeframe when Arthur would have likely needed care. Although it is highly likely that Hamilton and Arthur knew the younger reverend when he first came to the Deep Run church in 1761, it is, in my opinion, now considered unlikely that Arthur was cared for by Reverend James M Latta.

Current Theory on William and Jane's earliest married life

Current research has documented that William and Jane remained in Northern Ireland until at least March 1729. This research leads me to believe that William and Jane met and married in or around Antrim County, Northern Ireland around 1725, although no record has thusfar been found of the marriage. (Jane migrated with her mother from Antrim County to Down County between 1713 and 1722 but William was listed as living in Antrim County in 1725.) William was a linendraper, apparently in business with Jane's half-brother Robert Carswell until the latter's death in 1726 and they had some type of relationship with Dunegore Mill in Rathmore of Antrim County. William, Jane and Hamilton were all mentioned in Robert Carswell's will.

Based on present information I believe that William, Jane, and Hamilton went with sea captain Hance/Hans Hamilton and about 140 Scotch-Irish families aboard the ship "Diligence of Glasgow," landing in New Castle, Delaware on 24 Aug 1729. (Although previously written histories have tied Hance to the Hamilton family located in northwest Ireland rather than the vicinity of William and Jane, the group was requested by the Penn family and that family is more closely tied to the area closer to William and Jane's location in northeastern Ireland.) By 1732 Hance Hamilton's group had made their way 100 miles west to present Adams County, near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. (Note this was within the timeframe that Johann Leidy was found to be within 30 miles of that site.)

Due to Arthur Lee Rogers' statement that Hamilton was "sent to Bucks County" coupled with the likelihood that Arthur was given to Johann Jacob Leidy who migrated from southern Pennsylvania to northeast Pennsylvania around the time of William and Jane's death, it is likely that William and Jane made it to Adams County, Pennsylvania before their death. It is possible that other children were born to William and Jane besides just Hamilton and Arthur but it is just as possible that they all died in infancy. Arthur, as I have estimated, was born about 1730. Jane most certainly died about 1735 and it is supected that William died around the same time.

Hamilton's life between 1735 and 1760

The exact conditions around the time that William and/or Jane died is difficult to imagine specifically, but if one disregards the specifics it could be expected that Hamilton was turned over to a cobbler or rope maker in or east of Hilltown, Pennsylvania. Typically it would be expected that Hamilton would remain living as an apprentice at the home of his "master" until he came of age. This may have been when he turned 21, but currently it appears more likely that he was freed when he turned 18; about 1745.

It appears that Hamilton obtained property adjacent to Hezekiah Rogers in Plumstead Township around 1745 when he likely married. I believe that when his wife became pregnant he bought an indentured servant in 1746 to care for her and to assist her. I suspect that his wife died sometime between 1746 and 1748 leaving him a bachelor again. Although I currently think that it is most likely that any child born was either stillborn or died in infancy, if any survived we do not currently have knowledge of their existence. Soon after his wife died Hamilton married Isabella Means, who was likely a recent widow herself. By 1753 Hamilton and Isabella were likely living together on his property near Ferry Rd in Plumstead.

Arthur's life between about 1735 and about 1760

The most promising evidence to date is that Arthur was brought from Hilltown in Bucks County to Souderton in present day Montgomery County by Johann Jacob Leidy. Arthur likely lived as a ward of the family there until around 1750 when he set out to find his brother. I suspect that Arthur and Hamilton were reunited around 1750, although there is no record that I have yet found that Arthur was located around Hamilton until somewhat later.

Arthur married Mary McFall around 1759. (I am certain that it was not in or after 1760 since in that year he was listed in the tax roll and was NOT taxed as a single man.) Mary's parents owned land a few miles north of Hamilton. Although when purchased it was understood to be in Plumstead, later it was found to be located in Bedminster Township; in the southeast corner, although not immediately adjacent to the either edge of the township. I believe that Arthur obtained his in-law's property sometime after they married.

/s/

Dave Oct 2012

Sources

• Ancestry.com. Ohio, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999. (Original data: Jackson, Ronald V., Accelerated Indexing Systems, comp.. Ohio Census, 1790-1890. Compiled and digitized by Mr. Jackson and AIS from microfilmed schedules of the U.S. Federal Decennial Census, territorial/state censuses, and/or census substitutes.)

Record details:

Name: Hamilton Sr. Rodgers

State: OH

County: Ross County

Township: No Township Listed

Year: 1807

Record Type: Tax list

Page: 032

Database: OH Early Census Index

See also:

• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=64156288