Biographical Notes |
Note: John Rogers was educated at Dublin University. He was afterwards of Leeds and Manchester. He emigrated to Victoria ahead of his wife and family with his twin brother Henry by the "Great Britain", and left Liverpool on 16 Feb 1857, arrived at Melbourne on 21 Apr 1857. The age of the brothers was given as 31 but was actually 37. Except for his name on the passenger list nothing further is known of Henry. The ship, the "Great Britain" was the first shaft propelled sailing vessel and the fastest ship of that time, taking only 8 weeks from Liverpool to Melbourne. The passenger list of the "James Bains" shows Anne Rogers (29) and sons aged 4 and 2 years. The ages are incorrect. With her was a "granny", Mrs. Williams, aged 40 years. This could have been an error for the Nanny caring for the children as her age makes it an impossibility for her to have been the mother of either John or Anne. They left Liverpool on 5 Jan 1858 and arrived at Melbourne on 25 Mar 1858.
John's residence in Australia lasted only five years. He was storekeeping at Tullarook when he died of tuberculosis, aged 42 years in 1863. His second son, Richard E.E. Rogers recorded that his father lived at "The Hall", Collingwood, the Melbourne suburb, but this must have been for a short time after the family arrived to join him in 1858. John was buried at the Seymour Cemetery on December 23,1863. The grave has vanished due to vast flooding of the area.
Anne Rogers may have been helped over the next difficult years by her bachelor brother who also emigrated to Melbourne and died there in 1880. Anne died aged 57 in 1884 at Melbourne.
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