Thomas Rogers is considered a Pilgrim, but he was not a Separatist. He would have been considered a Stranger who had plans to go to the New World for fortune.
He was a merchant in England who had moved to Holland and became friends with many of the Pilgrims who lived in Leiden. He would go with them on the Mayflower and be one of the signers of the Mayflower Compact.
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Family Overview
Thomas Rogers was born in Northhampton, England, and eventually moved to Leiden, Holland. He married Alice Cosford in 1597 when he was still in England.
The two went on to have six children, with only two surviving to adulthood. His two sons would become citizens in Plymouth, and one is one of the last surviving.
Thomas and his son Joseph migrated to Plymouth and planned to send for his wife and two other children. He arrived and signed the Mayflower Compact, but he was unaware of the tumultuous winter the group would have to endure.
During that first winter, almost half of the people who came over died. Rogers was one of them.
Two of his sons would arrive a couple of years later and carry on his legacy so that many now living can trace their lineage back to him.
Family Tree Chart
Parents:
- William Rogers (1540 - 1585)
- Eleanor Lynn (1545 - 1607)
Spouse:
Alice Cosford (1573 - Unknown) - It is unknown what happened to Alice after the death of her husband. She appears on tax records in Holland in 1622, and there is no record of her ever migrating to Plymouth, so it is possible she died after 1622 and never made it to the New World, or she migrated, and there is no record of it. William Bradford mentioned her sons but not her.
Children:
- Thomas Rogers (1599) - Was baptized and a month later passed away
- Richard Rogers (1600) - Was baptized but died shortly after
- Joseph Rogers (1603 - 1678) - Migrated to Plymouth and most likely lived with William Bradford once his father died.
Siblings:
- Margaret Rogers (1570 - 1572)
- Elizabeth Rogers (1576 - 1609)
- William Rogers III (1581) - Birth was sometime before 1581; death date is unknown.
- John Rogers (1586 - 1656)