Adam Rogers (abt. 1669 - abt. 1740)

Born about 1669 in New London, Connecticut

Ancestors

Husband of Catherine (Jones) Rogers — married 1 Sep 1702 in New London, Connecticut

Descendants

Died about May 1740 at about age 71 in East Haddam, Middlesex, Connecticut

Problems/Questions Profile manager: J Grohsmeyer [send private message]

Adam Rogers is a part of US Black heritage.

Biography

Adam is believed to have been born ca 1670, and it has been rumored that John Rogers was the father. DNA results lend strong circumstantial evidence to substantiate those rumors.^[1] Because John Rogers told his wife-to-be Elizabeth about his sexual activities before they agreed to marry, Adam's birth year is set before John's marriage to Elizabeth.

Adam's Parents

The first reference to Adam was in the codicil of James Rogers' will (1688) the last line, which said, "...and to remember Adam."^[2] Adam was one of James' slaves, so it would be highly ununusal to mention him in the will. This is the strongest historical suggestion that Adam was either a son or grandson of James. Adam's race in some early court cases is listed as Mulatto, but in later cases his race is not mentioned.

Later generations of his family assimilated as white, and there are numerous DNA matches between Adam's descendants and a known descendant of James Rogers. Historical and DNA evidence point to Adam being both a Rogers slave and a Rogers relation (either a son or a grandson to James), with the mother being one of the two enslaved women in the Rogers' household.

Adam's Mother. There were two enslaved women living in the Rogers' household, Hagar Wright and Maria. Both likely came from the West Indies, where the Rogers family had ties, as many slaves came from Africa through the Caribbean to New England.^[3] Some even speculate that Maria and Hagar were sisters, but with no proof. [4]

Hagar Wright. Hagar became the wife of William Wright, who was an indentured Rogers' servant himself. William was a free Algonquin who indentured himself to the Rogers for six years as payment for his wife's freedom.^[4] George Waller (Waller-Frye in 1977) speculated Adam could be Hagar's son, as they had the same years left to serve when listed in James' inventory. The inventory of his estate listed: An Indian Servant and his wife a negro woman having about three years to serve; Adam a Malotta Servant about 3 years to serve 5; A Negro woman Deaf and Dumb.^[5] It's possible Hagar was Adam's mother, and that he was born before she married William. Adam's surname name was Rogers. This could have been just a convenience (as he was a slave of the Rogers family), but also could mean he was a member of the Rogers family. Hagar and William had five children, all of whom had the last name Wright.

Maria. The other enslaved woman in the household was Maria, who was a servant to Adam's grandmother Elizabeth (James Sr.'s wife). In records, Maria was described as a 'negro woman deaf and dumb.' Most researchers speculate Maria was Adam's mother because she was mentioned in the history of the Jackson family as the mother of another enslaved child in the Rogers household (Joan). Some researchers claim that, in family lore, John was in love with Maria before marrying Elizabeth.[5] There is no source for the claims of a romance between them, so we do not know if it was a consensual relationship. However, John Rogers did tell an acquaintance that he was open with his future wife, Elizabeth, about his sexual relations with an unnamed slave before he proposed marriage, and that she forgave him and married him anyway. It seems the divorce wasn't initiated until he committed the crime of rejecting the official church (Congregationalist) and forming his own religion, the Rogerenes. Elizabeth said of John (in her divorce proceedings against him), that he told her he had tried to poison the slave who gave birth to his children. This is suspect, however, as Elizabeth made many claims at the court hearing against John which helped her both get a divorce and win custody of their children - including accusations of buggery with horses, sheep and goats, in addition to sexual relations with slaves, men, Indian squaws, and prostitutes.

