My Genealogy Hound

GEORGE W. ROGERS, one of the best known members of the Norristown bar, he having had among his clients some of the most substantial farmers and business men of the county, and having twice been the candidate of the Democratic party for the office of law judge, is the eldest son of David and Cynthia (Watson) Rogers, and a native of Warrington, Bucks county, where he was born June 15, 1829. The family is descended from English Puritan stock, and removed to Pennsylvania from Connecticut, where Dr. David Rogers, paternal great-grandfather of George W. Rogers, was born and resided all his life. One of his sons was General William Charles Rogers (grandfather), who was born in Connecticut, May 28, 1776, and when a young man removed to Philadelphia, where at the age of twenty he married Mary Hiltzheimer, a daughter of Hon. Jacob Hiltzheimer. Jacob Cox Parsons, a great-grandson of Jacob Hiltzheimer, in 1893 published his diary, extending over the years 1765-1798, affording a very interesting picture of social life in Philadelphia during that time. Jacob Hiltzheimer was at one time a member of the Pennsylvania legislature and held other public positions. In 1761 he married Hannah Walker, of a family of Friends. Jacob died of yellow fever, September 14, 1798, and was interred in the cemetery of the German Reformed church, now a part of Franklin Square. Mary Hiltzheimer was born March 16, 1771, in the house where Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, corner of Seventh and Market streets, Philadelphia, then owned by her father and in the possession of his descendants until 1874. In early life William Charles Rogers followed the sea, sailing from Philadelphia to China in the merchant marine service. He served with distinction in the war of 1812, holding the rank of brigadier general, and commanding the volunteer militia stationed at Marcus Hook, as a protection to Philadelphia and ports on the Delaware against British invasion. In later life he devoted himself to agricultural pursuits and he served for many years as a justice of the peace in Bucks county.

By his marriage to Mary Hiltzheimer he had a family of nine children, five of whom grew to majority and among whom were: Jacob H., who served for a quarter of a century as justice of the peace in Bucks county; General William P. F., a resident of Doylestown, who served two terms as a member of the senate of Pennsylvania, during a part of which time he occupied the speaker’s chair; and David Rogers (father). The last named was born in Warrington township, Bucks county, in 1800,and after securing a good practical education engaged in agricultural pursuits, first at Warrington and then at Pleasantville, on the county line between Bucks and Montgomery. Here he followed farming until 1858, when he removed to Norristown, where he died. He was a Jacksonian Democrat in politics, and held a number of local offices, while in religion he was a strict Presbyterian. He married Cynthia Watson, a daughter of Benjamin and Hannah Watson, of Bucks county, and by that union had a family of three children: George W., whose name introduces this sketch; William C., who became a physician and surgeon, and afterwards served for a time as surgeon on the steamship, Illinois, between Philadelphia and Liverpool; and Mary, who married Henry Hibbs, of Wilkes-barre, Pennsylvania, and is deceased. David Rogers died in 1883, aged nearly eighty-four years. His wife died in 1879, aged eighty-seven years. They were members of the Presbyterian church.

Mrs. David Rogers’ father, Benjamin Watson, was a member of General Morgan’s Riflemen during the Revolutionary war, and participated in the battles of Brandywine, Germantown, Trenton, Stony Point, Cowpens, and other historic struggles. He was discharged at Charleston, South Carolina, at the close of the Revolution, and, not receiving his pay, he was obliged to walk all the way from that place to Philadelphia. At Germantown he was one of those detailed by General Washington to apprehend and execute the Tories, who were betraying American soldiers to the British, and he assisted in hanging one such traitor. He died at the age of seventy-seven and was interred at Neshaminy Presbyterian church, Bucks county.

