The Adeustone-Rogers Families of Virginia:
Tracing a Colonial Lineage through Entailment and Naming Patterns"
NGSQ, Vol. 77, June 1989, No. 2
(Spellings are exactly as found in the documents.)
GENERATION TWO:
2. Agnes Adeustone (John Adeustone [1]) was born in York County in 1648, according to a deposition she made there in 1691, at which time she was "about 43." No record seems to exist of her two marriages or of the birth or baptism of any of the children named in her father's will. From marital data on those earlier children, it ca be deduced that she married (--?--) Dixon in the mid-1660s; by 1670, apparently, she had married John Rogers and borne him a son. Similarly, no record exists of Agnes's death. She appears twice on record in 1691: first, on 24 Sep to acknowledge that she had witnessed a 1685 conditional deed of gift from John Goffe to his William (who was about to marry Agnes's daughter Elizabeth Dixon), a document to which Agnes affixed her mark A; and second, on 21 Dec. 1691, when she gave a deposition regarding one Ann Harrington, who had been taken recently from the Rogers home to give a court deposition of her own. Agnes clearly was dead by 15 March 1714/15, when her aged husband made a deed of gift to their son and daughter-in-law in exchange for their tending his needs throughout the remainder of his life.
It is not known how early Rogers was in Virginia, nor whether he was a native of the colony. It has been established that others by the name were there as early as 1635, and another John Rogers died in York County prior to 1700. The John Rogers here under discussion was in Virginia by 1652, for on 12 Nov. of that year he patented 720 acres on the south side of the York River near Skimmino Creek. Numerous items within the York County court records demonstrate Roger's business activities and his management of the affairs of others. He held a power of attorney from the notorious Philip Lynes of Charles Co. Maryland, who had entered that province as an indentured servant in 1668 but rose through somewhat questionable means to become a merchant, land speculator, shipowner, entrepreneur, and member of the Maryland house and provincial court--despite many charges made against him for such things as burglary, evasion of debts, and mistreatment of his many slaves. To receive, from such a one as Philip Lynes, a blanket power of attorney, John Rogers clearly was considered a shrewd operator among those who plied the Atlantic Coast between Maryland and Virginia.
Rogers was in and out of the courts also in the interests of his own family.
On 24 June 1687, for example, he reached an agreement settling the long-standing boundary dispute between the property of Colonel Thomas Beale and the land which John Adeustone had passed to his widow Joane (and then on to Addustin Rogers, son of John). On 29 Nov. 1691, Rogers purchased a half-acre "lot of land designated as Lott No. 30, apportioned for a Port & Town" (the new settlement of "York Town"); but in 1796 he assigned this property to Thomas Mountfort, progenitor of a family that long would be associated with Rogers's descendants. As with many colonial records, the assignment was not formally drafted until several years after it had taken effect; when it was finally set to paper on 29 March 1706, one of the witnesses was John Addeston Rogers, the second of two Rogers sons to be given this hereditary name.
More appropriate to the genealogical problems under study are four instruments concerning John Rogers, his sons, and some of his grandchildren.
The first of these makes it clear that his sons, like he, were taking no chances about losing their inheritance. They did not merely give the name Adduston to one son; both the father and the sons also made certain there was an Adduston to spare in the event that something happened to their firstborn of the name. Thus, in 1703, the elder John executed a deed of gift, as follows:
"...unto my Grandson John Adduston Rogers one Bla: Cow with two hindermost feet white below being cropt on both Ears and three slits on each being five or six years old, having having (sic) a Red heifer about three years old running with her and all their female increase...until he shall attaine to ye age of sixteen and after that age the increase both male and female to Redound to him ye said John Adduston Rogers his heires & c.
...unto my Granddaughter Elizabeth Rogers one red heifer about three years old Cropt on both Ears and two slitts on ye left with all her female increase until she shall attaine to the age of sixteen years and after that ye increase both male and female to Redound to ye said Elizabeth Rogers her heirs & c for ever,
...unto my grandson Adduston Rogers one red cow calfe about seven months old cropt on both Ears ;and three slitts on ye left with all her female increase until he shall attaine to ye age of sixteen years, and after that age then ye increase both male & female to Redound to ye said Adduston Rogers, him his heires & c. for ever.
...I do by these presents give leave unto my son Adduston Rogers their father if he finds his Children's stock of Cattle do increase so much that it prejudices his own Stock of Cattle then to sell or dispose of any part of the same for ye only proper use good and Benefitt of ye said Grandchildren."