Adam's Father. Historic records and DNA evidence point to the above-mentioned John Rogers being Adam's father. John was the son of James Rogers Sr., who owned both Adam and two female slaves of childbearing age. John lived in the same house. He was accused of sleeping with slaves and having 2 children with them, something he did not deny. 'Dr. Benjamin Trumbull, in his 1898 "Complete History of Connecticut, Civil and Ecclesiastical ...," disparaged John Rogers the Rogerene for having in his early days (before John's religious conversion) bedded with at least one of the family's slaves."When he had occasion, he took to his bed a maid whom he had purchased, and after she had borne him two children, he put her away."(Page 20). This possibility regarding Adam's parentage was echoed in George Waller's monograph, "Connecticut Genealogies; 1: Adam and Katherine Rogers of New London, Ct...," (available in the RootsWeb Archives for New London, CT). So, for more than 300 years suspicions and allegations have been that John Rogers the Rogerene fathered Adam Rogers the mulatto. John was divorced in 1676 by his wife for an unspecified act that John did BEFORE his marriage.

Adam's Sister. One of John's children by a slave was Joan, who married John Jackson. One clue that Adam was her sister, is that Joan named her first son Adam (an unusual name at the time). As background for why it appears Joan was John's daughter - Joan was freed by the Rogers in her 30s. She was later taken and enslaved again by John's brother-in-law Samuel Beebe, who claimed she had been given to his wife Elizabeth Rogers (John's sister). John Rogers, together with Joan's husband John, plotted to free Joan. Together they rowed Joan and her newborn baby (in the middle of night) away from Samuel's estate on Plum Island and hid them. The fact that John went to such lengths arrange the 'kidnapping' of a former slave, and then went to jail for over a year rather than tell her whereabouts, suggests that he had a close attachment to this slave, Joan. One likely explanation is she was also John Roger's child.

Adam's Cousin. DNA evidence has matched Adam's descendents with desendents of his owner, James Rogers Sr. DNA can't show conclusively which of the Rogers was actually the father, but:

In a strange twist - 'DNA has also linked descendents of Adam Rogers and James Knowles, a mulatto plantation owner in the Bahamas with ties to the Rogers family. There were Rogers in The Bahamas, including a Michael Rogers who had children born there in the 1720's. Interestingly, James Knowle's will was witnessed by a Michael Rogers. He is likely the one born about 1752 and could be the son or grandson of the elder Michael. I have a theory that this James Knowles was probably the son (slave) of one of these Rogers men and was bought or adopted by John Knowles.' ^[6]

Slavery in New London

Adam was bound as a servant (either life-long slave or indentured) in the household of James Rogers Sr., the immigrant ancestor and patriarch of the New London Rogers family. The full codicil to the Will of James Rogers Sr. reads, "for thengs A bout the house James & bathshewa must tak ther first before the other be deuided the other estat to giue as John & James & batshewa to despos of of 9sic) as [they] se Cause to Amonks them and to remember Adam. 1686 James Rogers"^[7]

The inventory of James Rogers Sr. estate contains the following items: "His lands in Goshen, 13 akers in another field, 33 akers improved land, 10 acres of fenced land, 150 more acres of fenced land, 376 acres lying in the Common, a little island, one copper kettle, one brass kettle, one iron kettle, 3 iron potts, one of them broken, three small puter platters, three basons, three plates, one feather bed, and furniture, one other bed and bedding and bedstead, chests, chairs, wooden ware. Husbandry tables, two axes, one pair of plows, harrow, scythe, cartwheels, house and bar, Indian servant and his wife, a negro woman, Adam, a Molotta Servant, a negro woman deaf and dumb, one ox, six cowes, two steers, three yearlings, two heifers, two years old, two other heifer one year old, one bull one year old, six cattle one year old in the spring, one horse, one mare, 44 sheep, two sows, nine shoates ..."

