Prominent Rogers’ of America, Past Generations
EBENEZER PLATT ROGERS: D.D.; clergyman; b. New York City, 1817; held pastorates in several states, his last being the charge of South Reformed Church, N. Y. C. He was the author of several religious and historical books.
EZEKIEL: clergyman; b. Wethersfield, Essex, England, 1590; became chaplain to Sir Francis Barrington, who bestowed on him the benefice of Rowley in Yorkshire; named his new plantation in this country “Rowley”. In 1643 he delivered a sermon on “Election” which, according to Cotton Mather, made him “famous through the country”.
FAIRMAN: civil engineer; b. Phila., 1833; grad., Univ. of Pa., 1853, and held the chair of civil engineering there until 1870. He served in the national cavalry and, later, became a volunteer officer in the U. S. engineers.
FRANKLIN WHITING: artist; b. Cambridge, Mass., 1854; executed, among several other well-known works, “Loo” and “Mischief”–devoting himself especially to the painting of dogs.
GEORGE CLARKE: soldier; b. Piermont, N. H., 1838. He was commissioned colonel for gallantry at the battle of the Hatchie; later, commanded a brigade for two years, including the Atlanta campaign, and in 1865 was brevetted brigadier-general of volunteers. After the war he practiced law in Illinois and Kansas, and was chairman of the board of pension appeals.
HENRY J.: inventor; b. Baltimore, Md., 1811; devised the code of flag signals known by his name and adopted by the U. S. Navy in 1846.
HORATIO: lawyer; b. Providence, R. I., 1836; had a grandfather and two great-uncles who had served as officers during the Revolution; was grad. from Brown and admitted to the bar; for several years was Attorney-General of R. I. He served with great credit during the Civil war, being brevetted brigadier-general of volunteers.
JAMES: R. C. bishop; b. Mt. Charles, Donegal, Ireland, 1826; became professor at St. Mary’s College, Halifax; consecrated first R. C. bishop of Chatham, New Brunswick, 1860.
JAMES BLYTHE: M.D.; chemist; b. Phila., 1802; s. of Patrick Herr, professor at William and Mary College; elected professor of chemistry, Univ. of Pa., 1847.
WILLIAM BARTON: LL.D.; geologist; b. Phila., 1804, bro. of James Blythe; succeeded his father in chair of physics and chemistry at William and Mary; organized geological survey of Va., 1835; was a mem. of many learned societies.
HENRY DARWIN: LL.D.; b. Phila., 1808 (also bro. of James Blythe): was state geologist of Pa., professor at U. of P., author of important geological works, and mem. of many learned societies both in America and abroad.
ROBERT EMPIE: LL.D.; chemist; b. Baltimore, 1813 (also bro. of James Blythe); was professor and professor emeritus at Jefferson Medical College; employed as chemist by the gas-trust of Phila., 1872 until his death, 1884.
JAMES WEBB: lawyer; b. Hillsboro, N. C., 1822; while pastor of St. Paul’s parish in Frarklin, Tenn., was responsible for the building of six churches. Later he resided in Washington, D. C., where he practiced law in connection with his son, James Harris, inventor of important electrical devices.
JOHN: clergyman; b. New London, Conn., 1648; founded the sect known as the Rogerene Baptists or Quakers who were many times fined and imprisoned, for while they worshipped on the Sabbath they regarded themselves free to labor. He wrote many books on theological subjects, of which one was entitled “The Midnight Cry”.
JOHN: sculptor; b. Salem, Mass., 1829. His fifty statuette groups were all widely reproduced, enjoying large sales, and his equestrian statue of General John F. Reynolds (1881-83) stands before the City Hall in Philadelphia.
NATHANIEL: clergyman; b. Haverhill, Eng., 1598; educated at Cambridge; came to Massachusetts, 1636. He was ordained at Ipswich, in 1638, and served until his death, in 1655. Cotton Mather said of him:–“he might be compared with the very best of the true ministers who made the best days of New England.”
NATHANIEL: artist; b. Bridgehampton, L. I., 1788; spent his professional life in New York where he was one of the founders of the National Academy and took high rank as a painter of miniatures.
NATHANIEL PEABODY: editor; b. Portsmouth, N. H., 1794; practiced law until 1838, when he established in Concord, N. H., the “Herald of Freedom,” pioneer anti-slavery paper. He also contributed to the New York Tribune.
RANDOLPH: sculptor; b. Waterloo, N. Y., 1825; lived and studied in New York City and in Rome. He executed many well-known statues, including the Washington monument at Richmond, Va., but perhaps his most famous works are the bas-reliefs on the doors of the capitol at Washington.
ROBERT: soldier; b. Dumbarton, N. H., 1727; served in and became locally famous during the French wars in the region of Lake George. In 1776 he accepted the commission of colonel in the British army and issued a printed circular promising all the recruits “their proportion of all rebel lands.” He was the author of many books, including “A Concise Account of North America” (London, 1765).
THOMAS J.: statesman; b. Waterford, Ireland, 1781; came to U. S. in 1784 and published and edited a political newspaper; elected to Congress from Penna., and was later appointed recorder of deeds for Northampton Co., Pa., author of “A New American Biographical Dictionary”.
WILLIAM: A.M., D.D.; clergyman and educator; b. Newport, R.I., 1751; grad., Brown, 1769, where he was the first student; chosen professor of oratory and English literature, Univ. of Pa., 1789; wrote articles on morals, religion, and politics for the newspapers and magazines.
WILLIAM AUGUSTUS: Ph.D.; astronomer; b. Waterford, Conn., 1832; grad., Brown, 1857; taught astronomy and mathematics at Alfred Academy for 13 years; called to the chair of astronomy and physics, Colby Univ., 1886; was a fellow of the Royal Society in London.