From this document it can be determined that Adduston Rogers, son of John and Agnes Rogers, had married and was the father of three children--John Adduston, Elizabeth, and Adduston--none of whom had attained sixteen years by June 1703.
Several other items from the court records attest to the relationship of the elder John Rogers with two of his sons, Adduston and John Adduston. A suit between John and the elder Adduston stayed before the court for several months in 1697, during which the father charged that the son "refuseth to make restitution" for "severall necessarys lent" him. The case was finally dismissed. With his second son, John Adduston, the father had a better relationship, as attested by two separate documents. The first is a power of attorney given by the father to the son in 1711, by which time the latter had
passed his thirty-second birthday and was obviously an adequate businessman himself:
"I John Rogers of the Parish of York Hampton in the County of York, Planter...in or about the year of our Lord 1683 did then mortgage to one Edward Jones of Bruton Parish in the County of York ffactor to Alderman Richard Booth of London, Merchant, six negroes and their increase for the payment of a Debt due to the said Alderman of one hundred thirty five pounds Sterl....of which sd. sum I...have made payment of sums of money to Edward Jones...Now so it is I the sd. John Rogers being much in years & weak of body do hereby Constitute ordain and appoint my Loveing and trusty son John Adduston Rogers of Charles Parish in the County of York Planter my true & lawfull attorney...to arrest Sue prosecute & implead any person or persons whatsoever interested or concerned in or with any of the sd. Negroes & upon Not Deliver...into Prison to Cast or out of Prison to release as my said Attorney shall see fitt."
In the above instrument, Rogers attests to his advanced years and faltering health; however, he did live at least three years more, and in that time executed another document that also reflects his personal values and the strength of his attachment to this family. On 15 March 1714/15 he deeded to the son John Adduston all his negroes, personal estate, or lands "in the Colony of Virginia or elsewhere," adding the phrase "which are now in ye hand and possession of other men unjustly detained." In exchange, the son was to keep him in suitable circumstances for the balance of his life. (It should be remembered that it was the eldest son named Adduston who would inherit the entailed property fromthe estate of the maternal grandfather; it was therefore proper that John Rogers should leave his own accumulated properties to his second son.) According to the terms of this donation:
"I John Rogers...grant & confirm unto ye sd Jno. Adduston Rogers & his heirs for Ever...all my personal Estate that I now Enjoy (and) all my lawfull Debts; funeral Expenses ;& ye like to be thereout honestly paid & discharged...still reserving unto myself what Crops my two Newgroes Tom & Barnaby shall make upon my Plantation or elsewhere for my maintenance...upon
this consideration that my sd son Jno. Adduston Rogers do keep & maintain me...during my natural life with good & wholesome meat & drink, warm & decent apparel & lodging, a good fire in cold weather, Necessarys suitable & convenient to my old age and at seasonable times a cup of good liquor to drink with a friend & after my decease to bury my body decently in a Christian burial."
The final act of the aging John Rogers contains one other provision that helps in the identification and reconstruction of his family:
"In case my son John Adduston Rogers should happen to dye before me, then all ye Gifts & Grants in this Writing above mentioned I...give, grant and confirm unto my loving daughter in law Jane Rogers wife of my son John Adduston Rogers provided allways yt ye sd Jane Rogers take ye same care of me and make such provisions for me as in this present Deed of Gift above expressed, but if she should marry before my Decease I do by these presents Grant and allow her for her extraordinary diligence and care I hope she will take of me in this my old age, to ye value of twenty five pounds to be paid her out of my Estate & ye residue and remainder thereof to return to me...or if she should (die) before me unmarried, then all my Estate to return unto me."
Five days after the execution of this document, it was acknowledged--under his power of attorney--by one John Pond; apparently Rogers was unable to appear at the courthouse personally--probably due to illness and age. Nothing further appears in the York County records on this man; while residents of upper York also did business in the adjacent counties of James City and Gloucester, the records of those counties for this period are no longer extant.