Adam was later freed, as were some of the other slaves in the Rogers household. At this point in American history, it wasn't uncommon for slaves to serve a limited number of years, more like indentured servants. Many owners 'forgot' to free them, and employment opportunities were anyway limited, so many stayed slaves their entire life - as did then their children. ^[8]

Marriage to Katherine Jones

Adam was a member of the Rogerenes, likely baptized by his father John, along with other Rogers slaves and family members. Adam married a white woman in 1702 from another Rogerene family, named Katherine Jones:

'Interestingly enough, Katherine had already borne a child out of wedlock for [allegedly] the John Jackson mentioned above [who later married Joan, daughter of Maria...(and John?). Her sister married Isaac Fox, a friend of the Rogers clan. In turn, a son of theirs married his first cousin, one of Adam's daughters. Ironically, two of Adam's great grandchildren would marry into the Beebe family, the same with which Adam's father had fought so relentlessly to obtain the freedom of Joan.'^[9]

The probate record of Katherine's father, Thomas Jones, (in which no will is shown) is in the Connecticut Records, Case number #2919, year 1718; prior distributions are reported for two people:

• " Adam Rogers the molatto being under oath gave and acc't of what he had received on acc't of his wife Catharine one of the daughters of Thomas Jones deceased as part of her portion."
• " Elizabeth Jones relict of Thomas Jones being under oath gave the following account of what she had received of her deceased husband's estate since his death."^[10]

On 27 February 1719, Joshua Hempstead reports in his diary that "I was in Town all day on an Arbitration between Thos Joans & Isaac Fox & Adam Rogers to Settle old Joanes’s Estate."^[11] Note: Thos Joans is son of Thomas, and Isaac and Adam are his sons-in-law.

From George Waller-Frye's research:

'The progenitor of the New London Rogers family was James Rogers (d. 1688), one of the wealthiest persons in the colony and one of the Governor's Councilors. His son John, influenced by Quakers and Baptists in nearby Rhode Island, founded a religion in the 1670's which attracted "a small number of radicals who... were the first indigenous dissenters to appear in Connecticut" [26:164]. Riots, sit-ins and jailings ensued, peaking in the 1690's; however, their faith, wealth and isolated residence helped them weather the opposition well [157]. Their shelter no doubt enabled Adam and Katherine's family to prosper. Significantly, years later when this family seems to have converted to Congregationalism, a prominent Rogerene evicted them from their home (see below). Adam and Katherine's known descendants had a marked tendency to live on civil borders: at least eight town and county lines, several state lines and the Canadian border. Racial and religious discrimination could be avoided in these ambiguous civil jurisdictions and the land was cheaper [27:54-72]. Free blacks, for example, lived on the New Jersey - New York border in the 18th century [153:202-3; 34] and on the Salem-Colchester town line in early Connecticut [121]...The descendants also had connections with the more socially liberal French and Methodists, but in general the known offspring of this "mixed marriage" were run-of-the-mill Yankees.'^[12]

He continues: 'Adam and Katherine never owned land -- the only land transaction in the New London records concerning them was the sale in 1720 of their right in her father's estate to her brother [98:10:179]. "Adam Rogers the Molatto" signed and Katherine marked for their share of the estate [48:#2919] -- several original court documents show that he had a fluid signature [41: November 1720:#27; 41: June 1740:#560]. After living with the Reverend Rogers [52: September 1724:#12], Adam formed a separate family unit, perhaps in 1721 when he was assigned an earmark for his livestock [99:6]. The family squatted on 40 acres of New London common land located near the Rogerenes between Royce's Mountain (present name unknown) and Alewife Brook (present name Hunt's Brook) in what is now the town of Waterford near the Montville town line [98:13:350-1; 15:25]. The family lived there until 28 June 1744 when Andrew Palmes "turned Adm Rogers's wife & family out of doors & flung all their household goods out over the fence out Side" [76:427] and sold the land to a Rogerene, Joseph Bolles [98:13:350-1]. Adam sued Bolles for œ150 because he evicted Adam's wife, daughter and grandchild on 28 June and 19 July 1744 and razed the home where they had lived thirty years -- the court found for Bolles [41: November 1747]. This eviction occurred less than one month after the last of the couple's children married and, so far as is known, moved to Colchester and East Haddam -- Adam and Katherine probably joined their children there.'^[13]

George Waller-Frye lists the children and sources as following:

'Children (surname ROGERS), births recorded in New London:

