James Rogers (abt. 1609 - 1676)

Born about 1609 in England [uncertain]

Husband of Mary (Unknown) Peabody — married 1630 in Newport, Newport, Rhode Island

Descendants

Died 25 Oct 1676 at about age 67 in Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: S Willson [send private message]

Biography

The origins of James Rogers of Newport are unknown (Robert Charles Anderson, FASG [Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists], The Great Migration Directory: Immigrants to New England, 1620–1640; A Concise Compendium [Boston: New England Historical and Genealogical Society, 2015], 287).

He lived in Newport, Rhode Island, where he was admitted an inhabitant before May 20, 1640. He was a miller by occupation. The Colonial Records show that on July 20, 1669, he was ordered "to apprehend the Indian Sachem, Nine-craft, and bring him before the Governor and Council to answer the charge of a plot among the Indians to cut the English. He was empowered to take assistance of a boat and two men for transportation, and also two men and three horses in the King's Province." The Records also show that on August 24, 1676, he "attended at the trial of certain Indian before a Court martial held at Newport. The Indians were charged with being engaged in King Philip's designs and several were executed."

1638, May 20. His name was in the list of inhabitants admitted since this date.

1640, September 14. Freeman.

1643, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76. General Sergeant.

1648, January 16. He deeded Richard Knight for a valuable consideration 40 acres in one parcel and a 2 acre lot. (The next month Richard Knight deeded this and other land to wife Sarah and her heirs forever, especially the eldest son at twenty-one, and in failure of such issue to eldest daughter at sixteen. Should he decease, wife Sarah to have a third for life.)

1655. Freeman. '1657, 58, 59. General Solicitor.

1659, August 23. He complained that being both General Sergeant and Twon Sergeant and also being inform in body, etc., therefore desireth the court to allow him to constitute a deputy upon occasion for executing some writs belonging to his office of General Sergeant, he being responsible for the deputy. The application was granted by Assembly.

1669, May 13. His bill for paying Grand Jurymen's dinners four times, whch comes to L2, 7s., was approved and ordered paid, as also another bill for L8, 18s.

1669, July 20. He was ordered to apprehend the Indian sachem Ninecraft and bring him before the Governor and Council on Thursday next at eight o'clock in the morning, to answer the charge of a plot among the Indians to cut off the English. He was empowered to take assistance of a boat and two men for transportation, and also two men and three horses in the King's Province.

1671, January30. He was allowed L1, 10s. for disbursements about Thomas Flounders (who had been executed for the murder of Walter House).

1673, October 29. It was voted that 'forasmuch as the debts of the colony are very much by reason of the Sergeant's great wages, and thereby the inhabitants greatly oppressed and grieved, and his the said Sergeant's sums amount very high,' etc., he having great fees at the Court of Trials, and 4s., a day also, etc; therefore it was enacted by the Assembly that said Sergeant for attending the Assembly shallhave 3s., per day, anf for Court of Trials no day wages but only such fees as set by law.

1676, May 3. It was voted for the future that 'the General Sergeant's fee for the attending the jury is doubled.'

1676, August 24. He attended at the trial of certain Indians before a court martial held at Newport. The Indians were charged with being engaged in King Philip's designs and several were executed.

1676, September 1. An Indian servant of his was examined before a court martial, and it was voted that Sergeant Rogers shall have his Indian home with him provided that said Indian shall be brought forth if required, which Rogers engages to do.

1676. He bought the terms of service of two Indian captives for twenty-two bushels of Indian corn, said Indians having been taken by Providence men.

1676, October 25. A petition having been made by Mary Rogers, executrix of late deceased James Rogers, General Sergeant, for moneys due said sergeant in his lifetime; a committee was appointed by Assembly to audit the pettioner's account.

1678, June 12. A petition having been presented to Assembly by John Peabody, and Mary Peabody, late wife to the deceased James Rogers, General Sergeant, concerning accounts between the colony and deceased, and said accounts having been diligently examined by the late General Audit, they were found so imperfect that they could neither allow or disallow same. By agreement it was settled there is a clear balance of all accounts between James Rogers and the colony anf to be a final issue of all differences, etc.

Whereas, James Rogers, Generall Serjant, complayneth of his great oppression by his occasions of millinge; and beinge both Generall Serjant and Towne Serjant, and also beinge infirme in his body; and therefore desireth theCourt to allow him to constitute a deputy upon occasion for executinge some writts belonginge to his office of Generall Serjant; and doth thereupon ingadge to be responsible for what his deputy doth therein, as well as if he did it himselfe. The Court doe thereupon enable the sayd James Rogers, upon occasions that may urge him to constitute a deputy to serve any writt that belongs to the Generall Sergant's office dureinge the time of his beinge Generall Serjant; as also to take up fynes and serve executions that belonge to the sayd office to performe.

It is agreed, that ... James Rogers... are admitted as Freemen of this Body Politicke, to enjoy the priviledges thereoff.

Among the deaths that occasioned business for the Assembly was that of James Rogers, who had been longer and more steadily in public office than any other man in the colony, having been elected for twenty successive years, the first three as general solicitor, and the last eighteen as general sergeant - for one year he filled both offices. Thomas Fry was chosen his successor.

