Samuel John Rogers of Columbia (1856-1930)

BIRTH MARRIAGE DEATH

28 December 1856, Trentham, Staffordshire, England, UK Apr 1887, Stowe Church, Stowe, Staffordshire, England, UK 22 November 1930, Berea, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA

Samuel John Rogers was born the 28 Dec 1856 at New Inn Mill in Trentham, Staffordshire, England to parents Philip Rogers and Elizabeth Anne Salmon. He was baptized at Saint Mary's church in Trentham on the 1 Mar 1857 by vicar Edward James Edwards.¹

Samuel lived at New Inn Mill (also written as Newinn) on New Inn Lane in Trentham. Here Sam's father Philip worked and operated the mill as a corn miller (and likely farmer as well). Sam was the fourth child born to a family of six boys and two girls. ²

In what undoubtedly would have been an extremely traumatic time for young 8 year old Sam, on 10 Oct 1865, younger brother Thomas died for reasons unknown.³ Then, on the 23 Nov, about a month before Sam's 9th birthday, his father passed away from diphtheria (written as Cynanche Laryngea Maligna),⁴ a very contagious disease that causes severe solidifying inflammation of the throat that leads to suffocation. This was followed two days later by his brother Joseph Frederick's untimely death.⁵ Within a span of two and a half months, a family of ten was cut to seven, leaving widowed mother Elizabeth to pick up the pieces and carry on. (It is now believed that all three family members died of diphtheria).

It seems Elizabeth did just that, because on the 1871 census Elizabeth is operating the New Inn Mill herself and is listed as a farmer & miller of 28 acres employing 1 man (likely as a farm hand) and ten years later in 1881 farming 38 acres employing 2 men.⁶

Samuel went to school in Trentham where he was listed as a student at the age of 15 on the 1871 census. He would stay at New Inn Mill, helping his mother, through the 1881 census where, at 25 years old, he was listed as a Farmer and Miller.⁷

In April 1887, Samuel John Rogers married Elizabeth Collier at Stowe Church in Stowe-by-Chartley, Staffordshire. Samuel was 30 years old and Lizzie was 24.⁸ (Since New Inn Mill and Amerton are about 13 miles apart, we are not certain how Sam & Lizzie met.)

After their marriage the family moved to the suburb of Walton in Stone, Staffordshire. This area was part of St. Michael's parish and separated from Stone by the River Trent.⁹

It must have been difficult for a farmer and miller to find work living in a city, because the following year Samuel, his wife Lizzie and their 3 children picked up and traveled 65 miles to Liverpool.

Here they boarded the Inman line steamship "City of Chicago" and made the roughly 10 day journey to America.¹⁰ (3 months later the steamer wrecked off the coast of Ireland in heavy fog on a return voyage to Liverpool: the only loss was the steamer itself after 9 years in service).

A curious point to mention is at Sam and his family's arrival at Ellis Island in New York (only 2 months after it opened) they stated their intention was not to stay in the United States, but to pass through to Canada (They carried with them 5 pieces of luggage).^{10, A} This never seems to have materialized as on the 30 Mar 1894, Lizzie gives birth to their first child in the new country. George Frederick Rogers was born in Olmsted Falls, Cuyahoga, Ohio.¹¹

It seems over the next 6 years the family would move a mile or so south to the next town where they would be found in Columbia Township, Cuyahoga, Ohio on the 1900 census (now Columbia Station).¹²

Sam and Lizzie spent the rest of their lives in Columbia Station where they struggled to get by raising their children. Sam was listed as a general farmer and the family had no money.^{13, 14} They were so poor that their son George would tell stories to his children and grandchildren about not owning a pair of shoes until his boss purchased him a pair at 15 years old. (Family also believes George was out of the house and looking for work by the age of 12).

By 1929, Sam and Lizzie were living with their daughter Bertha Rogers-Pick at her home in Berea, Cuyahoga, Ohio. It's here at 71 West St. where Lizzie would pass away at the age of 67 of "Acute Heart Failure".¹⁵

The following year on the 8 Nov 1930, Sam was admitted to Southwest General Hospital in Middleburg Hts. and two weeks later on the 22 Nov, Sam passed away from "Heart failure with arrhythmia".^{16, 17}

The couple was buried together in Columbia Cemetery at 13699 County Highway 60 in Columbia Station.¹⁸

FATHER:

Philip Rogers, 02 Mar 1827 - 23 Nov 1865

MOTHER:

Elizabeth Anne Salmon, 14 Mar 1827 - abt Feb 1900

SPOUSE:

Elizabeth Collier, 21 Nov 1862 - 31 Dec 1929

CHILDREN:

