Elizabeth Rogers (née Oliver)

Profile & Legacies Summary

1768 - 1826

Biography

Daughter of Thomas Oliver of Friar's Hill, Antigua, and one of the residuary legatees in his will.

Joseph Rogers Esquire married Miss Eliza Oliver, second daughter of Thomas Oliver, Esquire, of Bristol in 1788. Mary, born 31/05/1791 and Thomas Oliver, born 01/01/1796, children of Joseph and Eliza Rogers of Park Street, baptised at St Augstine the Less, Bristol, 12/01/1796.
Joseph Rogers, age 56, was buried 09/10/1819 at St John the Baptist, Weston-Super-Mare. He had attempted to rescue two sons of Charles Elton of Bristol, who were drowned at Weston-Super-Mare: his "benevolent exertions to rescue them from a watery grave, brought on a fever, which terminated fatally." In his will, written in 1815 and proved in 1820, Joseph Rogers of Weston Super Mare bequeathed his whole estate in England and Ireland to his wife Eliza for life and thereafter his Irish property to his son Thomas Oliver Rogers and English property to his daughter Mary Rogers. In a codicil signed in 1819 he bequeathed to his wife Eliza "all the interest and property I may have or be intitled to in the land buildings slaves stock and property lately belonging to her father Thomas Oliver Esquire and which has devolved to me upon his death under his will... situate in the Island of Antigua... to be applied for her own and my childrens use during her life at her pleasure and after her death I give and bequeath the same unto both or either of my children Thomas Oliver Rogers and Mary as to her my said wife may seem fit."
Eliza Rogers, age 58, was buried 18/12/1826 at St John the Baptist church, Weston Super Mare.
In her will, proved in 1827, Eliza Rogers left the profits of her West India property, inherited from her father, to her daughter Mary Rogers, unless Mary was to marry, in which case the profits were to be shared between her daughter Mary and son Thomas Oliver Rogers equally. Mary Rogers and Giovanni Maria Possente, Conte Possente of Morano, Ancona, Italy, married in the British Embassy, Paris 24/05/1831. She may possibly be the Maria Teresa Possenti who died in Torate, Como, Italy, in 1866.
Thomas Oliver Rogers, son of Col. Joseph Rogers and Eliza nee Oliver, matriculated Trinity College Cambridge in 1818, awarded BA 1821 and MA 1824. Ordained a deacon in 1823 and priest 1824. Curate of Bagdworth and Biddisham, Somerset, 1823. Married Mary Amelia Hodgetts. Died at Weston-super-Mare, age 85, 31/12/1879. Personal estate under £1500.

Sources

European Magazine and London Review (November 1788) p. 300; Ancestry.com, Bristol, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 [database online].
Cambridge Chronicle and Journal 01/10/1819; Bury and Norwich Post 20/10/1819; Worcester Journal 14/10/1819; Oxford University and City Herald 23/10/1819.
Findmypast.co.uk, National Burial Index For England & Wales [database online].
PROB 11/1726/9; Familysearch.org, France Marriages, 1546-1924 [database online]; Ancestry.com, Como and Lecco, Lombardy, Italy, Civil Registration Records, 1866-1936 [database online].
Ancestry.com, Cambridge University Alumni, 1261-1900 [database online]; National Probate Calendar 1880.

We are grateful to Sharon Poole for her assistance with compiling this entry.

Further Information

Maiden Name

Oliver

Spouse

Joseph Rogers

Children

Mary (1791-), Thomas Oliver (1796-)

Will

PROB 11/1726/9 - precis.

30 December 1819.

Eliza Rogers of Weston Super Mare.

All my West India property which was bequeathed me by my beloved father Thomas Oliver Esquire of Park Street, Bristol and the island of Antigua to be equally divided between my two children Mary Rogers and Thomas Oliver Rogers share and share alike, together with all property in the funds, all mortgages, debts owing to me, all wine, plate, linen and china, horses, carriages and everything, and I exort them to a continuence together.

If either die unmarried or without children then my property to devolve to the longest heir and his or her heirs... my body to be interred in the vault at Weston Super Mare between my beloved husband and child...

Signed at Hiches Cottage, Clifton Down, December 30th.

Codicil Weston Rectory 26 March 1822. "Feeling the pressure of agricultural distress I have opined my last will and testament to direct that all my share of my beloved late father's property in Antigua which I had before as above given between my two beloved children Thomas Oliver Rogers and Mary Rogers shall be the whole sole property of my beloved child Mary Rogers inasmuch as the landed property given her by my late beloved husband has so deteriorated in value and that my beloved son Thomas Oliver Rogers will possess the Irish estate which can never fall off the money due on mortgage of FF. R. Leman house at Worle[?] together with the instalments of the Antigua estate due from Mr Warner I leave equally divided between my two aforesaid beloved children as well as any other monies belonging to me."

If my beloved daughter Mary Rogers should die without children then my share in the last mentioned property in Antigua to my beloved son Thomas Oliver Rogers and his children forever, and in default to the heirs of my three surviving sisters to William Cave my nephew the beloved son of my late sister Penelope Cave of Brintry House near Bristol.

Last codicil. Whereas I have left the whole of my West India property to my beloved daughter Mary but in consideration of the property turning out much better than heretofore I now devise and bequeath in case my daughter Mary marrying an equal division to be made of the yearly profits between her and her brother, and if Thomas Oliver Rogers die without heirs lawfully begotten the whole to be inherited by his sister. And if she leaves none to be divided between my sisters Lucy and Fanny for their joint heirs. Signed 24/12/1825.

Proved at London 02/05/1827 by Rev. Thomas Oliver Rogers and Mary Rogers spinster.