George W. Rogers was reared principally in Montgomery county, attending the public schools of the vicinity in his earlier years, and completing his studies in a private classical school in Bucks county. Entering upon the occupation of teaching, he followed that pursuit for three years, when he began preparations for admission to the legal profession under the instruction of Hon. Joseph Fornance. Mr. Fornance dying before the course was finished, Mr. Rogers completed his law studies with Hon. David Krause, who at one time filled the position of judge, and was admitted to the bar January 24, 1854, immediately afterward beginning the practice of law at Norristown. He was elected burgess of Norristown the same year on the Democratic ticket and in the fall of 1856 was the nominee of the same party for the position of district attorney, and was elected, discharging its duties for three years with great ability and success. As a lawyer Mr. Rogers labored with energy for the interests of his clients and his natural aptitude for his profession gave him a great advantage in the preparation and trial of his cases. He was soon recognized as one of the leading members of the Montgomery county bar. In 1874 he was the candidate of the Democratic party for additional law judge of the judicial district composed of Montgomery and Bucks counties, but Judge Richard Watson of Doylestown, the Republican nominee, was elected by a small majority, after a very active contest. In 1888 Mr. Rogers was again a candidate for the same position, the district at that time consisting of Montgomery county alone, but as his party had come to be largely in the minority, he was again defeated. He is a member of the American Bar Association and of the Lawyers Club, of Philadelphia,

Among the many noted trials with which Mr. Rogers has been connected as counsel, in the course of a practice extending over a period of more than forty years, may be mentioned that of Alfred Hopkins, indicted for manslaughter as conductor of the wrecked excursion train on the North Pennsylvania Railroad; Kilby Bayletts arraigned for the murder of his wife; and Blasius and John Pistorius, jointly indicted for the murder of James Jacquett, the latter of whom was acquitted, while the former was twice sentenced to be hanged but the sentence was finally commuted to imprisonment for life. In conducting these and other important cases, which were local sensations of the day, Mr. Rogers displayed the ability that makes the successful lawyer and which won for him a lasting reputation. During his law practice Mr. Rogers has defended fifteen men charged with murder, not one of whom was ever hanged. Some of the cases were very hotly contested.

Four years after his admission to the bar, on July 1, 1858, Mr. Rogers was united in marriage to Cara C. Bean, only daughter of Jesse and Mary Bean, of Norristown, Pennsylvania. To them was born a family of four children: Cara, married Clarence L. Blakeley, of Verplank, New York; D. Ogden, who was educated at Dr. Loch’s Treemount Seminary and Lafayette College, being graduated from the latter in the class of 1882, afterward studied law with his father, was admitted to the bar in 1883, and died December 25, 1894; G. Austin, died February 1, 1877; and Jessie B., was graduated in June, 1895, from Elmira college, Elmira, New York.

Dr. and Mrs. Clarence L. Blakeley have three children- G. Rogers Blakeley, Paul Latan Blakeley and Clarence Hiltzheimer Blakeley. Miss Jessie B. Rogers married John R. Van Campan, of Elmira, New York, where they now reside. They have two children- Mary Elizabeth and Cara Van Campan. Mr. and Mrs. George W. Rogers are members of the First Presbyterian church of Norristown, of which he is also a trustee. Mr. Rogers belongs to Charity Lodge, No. 190, Free and Accepted Masons; Norristown Chapter, No. 190, Royal Arch Masons; and Hutchinson Commandery, No. 32, Knights Templar. Politically he has always been a Democrat but of the gold standard persuasion, taking no part in the movement in behalf of the free coinage of silver. Mr. Rogers has traveled much abroad of late years, crossing the Atlantic Ocean several times. He resigned his position as president of the Albertson Trust & Safe Deposit Company, which he had held for several years, in order to gratify more fully his tastes in this direction, leaving his law business in charge of (Edward E. Long, with whom he formed a partnership, the firm name being Rogers & Long, which partnership was dissolved by the death, of the latter in the autumn of 1902, while Mr. Rogers was abroad. His first trip to Europe was made in 1883, since which time he has made three others in 1895, 1899, and 1902, visiting at one time or another most of the countries of Europe and also the Holy Land. His last European trip was to Norway, Sweden and Russia. He is familiar with all the important historic scenes of Palestine. He has prepared and delivered a number of lectures on his various tours, they being finely illustrated with stereopticon views.