• i Ruth, b. 26 May 1703 [100:1:29], baptized 12 July 1741, New London Congregational Church [101:1:29; 76:379]; probably d. 26 November 1787 "ae 80," Millington Parish, East Haddam [59:2:80]; m. (1) 8 August 1734, New London, John Brown "a stranger" [97:1a:4; 101:1:169], although Hempstead recorded intentions published 21 July 1734 to James Brown [76:276]; m. (2) intentions published 5 June 1743, New London Congregational Church, _______ Brown [76:410]. Later she probably lived with her Brother Ralph (see below).
• ii John, b. 13 October 1704.
• iii Abigail, b. 14 October 1706 [100:1: 31], bapt 12 November 1732, New London Congregational Church [101:1:149; 76:253-4]; probably d. after 1772, Millington (see below); m. 8 March 1736/7, New London, John Jones "the Son of John Jones of Boston Decd" [97:1a:27; 101:1:170], perhaps son of John Jones and Margaret Savage of Boston, b. 21 January 1711/2, Boston [22:24:76; 22:28:35]. "John Jones Resident in New London... Son in Law to... Adam Rogers" appeared in court 5 February 1738/9 [41: February 1738/9:#287], but nothing more is known about him.
• iv Jonathan, b. 29 March 1708; d. 4 March 1709/10 [100:1:34].
• v Adam, b. 18 November 1710.
• vi Katherine, b. 15 May 1712.
• vii Ebenezer, b. 6 February 1713/4; d. 20 December 1738 [100:1:40].
• viii Ralph, b. 29 May 1715 [100:1:49]; d. 25 April 1803 "aged 95," Millington [59:2:87]; unmarried in 1772. In 1750 he bought land in Millington which he sold in 1772 to the Rev Stephen Johnson of Lyme CT [58:3:207; 58:8:371]. Later in 1772 Johnson deeded the land "Except the House where Ralph Rogers and his two Sisters Live in which they Have a Life Leas only" [58:8:384]. Since sisters Katherine and Jemima seem to have left the area, the sisters in the deed were probably Ruth and Abigail.
• ix Jemima, b. 27 January 1717/8 [100:1:49], bapt 12 July 1741, New London Congregational Church [101:1:29; 76:379]; m. by the Rev Eliphalet Adams, 24 February 1742/3, New London, her first cousin John Fox "of Millington" [97:1a:27; 101:1:172], son of Isaac Fox and Mary Jones of New London [21: 16 November 1904:#644; 58:2:997]. They left Millington in 1759 and according to tradition "moved South." But since some of the Fox family moved to Camptown NH, they may have followed the more normal northern migration [61:37-9; 58:6:62].
• x Gammon (male), b. 28 April 1720 [100:1:57]; d. 20 November 1787 "ae 70," Millington [59:2:80]. He owned no land and probably lived with relatives.
• xi Thomas, b. 11 August 1721 [100:1:58]; d. 18 June 1725 [100:1:65; 76:158].'

New London, Connecticutt Vital Statistics show the following children:^[14]

• John Rogers son of Adam Rogers (Mulatto) & Katharine his wife - born October 13- 1704.
• Abigail Rogers daughter Adam the Mulatto & Katharine his wife - born - October 14- 1706.
• Jonathan Rogers son of Adam (the mulatto) & Katharine Rogers - born May 29- 1708 & Dyed March 4- 1709/10.

New London Vital Statistics^[15]

• Adam Rogers son Adam (the Mulatto) & Katharine Rogers born November 18- 1710.
• Katharine Rogers daughter Adam the Mulatto & Katharine Rogers born - May 15- 1712.

Adam Rogers in Court Cases

This link has all mentions of Adam Rogers in court cases. In two of the cases, his race is mentioned as mulatto. In one he is listed as Black Adam. In other cases, his race is not mentioned.[6]

Religion

John Rogers, Adam's presumed father, was an unusual man for his day. He believed, among other things, he should be able to work on Sundays and that he shouldn't have to pay taxes to the Congregational Church. John Rogers started his own religion, called the Rogerenes. His family and some of the family's slaves were members, in addition to some neighbors.