1. Harry C Rogers, 12 Jul 1888 – 26 Dec 1982
2. Elizabeth Ann Rogers, Aug 1889 – 21 Oct 1968
3. Philip Rogers, 28 Jul 1890 – 04 Aug 1926
4. George Frederick Rogers Sr., 30 Mar 1894 – 12 Sep 1972
5. Arthur J Rogers, 06 Apr 1897 – 22 Nov 1962
6. Samuel John Rogers Jr., 21 Feb 1900 – 28 Jun 1969
7. Kate M Rogers, 29 Nov 1902 – 04 Dec 1989
8. Bertha Irene Rogers, 16 Nov 1905 – 13 Jan 1996
9. Clarence J Rogers, 21 Apr 1908 – 12 Oct 1977

Footnotes

^A On Sam's arrival manifest, his stated intention was to pass through the United States and head to Canada, but for some reason that fell through and they wound up outside of Cleveland. (This is also something a person might state to hopefully draw less attention on immigration if their acceptance into America was questionable.)

Sources

¹ "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/2NH6-NWN : accessed 4 July 2015), Smauel John Rogers, 1857; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Birth Registration, Stone, Staffordshire, England, citing General Register Office, Southport, England.

² "England and Wales Census, 1861," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M71V-MY2 : accessed 4 July 2015), Samuel J Rogers, Trentham, Staffordshire, England; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.

³ "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2NGR-WW6 : accessed 5 July 2015), Thomas Rogers, 1865; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Death, Stone, Staffordshire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.

⁴ "England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JD4L-QLQ : accessed 5 July 2015), Philip Rogers, 25 Nov 1865; citing , reference page 154; FHL microfilm 1,526,192.

⁵ "England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JD4L-QLW : accessed 5 July 2015), Joseph Frederick Rogers, 25 Nov 1865; citing , reference page 154; FHL microfilm 1,526,192.

⁶ "England and Wales Census, 1871," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V5TW-6SS : accessed 4 July 2015), Samuel J Rogers in household of Elizabeth A Rogers, Newinn Lane, Trentham, Staffordshire, England; from "1871 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 10, folio 10, p. 13, Stone registration district, Trentham subdistrict, ED 7e, household 79, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 836,372.

⁷ "England and Wales Census, 1881," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X3VG-S32 : accessed 4 July 2015), Samuel J Rogers in household of Elizabeth A Rogers, Trentham, Staffordshire, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing p. 15, PRO RG 11/2696 / 144, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 1,341,646.

⁸ "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/2DYX-YCQ : accessed 4 July 2015), Samuel John Rogers, 1887; from “England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005,” database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Marriage, Stafford, Staffordshire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.

⁹ "England and Wales Census, 1891," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/WQG4-PPZ : accessed 4 July 2015), Samuel J Rogers, England; from "1891 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 12, Staffordshire county, STONE subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.

¹⁰ "New York, Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/J6P2-V4Q : accessed 4 July 2015), Sam I Rogers, 26 Mar 1892; citing departure port Liverpool & Queenstown, arrival port New York, ship name City of Chicago, NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

¹¹ Death Notice for George Rogers, Sr.; The Cleveland Plain Dealer Newspaper; Thursday, 14 Sep 1972; pg 5-E.

¹² "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MMDX-Y64 : accessed 4 July 2015), Samuel J Rogers, Columbia Township, Lorain, Ohio, United States; citing sheet 11B, family 249, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,241,295.

¹³ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/ML84-TRV : accessed 4 July 2015), Samuel J Rodgers, Columbia, Lorain, Ohio, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 103, sheet 4B, family 95, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,375,219.

¹⁴ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MD5Y-J5W : accessed 4 July 2015), Samuel J Rogers, Columbia, Lorain, Ohio, United States; citing sheet 5A, family 126, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,821,406.

¹⁵ "Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X6HP-NMH : accessed 5 July 2015), Elizabeth Collin Rogers, 31 Dec 1929; citing Berea, Cuyahoga, Ohio, reference fn 75380; FHL microfilm 1,992,021.

¹⁶ "Ohio, Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VKY8-FX4 : accessed 4 July 2015), Samuel J Rogers, 22 Nov 1930; from "Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1932, 1938-2007," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2010); citing vol. , certificate number , Ohio Historical Society, Columbus; Ohio Department of Health, State Vital Statistics Unit, Columbus.

¹⁷ "Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X8T2-K78 : accessed 4 July 2015), Samuel J Rogers, 22 Nov 1930; citing Berea Village, Cuyahoga, Ohio, reference fn 64468; FHL microfilm 1,992,277.

¹⁸ "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/QVVW-X8Z5 : accessed 4 July 2015), Samuel J Rogers, 1930; Burial, Columbia Center Cemetery chanm, Lorain chanm, Ohio, United States of America, Columbia Center Cemetery; citing record ID 8846423, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.