20 John Rogers m Elizabeth Ellison - Eldest of John and Margaret Rogers I children

At this point in our family history it is important to understand the connection between the Rogers, the Montague’s, and the Isaacsons.  As it was a family tradition to name children after the ancestors, I always thought the Montague’s must have been one of our ancestors.

The family feature in our early ancestry, but it is at this point the stories of the children of John Rogers and Margaret Cock reveal the history of the name.

The merging of the Montague family into the Durnford line was by the way of a marriage, lunacy, and a will of a childless couple.  John Rogers III had married Ann Delaval, but she died before he did, and they had no children, and while her family were very well heeled, his will then nominated that his estate be distributed between his male nephews, from both the Montague and the Creagh line.

So it would seem that imminent wealth was brought into those families, and it would seem that for that reason, the Montague name was included as a mark of respect within the Isaacson line.

John and Margaret Rogers' children

John

Margaret

Sarah


The stories get a little complicated so hopefully by separating each of their stories you will be able to follow.


Firstly the story of John Rogers II was the brother of our great grandmother, Margaret Rogers.

In those times the eldest son became the heir.  

Inside the Cathedral

John Rogers II, born circa 1656, was apprenticed soon after his father's death, on the 1st August, 1671, to Thomas Davison of Newcastle, boothman, and was admitted free of the Merchants' Company 29th November, 1678.

Baptisimal Font

 He married, 25th September, 1684, at Lanchester, Elizabeth Ellison daughter of Benjamin Ellison of Newcastle, merchant.


 He was buried in St. Nicholas' 9th November, 1709, his will being dated 14th November, 1698. Several of his children died in infancy, and he was survived by his widow and only son.

Surviving tomb of unknown

In the records of the Hostmen in Newcastle in 1682 John Rogers was described as a Merchant Adventurer.

From the archives we learn a little of his leases and his relationships with his family members.

Date 8 May 1665
	Item	83	Title Lease for 21 years by Robert Ellison of Hebburn, esquire, William Bonner of St Anthony's, gentleman, John Rogers of Newcastle, esquire and James Clavering of Lamesley, esquire, to William Orr of Jarrow, yeoman

From British History Online, there is an indication of Elizabeth's death.

William Grey, of Backworth, Esq. by will, dated May 26, 1714, in case of failure of issue of his own body, charged his estates with the payment of L 100 to the church of St. Nicholas, the interest to be given to the poor yearly. Elizabeth Rogers, by will, dated December 15, 1733, gave L 50 to the poor of this parish, the interest to be paid yearly on the day of her death. Mrs. Timothea Davison, who died June 4, 1757, gave L 20 to the poor of this parish, to be distributed immediately after her death. William Moulton, of Newcastle, skinner and glover, by will, dated February 26, 1776, charged an annuity of L 15 on houses in the Ship Entry, Old Flesh Market, for the poor of this parish; but a flaw being discovered in the will, Mr. Moulton's pious intentions were not fulfilled.

She died 19th April 1734 and is buried at St Nicholas's Church

Elizabeth had a brother George born 1656 and a sister Jane Ellison, born 1647.  Jane married in 1674 James Clavering.

The Clavering family were wealthy and they owned coal mines.

Through marriage John Rogers acquired further interest in some of these lands and was in partnership with various members of his family and other wealthy coal mining merchants.