Known children of Agnes Adeustone by her first husband, (--?--) Dixon, were as follows:
i. Richard Dixon, born 1666 or before; m. Ann Moore (dau of James), by whom he had children baptized in Abingdon Parish in April 1688, February 1689/90, and December 1690; m. second Damazinah (--?--), who bore him at least two children prior to his death in York County on 14 November 1705.
ii. Agnes Dixon, born 1668 or earlier; her name appears before that of her sister Elizabeth in the will of their maternal grandfather, suggesting that she was the elder--in which case she should have been born some two years before the 1668 date estimated below for the sister. Agnes was still alive at the time of the 1678 will but has not been traced after that date.
iii. Elizabeth Dixon, born 1668 or before. On 23 September 1685, John Goffe, Gentleman, of New Kent executed a provisional deed of gift to his son William Goffe who "intended" to marry "Elizabeth Dixon daughter-in-law (stepdaughter) to John Rogers." In the event of that marriage, he was to give the son 500 acres in Gloucester County; and in the event of William's subsequent death, the widowed Elizabeth was to be allowed to remain on that property until and unless she remarried. That 1685 document, witnessed by Rogers and his wife Agnes, was recorded in 1691; presumably Elizabeth had married Goffe by then. She has not been traced past this point."
Known children of Agnes Adeustone by her second husband, John Rogers, were as follows:
+ 3 iv. Adduston Rogers, born by 1670.
v. John Adduston Rogers, born 4 May 1679 and baptized soon thereafter.
In 1706, he married Jane (--?--), widow of Henry Andrews who died in York County in 1705/06, leaving an estate but no will. The terms of the deed of gift executed by John Adduston's father in 1715 suggest that the marriage to Jane had produced no children; and there is no record elsewhere of any such offspring. On 16 January 1713, John Adduston sold a tract of 170 acres in Charles Parish "which said land was ye land late of Henry Andrews & from him escheated and by Pattent bearing date ye 12trh December 1710...granted to ye sd John Adduston Rogers."
(Nothing further has been uncovered which can be specifically attributed to this John Adduston Rogers, and there is no indication in the land records as to whether he and Jane remained in York County. As seen below, his brother George settled in Britain; and it is entirely possible that John Adduston and Jane may have left the Virginia colony also.)
vi. Barbara Rogers, born 25 August 1681 and baptized shortly thereafter.
No further information.
vii. George Rogers, born 27 March 1683 and baptized on 30 March in Abingdon Parish. George left the colony and settled at Braintree, county Essex, England; but he kept in touch with his Virginia family and did not fail to place his own claim to the estate of his deceased brother William in 1742.
viii. William Rogers, born circa 1684-85; married Theodosia (--?--); died between 16 May and 17 December 1739, the dates his will was written and proved.
Like the younger sons of many planters, William went into trade; in doing so, he may have been the most materially successful member of his family. During the fifty-five years or so of his life, Captain William Rogers of Yorktown and Williamsburg--merchant, warehouseman, shipper, and gentleman--accumulated a sizable estate in land, town lots, slaves, and
personal property. Extant issues of the Virginia Gazette allude to various activities of his in advertisements for "a single young Man, that is qualified to be an Overseer" or for a buyer/renter for the former "Bristol Store...a large, commodious house with two lotts, a garden, Coach house, stable and other outhouses and conveniences. At his death in 1739, William left four children:
(a) Susanna, who had previously married Captain Thomas Reynolds of London and Virginia, a merchant-mariner of means. Susanna's will, written in 1767, was proved in York County on 18 April 1768.
(b) Sarah, an unmarried minor at the time of her father's will, who subsequently wed a merchant also--William Montgomery, the younger, of Camberwell in the Parish of Saint Mary Lambeth, county Surry, England.
(c) Hannah Rogers, an unmarried minor at the time of her father's will, in which she was bequeathed three slave men--including a Barnaby (cf. the 1714/15 deed of gift executed by her grandfather John Rogers).
(d) William Rogers, a minor in 1739, was entrusted by his father to the care of his mother "until he attain to the age of twenty one years." Within a year, the young William had reached an age at which he was considered competent to tend business, as on 20 March 1740 his father's estate was charged for "his son's expenses going over the River to settle
with Noyal." William, Jr., did not long survive his father; on 20 June 1743, his uncle George--from England--laid claim to the estate of Captain William Rogers, stating that the only son and heir to the land had died intestate before 9 February 1742.
Theodosia (--?--) Rogers, the widow of Captain William who was dispossessed of further inheritance by her brother-in-law George and then by her son-in-law Reynolds, drafted her own will on 7 March 1752, leaving her entire personal estate to her daughter Sarah's husband, William Montgomery, who apparently was living at that time in York County as a merchant.
