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Concerning his voyage, the following extract from a Letter of Brampton Gurdon to John Winthrop, dated Assington, this 30 of August (1636), seems worth inserting here.

"It hathe faulne out verry hard with the shipe whear in Mr. Nathaniel Rogers imbarked himselff, his wiff who locke for* at the end of 7bur, 4 children, & 3 other pore fameles out of this towen; won is Robinson that lived in Litle Waldenfeld, with his wiff & 6 children; they went abord at Grauesend the furst of Jeuen, & have euer scins ben houareng to the Ile of Wite, & this day Mris Crane, their scister, & Mris Rogers mother in law tould me her husband had a letter from them from Plimworth, writ on Saturday scenight. This will fall exceding heui to dyuers in the ship who had mad som prouicyon for their liuelyhod in New England. Thay will be inforsed to spe[nd] it before they goe, & all for want of a constant Est wind. Thay haue had the wind for a day or 2, & then brought backe agayen. Thay haue had dyuers feruent prayers to geue them a good wind, but the tyem is not yet coum for God to haue the prayes of it.”

Winthrop Papers, Mass. Hist. Coll.

Fourth Series, Vol. VI. p. 560.

The will of the Rev. NATHANIEL ROGERS, Pastor of the Church at Ipswich, taken from his own mouth, July 3, Anno Domini 1655, was proved in court at Ipswich, 25-7-1655. He reckons his estate in Old and New England at about twelve hundred pounds, four hundred pounds of which "is expected from my father Mr. Robert Crane in England." He makes the portion of John, though his eldest son, equal only with the others, viz. Nathaniel, Samuel and Timothy, and gives to each one hundred pounds out of his estate in Old England and one hundred pounds out of his estate in New England. To his son Ezekiel he gives twenty pounds, which he may take in books if he pleases. To his daughter he had already given two hundred pounds. To his three grandchildren, John, Nathaniel and Margaret Hubbard, he gives forty shillings each. To his cousin, John Rogers, five pounds, in the hands of Ensign Howlett. To Elizabeth, Nathaniel, John and Mary, children of his cousin John Harris,† of Rowley, he gives twenty shillings each. To Harvard College, five pounds. The remainder he leaves to his wife Margaret, whom he appoints executrix.

The original will is on file in the Probate Registry of Essex County, and a copy of it is preserved among the papers of the case of Rogers vs Rogers already referred to.

Mrs. Margaret Rogers died in Ipswich, 23 January, 1675, and admon. was granted to her eldest son, John Rogers, 30 March following (1676.)

Administration of the estate of Margaret Rogers, of Ipswich in

* I am inclined to think that this must refer to her expected confinement. Ezekiel must Eave been born just about this time.-H. F. W.

The wife of John Harris of Rowley was named Bridget. I would suggest that she may have been Bridget Anger, one of the children of Edmond and Bridget Anger (see the wills of Dorothy Rogers of Dedham and of John Rogers of Colchester). —

-H. F. W.

New England, widow, was also granted in England, 21 March, 1677, to William Hubbard, principal creditor.

From her age, as given in her deposition, it would appear that she was born about 1610. Her mother, therefore, could not have been the Mary Sparhawke, daughter of Samuel, baptized 1 February, 1600. (See New Eng. Hist. Gen. Reg., Vol. XIX. p. 125.)

There remains John Rogers, of Billerica, who undoubtedly belonged to this family, as we may learn from the will of Ezekiel of Rowley. The recent history of Billerica, by our associate, Rev. Mr. Hazen, furnishes a good account of him and his descendants. His will can be found on record in the Suffolk Registry (X.-23). It was "declared" 22 January, 1685, and letters were granted 8 June, 1687, to Thomas and Nathaniel, the executors. He gives to Nathaniel one half the house, etc., and to Thomas the other half after the death of the widow, who is to have the use of it. Other bequests to sons John and Daniel, daughter Priscilla, grandchild Mary French (at 21), son George Browne and wife's daughter Mary Browne. He is said to have died 25 January, 1685(6), æt. 74, and was born therefore about 1611 or 1612. On the Tabular Pedigree which accompanies these notes will be found two Johns, either of whom might be this individual, so far as date of birth would indicate. I cannot help thinking that John, the son of Nathaniel, the schoolmaster, was the one referred to in will of his uncle John, of Dedham, as "the sadler," brother to Elizabeth Rogers. This sister, I doubt not, was adopted by her uncle, and was the one mentioned by the widow Dorothy Rogers in her will, as "my maid Elizabeth Rogers." The John Rogers who lived in Billerica was evidently a baker (as I am informed by Mr. Hazen). Whether a man would change an occupation requiring an apprenticehood for another is a question. We have still left John, the second son of Thomas Rogers, who probably was placed by his father to learn some other trade than the ancestral one of shoemaking, in which the eldest son, Thomas, was to succeed him. I am therefore inclined to think that we are to look here for our Billerica Rogers.