From the Archives we learn that this John Rogers II went to fight in the wars.

on Tuesday, Dec. 5th, 1693. [ Ibid., p . 436. ] Dec. 13. Whitehall. Licence for John Rogers, esq., high sheriff of Northumberland, to live out of that county during his shrievalty. [ H.O. King's Letter Book

And some land leases made while he was fighting

Date 29 September 1705
	Item	84	Title Lease for 21 years by William Bonner of Kibblesworth, gentleman, Edward Orde of Newcastle, gentleman, Robert Ellison of Hebburn, esquire, James Clavering of Lamesley, esquire and Mrs Elisabeth Rogers of Newcastle, shareholders of Jarrow, to George Bambrough of Jarrow Shore, anchor smith See also John Rogers* under Ravensworth colliery Ref: D/St/E8/32 25 March 1726 (1) Simon Cuming, agent acting for George Bowes and John Rogers (2) Thomas Suddys Agreement for a lease for 9 years of Park Head Farm Rent: £37 p.a. This is her son John Rogers III*

From the archives at Oxford University there is mention about the lands that belonged to Elizabeth's brother, it appears that Elizabeth Rogers maintained the holdings, and not her sister Jane Clavering.

Legal opinion on the descent of property which it had been hoped would pass from George Ellison through his sister Mrs Rogers to Sir Thomas Clavering. Mr and Mrs Rogers have barred Clavering's remainder by fine, and the property will vest in the Rogers family and not the kin of Mrs Rogers.

Sir Thomas Clavering, 7th Baronet (19 June 1719 – 14 October 1794) succeeded to the Baronetcy of Axwell and to the family estates on the death of his father in 1748.
He was Member of Parliament for St Mawes 1753–1754, and for Shaftesbury 1754–60 (where he paid £2000 to secure the seat). He resigned his seat at Shaftesbury in December 1760 to fight a by-election for County Durham; he lost that election and the general election of 1761, but was elected for the constituency at the third attempt in 1768 and continued to represent it until 1790.
Prior to his succession he lived at Greencroft Hall, Greencroft, Durham, a spacious mansion built by his grandfather James Clavering (1647–1721) in the late 17th century. In 1758, he replaced his father's old house Axwell House, near Blaydon on Tyne, with a new mansion house in Palladian style.
He had substantial mining interests including collieries at Beckley and Andrews House which between 1726 and 1747 were leased out to the Grand Allies partnership.
His marriage was childless and he was succeeded by his nephew Thomas, son of his brother George Clavering (1719–1794) of Greencroft.

Another brother was Lieutenant General Sir John Clavering (1722–1777) who was Commander-in-Chief, India 1774–1777.

PART OF THE INHERITANCE

Excerpt from the will of John Rogers III (his son)  in 1715 which indicates the lands which had passed to him from his father and his grandfather.

 My lands, &c., in Newcastle, Denton, Sugley, Throckley, Newbiggin, Scotswood, Puncheon
Rigg, North Shields, Lamesley, North Seaton, and Rudchester, my colliery at
Bensham, my collieries and salt pans at Cullercoats, Whitley, Monk-seaton,
and Hartley, 

John Rogers owned the Whitley Colliery with partners.   (from the Tyne and Wear Archives)

In the early eighteenth century Chirton Colliery, working the High Main Seam, was let to John Rogers and Henry Hudson, owners of the adjacent Whitley Colliery (Turnbull 2012, 13 route 9). In 1754, the colliery was leased to a consortium led by a coal buyer, Edmund Shallet and the principal landowners, Edward Collingwood and Hylton Lawson. By 1769, Shallet’s share had been bought up by John Liddell.  

Cullercoats Harbour used to be a salt (see HER 5480) and coal harbour - these operations had ceased by the mid-18th century. A wooden pier was built in 1677. Cullercoats Port was put under the charge of the Custom House Officer at Blyth when permission was granted for the export of coal from the pier, which had been built by the partners of Whitley Colliery (Thomas Dove, John Carr, John Rogers and Henry Hudson) and Lady Elizabeth Percy, heiress of the 11th Earl of Northumberland.    

