Lt. Joseph Rogers

  General Notes:

Joseph was about 18 years old when he made the voyage on the Mayflower with his father. His mother Alice, brother John, and sisters Elizabeth and Margaret remained behind in Leiden, Holland. In Plymouth, Joseph appears to have resided in the Bradford household for around ten years. He married in 1632, and his first child Sarah was born on 6 August 1633. He moved from Plymouth to Duxbury around 1638, and lived there for a number of years, before moving to Eastham around 1646, and resided in Sandwich for a few years around 1650 before returning to Eastham. He died in Eastham. In his will he names his wife Hannah, the only record found that names his wife.

THE WILL OF JOSEPH ROGERS
I, Joseph Rogers senir; of Eastham of Good Understanding and prfect memory being weake in body; and not knowing the the day of my departure out of this life, doe thinke meet to Leave this as my Last will and Testament.
Impr: I Comend my soule to God that Gave it; whoe is my God, and father in Jesus Christ, and my body to the earth by decent buriall;
firstly And Concerning my temporall estate that God hath posessed me off; I doe make my son Thomas Rogers whole and sole executor which I will should be disposed of as followeth;
Impr I doe Give unto my Loveing son James Rogers and his heires Lawfully begotten of his body: or the next of kinn; my house and housing and Land with ffences or the like appurtenances, that I now dwell in and Improve adjoyning to my house be it more or lesse; as it is Recorded & bounded on the Towne book, I say I doe Give it to him and to his heires Lawfully begotten of his body forever or the Next kinred;
Item I doe give To my sonnes John and James Rogers all my meadow Ground that I bought of the Indians ffrancis and Josiah, Lying att Pottammacutt and therabouts; I say I doe give and will it to them and theire heires forever equally to be devided
Item I do Give to my sonnes Thomas and John Rogers and theire heires all my meadow and sedge lying on the otherside of the Cove, on keeskagansett syde; I say I doe Give it to them and theire heires Lawfully begotten of theire bodys forever;
I doe Give to my Daughter Elizabeth higgens the wife of Johathan higgens six acrees of Land lying Neare the Barly necke, by the swamp Called Ceader swamp; as it is Recorded and bounded in the Towne book, I say I give this six acrees To her and her heires of her body for ever; shee nor they shall not sell hier farm it out, directly nor Indirectly to any prson whatsoever, except in Case of Removal it shalbe lawfull for my sonnes or their heires to buy or purchase it;
Item I Give to Benjah higgens my Grandchild on Condition hee live with mee untill I die; I say I Give to him and his heires, one third prte of all my upland and meddow att Paomett, purchased and unpurchased
Item It is my will That the Remainder of my lands or marshes, both att the barly necke, Pochett Iland Paomett Billingsgate or elswher purchased or unparchased not disposed of prticularly in my will; I say it is my will that all those lands be equally devided betwixt my three sonnes Thomas John and James Rogers; and the heires lawfully of theire bodyes for ever; Noteing that my son Thomas his twenty acrees of upland that already hee hath in the barly necke be prte of his devision of my land in the barly Necke;
Item I doe Give unto my daughter Hannah Rogers, if shee be not disposed of in Marriage before my decease, and my wifes deceasse, then I say I doe Give to her my bed and beding with all the furniture therto belonging or that shall belonge therto att our decease;
Alsoe it is my will that shee shall have her Choise of one Cow before my Cattle be distributed, and the use of three acrees of Tillage Ground; ffenced in, with the arable Ground of her bretheren in the barly necke if shee desire, it soe longe as shee lives unmarryed;
Item it is my will tha Benjah higgens shall have one of my Cowes after mine and my wifes decease
Item it is my will Concerning my Loveing wife hannah Rogers that shee live in My house as longe as shee lives, and shalbe Comfortably maintained by my stocke and to have the use of all my househoud stuffe, That shee Needs as longs as shee lives for her Comfort and that none of my household furniture of stocke be disposed of, as longe as shee lives, save onely hannahs Cowe
Item I will that ten shillings of my estate be disposed off for the Use of the Church of Christ in Eastham as shalbe Judged most Nessesarie
Item I will that the Remainder of my Stocke estate houshold furniture that my wife shall Leave att her decease Not disposed of in my will before written; be equally devided between all my Children; and Benjah higgins to have an equall share with each of them; This is my Last will and Testament as witnes my hand and seale this 2cond of January 1677,
Witnes Joseph Rogers and A seale
Signed and sealed in
the prsence of us
William Twining
John Banges made oath to this Will att the Court holden att Plymouth the 5th of March Anno Dom 1677:78

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Alt. Death, 1678. Alternate death year is 1678. Month and day remain the same.

2. Alt. Death, 12 Jan 1677. Alternate death date of 12 Jan 1677 in Eastham, Barnstable County, Massachusetts.

Joseph married Hannah in 1631. (Hannah was born about 1609 in England.)