It was my good fortune to find in the British Museum two Elegies which seem to have escaped notice hitherto; one in manuscript, which I found in the well known Harleian collection; the other a printed broadside, in a collection known as the Luttrell collection. I found in this latter collection divers other elegies and eulogies which deserve to be known; among them one on the Rev. William Jenkin the younger, I remember, and another on Col. Rainborough. The two elegies referred to here follow :

Upon the death of old M' Rogers of wethersfield minister of god his word, late deceased.

In Rama once a voyce was heard

Of bytter lamentation,

Wch now in weathersfield doth sound
An heavy visitation.

He is not now who lately was

As Rachells children were not
Soe we shall hardly fynd the lyke
Crye loud therefore & spare not.
The cloudie piller now is gone
That guyded in the day
And eke ye fire wch in the night
Did poynt us out the way.
Alas therfore what shall we doe
Our Moses cannot crie,
Nor stand up in the gapp to stay

Gods iudgements when they flie.
How shall we passe to Canaan now
The wildernesse is wide
Soe full of Tygers, Beares & wolues
And many a beast besyde.
Who shall stand up to plead wth God
ffor to supply our neede.
Our waters stand, our Manna feast
Whereon our soules did feede.
Oh happie it was wth weathersfielde
And neighboure townes about
When they enioyed yt worthy light
Which now is cleane worne out.
Noe greater proofe of loue to god
Doth Christ himself require
Then was p'formed of this man
W thall his hartes desire
Wth wisedome and discretion both
He fedd Christs lambs indeede
Devydeinge out them portions all
According to their neede.

To stronge ones he gave stronger meat
Who better could apply y
And to the weaker sort also

As best might fitt their dyett.
The sicke and feeble ones alsoe
He nourished paynefully

And evermore his hart did yerne
To heare ye poore mans crie.
He bound up broken hearted ones
He did ye hungrie feed

He brought the wandringe home againe
And did supplie their neede
He sought their peace continually
He ended all their striefe
Reioyceing neuer more then when
They ledd a Christian lyfe.
He spared noe labour of the mynde
Noe bodilie griefe nor payne

That tended to his peoples good

[fayle

And to his masters gayne.
When strength of leggs and feete did
On horseback he did ryde
And wheresoeuer he became
His tallent well emploid.
Soe deerely did he loue gods house
When Arons bell did call

Noe winde or weather might him lett
He ventred lyfe and all.
Thus did he leade them forth wth ioy
To pastures fresh and greene
And to the lyuely water pooles

As cleere as hath beene seene.
Rare was his order to catechise
His doctrine sound & playne
And by this holy ordynance

He many soules did gayne.
Thus hath he spent his vitall breath
In honour and renowne

His hower is past, his glasse is runne
And he hath gott the crowne.
And now behold ye shepehards all

Whom god hath given this station
See here a patterne to behoulde
ffit for your imitation.

The better sort neede yet to learne
This patterne to behould
As for the rest, learne you were best
Looke better to your soulde.
And now Oh woefull weathersfield

Whose fame soe farr hath sounded
Looke how thou hast received & heard
And how thy faith is grounded.
And to thy faith and godly life

As thou before hast learned
Wthout the wch thy faith is deade

And cannot be discerned.

ffor now the Lord doth call for fruite To answere all his payne

And wher he hath bestowed much

He lookes for much agayne.
Loue thou therefore gods ordynance
Sell all, that to obteyne

And buy the fielde wher treasure is
That ever shall remayne
Then thou wth him thats gone before
Shall Hallelujah singe
And Reigne in heaven for euermore
Wth Christ our lord and kinge.
finis.

[Harleian MS. 1598.]

A mournefull Epitaph upon the death of that reverend vvorthy Pastor Mr JOHN ROGERS, late preacher of Gods vvord at Dedham in Essex, vvho departed this life the 18 of October in the yeere 1636.

1.

Come helpe us mourn good Shepherds all, who love Christs flock indeed Helpe us to beg, pleade, cry & call, in this our time of need.

2.

[old,

Come weep and mourne, both yong and your harts to sorrow move Both Sheepe and Lambs all of his fould shew forth your deerest love.

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