 Between 1681 and 1688 Captain Granville Collins in his yacht "Merlin" made a survey of the coast of Britain published as "Great Britain's Coasting Pilot". "Collar Coates" is described as "a pier where vessels enter at high water and to load coals and lie dry at low water. The going in of this place is between several rocks. The way in is beacon'd". In 1710 the wooden pier was damaged in a storm. Trade from Cullercoats was stifled following the Jacobean Uprising of 1715 when Papists and Quakers (Cullercoats residents being largely Quakers) were kept under surveillance. In 1723-4 78 vessels left Cullercoats harbour with coal, and in 1724 758 tons of salt was shipped from Cullercoats, in ships like the "St Michael" of London.


Rudchester was  sold to John Rogers in 1685 but he died in 1708, and was buried in St. Nicholas Church Newcastle, so the property passed to his son John Rogers III.  

His father owned Monkseaton North West fram which bounded the Red House farm (an area) It was surrended April 22 1690 by John Rogers to Henry Hudson, later it was sold to the Duke of Northumberland

At the Bensham Colliery in 1705 about 30 men died and in 1710, around 80 men lost their lives in an explosion at the mine.

It can be seen that John Rogers II and his wife added to the lands which his father and mother had owned.

Elizabeth Ellison's family - The Ellison Lineage

Benjamin Ellison was a merchant and adventurer in Newcastle. He was baptised 23 March 1629 and died around 1676.  He married Isabell Lilburne who died 1698, her father was a Knight.

A little about his family.  Once again the merchants of Newcastle seemed to marry within their ranks.

The Ellison family arrived in Newcastle c1500, probably from Stamfordham, Northumberland. They became prominent members of the Merchant Adventurers Guild and the first Cuthbert Ellison was mayor of Newcastle in 1549 and 1554. He was also a landowner and the family landholding was consolidated by his son and grandson, both also called Cuthbert.

Robert Ellison (1614-1678), a parliamentarian, prospered during the civil war and became an MP in 1647. Acquisition of the Hebburn Estate and Hebburn Hall enabled him to prosper further from the coal trade and to gain gentry status. Robert's grandson Robert (1665-1726) married Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Liddell of Ravensworth Castle, forming an alliance with a wealthy and politically powerful family. Their second son Henry (1699-1775) further consolidated the family's position by marriage to Hannah Cotesworth, daughter of William of Gateshead Park.

Cotesworth, from humble beginnings, had already made his fortune in trade when he acquired the manors of Gateshead and Whickham, which controlled the passage of coal from south of the Tyne. On Henry Ellison's death, Gateshead Park and the bulk of the Cotesworth inheritance passed to his eldest son Henry, who also subsequently inherited his uncle's estate at Hebburn, making him one of the principal landowners in the north east.

The next head of the family was Henry's younger son Cuthbert (1783-1860) who once again further extended the family's estates through his marriage to Isabella Ibbetson of Newcastle, heir to the Bonner estates at St Anthony's and Byker, as well as land at Jarrow. 

Meanwhile Cuthbert's sister Hannah had married John Carr of Dunston Hill and their son Ralph, who took the name Carr-Ellison was to become the heir to the whole of the two estates. Cuthbert, however, spent little time on Tyneside, preferring his town house in London and his Surrey estate to either Hebburn or Gateshead, which had rapidly industrialised. 

George Lilburn

During the Commonwealth, in 1656 he is mentioned by Marmaduke Langdale as among those Cavaliers of the Bishopric whom he deems "eminently reliable" and conversely by Cromwell's agents as the "leader of a cabal whose members include Col. Ralph Millot and William Davison". After the restoration of Charles II he was nominated a Knight of the Royal Oak in 1661, the order being "set aside for fear of inciting the heats and jealousies of the late times". In October 1662 he was appointed by John Cosin, Bishop of Durham, as a Deputy Lord Lieutenant and Receiver for County Durham, he seems already to have been Colonel of the Train Bands as on 17 September 1662 he is ordered by the Bishop to "search houses and arrest George Lilburne and Thomas Brown of Sunderland". The former was Mayor of Sunderland and brother of the Parliamentarian, General Robert Lilburne of Thickley, the most powerful man in Durham in the 1650s.