Later on, Adam and his wife converted the the Congregational church his father had fought against. We know this from a diary entries of Joshua Hempstead. One entry said that Adam Rogers wife, children, and belongings were forcibly tossed out of their home by its owner, a Rogerene. This was after the family converted to the Congregational church. In another entry :

'Baptized...2 daughters of Adam Rogers...'^[16]

Sources

1. ↑ DNA shows Adam Rogers' heritage, by Jim Rogers. October 07, 2005. [1]
2. ↑ Waller-Frye, George. Adam & Katherine Rogers and James & Katherine Merritt. Storrs, CT: Spring Hill Press,1977. Put into electronic format and errors corrected by Mark Merritt (1996)
3. ↑ di Bonaventura, Allegra. For Adam's Sake: A Family Saga in Colonial New England. New York/London: Liveright, 2014.
4. ↑ di Bonaventura, Allegra. For Adam's Sake: A Family Saga in Colonial New England. New York/London: Liveright, 2014.
5. ↑ Waller-Frye, George. Adam & Katherine Rogers and James & Katherine Merritt. Storrs, CT: Spring Hill Press,1977. Put into electronic format and errors corrected by Mark Merritt (1996)
6. ↑ DNA shows Adam Rogers' heritage, by Jim Rogers. October 07, 2005. [2]
7. ↑ James Swift Rogers Pg 33 https://www.cga.ct.gov/hco/books/James_Rogers_and_Descendants.pdf
8. ↑ di Bonaventura, Allegra. For Adam's Sake: A Family Saga in Colonial New England. New York/London: Liveright, 2014.
9. ↑ June Cross's Interracial Family Tree: To June from Mario. PBS Frontline: June 5, 1996. [3]
10. ↑ Connecticut, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999 for Thomas Jones, Hartford; Probate Packets, Jones, Erastus-Latham, William, 1675-1850; https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9049/images/007628873_00086?usePUB=true&_phsrc=lKk11&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&pId=2404420 (by subscription)
11. ↑ Diary of Joshua Hempstead of New London, Connecticut, by Joshua Hempstead, New London County Historical Society, 1901, p. 85; select p. 85 from snippet views at https://books.google.com/books?id=z_ULAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Isaac+Fox%22#v=snippet&q=%22Isaac%20Fox%22&f=false
12. ↑ Waller-Frye, George. Adam & Katherine Rogers and James & Katherine Merritt. Storrs, CT: Spring Hill Press,1977. Put into electronic format and errors corrected by Mark Merritt (1996)
13. ↑ Waller-Frye, George. Adam & Katherine Rogers and James & Katherine Merritt. Storrs, CT: Spring Hill Press,1977. Put into electronic format and errors corrected by Mark Merritt (1996)
14. ↑ New London Vital Statistics from the Collated Copy from the Original Records, Vol. 1. Transcription, pages 30-39. http://www.ctgenweb.org/town/ctcnewlondon/nl1_text3.html
15. ↑ New London Vital Statistics from the Collated Copy from the Original Records, Vol. 1. Transcription, pages 40-49. http://www.ctgenweb.org/town/ctcnewlondon/nl1_text4.html
16. ↑ Hempstead, Joshua. Diary of Joshua Hempstead of New London, Connecticut, covering a period of forty-seven years, from September 1711, to November, 1758. New London, CT: The New London County Historical Society, 1970. Page 379

• Rogers, James Swift, James Rogers of New London, CT and His Descendants 1902, Boston; https://www.cga.ct.gov/hco/books/James_Rogers_and_Descendants.pdf Pgs 7, 33, 34.

• Rogers, James A., "Children of Adam: Adam Rogers of New London, Connecticut, The First Seven Generations," Centennial, CO: Lulu.com, 2023. It is available as a free Ebook on the Internet Archive or on Lulu.com.

Acknowledgments

• Phillip Hunt, firsthand knowledge. Click the Changes tab for the details of edits by Phillip and others.