• Records of the Colony of Rhode Island Vol.1-3;

• English Origins of New England Families, 1st series; Page 673.

• Rhode Island Court Records, Vol.2; Pages: 8,9,14,15,23,38,43,53,57,58,63,70,75,86,90,98.

• Rhode Island Court Records, Vol.1; Pages.55,70,78.

• Rhode Island Land Evidences 1648-1696; Page.5.

• Early Records of the Town of Providence, Vol.15; Pages:90,106,110,111,158. Representative Men and Old Families of Rhode Island Vol.1-2; Page120.

• History of Rhode Island; Pages: 195, 271.

• Early Records of the Town of Providence, Vol.11-12; Page7.

Rogers. James (Page 368, 1st Col.) was born about 1609. Joined the First Baptist Church at Newport on 16 November1652. One of the purchasers of Conanicut (Jamestown, Rhode Island), 19 November 1659. Town Sergeant of Newport, 1659. Deposed 3 May 1673 aged about 64 years (Suffolk Co. Massachusetts, Supreme Jud. Ct. Files, No. 1246 at Boston).

It is ordered, that whereas, ther is due to James Rogers the summ of fower pownds, sixteene shillings, for service done as Generall Serjant this last yeare, and that each towne shall (as its proportion), pay him the summ of twenty four shillings.

Civil Service 1661 Newport, Newport Co., Rhode Island

Ordered, that two men of each towne be chosen to see what monies they can rayze in the several townes, to be sent to Mr. John Clarke; and what monies they can rayze or procuer, shall be accounted double to any other pay: that is to say, for everie twentie shillings in old England moneye, to be equivalent with forty in other paye of what they promised. And whereas there was a former gathering for to send two agents to England, and it was thought that three hundred pound was convenient; It is now ordered , and thought fitt that two hundred pound be rayzed, and returne of it made unto Mr. John Clarke for his encouradgment to go on in our business; and that this moneye is to beproportionably rayzed upon the fowre townes, accordinge to the former proportion that was thought meet from each towne to be razyed, that is to say: of the Towne of Newport, eighty five pound; .... The men who are nominated for this purpose, are: ... for Newport, Mr. James Rogers and Mr. James Barker;

Elected Of 22 May 1663 Newport, Newport Co., Rhode Island

A General Court of Election held at Providende, May the 22nd, 1663

Mr. James Rogers, Generall Sargent, and ingaged. Elected Of 03 May 1665 Newport, Newport Co., Rhode Island Acts and Orders of the Generall Assembly, sitting at Newport, May the 3, 1665.

Mr. James Rogers, Generall Sargent, chosen and engaged. The Court Roll of Freemen, with the officers, as they were elected on the 16th of March, 1641:

James Rogers By the election of the Body, The officers of the State were elected as they stood the former yeare, excepting the Serjents, which were:

James Rogers, for Nuport...

Voted, upon the petition of Mary Rogers, widdow, and executrix to the late deceased James Rogers, Generall Sergeant, for moneys (as she saith he told her), was due to said Sergeant in his life time, the Assembly not beinge cleare in the matter, doe nominate and appoint Mr. Beter Easton, Generall Treasurer, Mr. John Sanford, late Recorder, and John Coggeshall, the now Recorder, to audit the said petitioner's accounts, and make their returne, what they finde to the Generall Assembly, in May next.

Voted, Whereas, there hath been a petition presented to this Assembly by John Pebody and Mary Pebody, late wife to the deceased James Rogers (Generall Seargeant,) concerninge the accounts that have been betweene the Collony and the said deceased (Generall Sergeant) James Rogers, which said accounts have been dilligently examined by the late Generall Auditt, whoe have declared that they find the accounts soe imperfect, that they could neither allow nor disallow the same. And forasmuch, as there doth appeare such difficulties and doubts in the said accounts, and to prevent further trouble thereabouts, this Assembly, with the free consent of the said petitioners, doe agree and determine that there shall be and is hereby and equall, cleer ballance of all the aforesaid accounts between this Collony and the said James Rogers; and that by this act there is a full and fynall issue of all differences relating to the said accounts from the beginninge of the world unto this present Assembly.

Research Notes

• Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island comprising three generations of settlers who came before 1690 : with many families carried to the fourth generation Abbreviation: Gen. Dict. of RI Author: Austin, John Osborne Publication: J. Munsell's Sons, Albany, New York, 1887; p. 145 (see "PEABODY"); https://archive.org/details/genealogicaldict00aust/page/n307

• Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations Abbreviation: Rhode Island Colony records

• History of the state of Rhode Island and Providence plantations Abbreviation: History of Rhode Island 1859 Author: Arnold, Samuel Green Publication: D. Appleton, New York, 1859

Sources

• John Osborne Austin, The genealogical dictionary of Rhode Island : comprising three generations of settlers who came before 1690 : with many families carried to the fourth generation, published 1887. Reference page 368
• G. Andrews Moriarty, "Additions and Corrections to Austen's Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island" The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .) Reference Vol 20, page 229
• Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Directory, Immigrants to New England, 1620-1640, A Concise Compendium, published 2015. Reference page 287